Hi all, I’m confused by the listed plasma cutter compatibility. I recently ordered a CrossFire table. When ordering I looked at the compatibility list and saw the Titanium Plasma 45 on the list and figured I’d just use that as I knew someone that had one that I could buy for cheap. My CrossFire finally got here recently and I was just reading up on some stuff. I already had my own plasma cutter, some off brand Power PLC 55Pro “based on the CUT50P”. Has worked fine for me hand cutting for a few years. But I did not see it on the compatibility list and read some stuff that the high frequency start on the CUT50P was problematic, so assumed that was the case with this one too.
Then I noticed on the compatibility page (I did not before because I just jumped straight to the compatibility list) the mention of “The only hard requirement is that the plasma cutter must not use a High Frequency start mechanism in order to initiate the plasma arc”. I start looking into it and find that the Titanium Plasma 45 is also a high frequency start based on what I can find. So… what is up with that? How can it be compatible if it uses the thing that is stated as a hard requirement that it must not use?
I see forum threads from people using the Titanium 45. What about it makes it ok to use as a high frequency start plasma cutter, but not others? The PLC55Pro I have even already has a CNC port seeming to affirm in theory at least it can work with CNC electronics. Not that I’m trying to use the one I have now, I don’t mind getting a new cutter, I just want to be sure I’m getting the right one and don’t really want to have to break the bank on one. The used Titanium 45 I was going to get from a friend was only going to cost me $300. And I know it has very minimal usage because they only use it on very rare occasions, so it’s almost a like new machine.
I couldn’t find anything in any official documentation or anything one way or the other. I just found at least two different reviews of the Titanium Plasma 45 that mentioned it as being high frequency start. And was able to find zero things referring to it as a blow back start.
I guess if others are using it that are experienced with plasma cutters and say it’s blow back, maybe the reviews I saw just got it wrong.
I read that you can tell if it is blow back or high frequency by if the electrode tip pushes in a little and springs back. Is that accurate? If so I can try to verify that on the Titanium 45 that my friend has. I checked the little PLC55Pro that I have and it’s tip doesn’t move at all.
So many people seem to get pilot arc mixed up with high frequency vs blow back. Makes it hard to find accurate information on these cutters sometimes lol.
Yes, this is how the blowback works. The air turns on and forces the electrode back away from the tip, making a spark (Arc), causing the plasma to form. High Frequency start creates a high frequency/high voltage pulse that jumps the gap between the fixed electrode, causing a spark and resulting plasma - while also driving any nearby sensitive electronics into a ‘stunned’ condition…
Which is why you should come to an Authoritative source like this forum!
And is also why you should not use hearsay or distribute it even further…
Sometimes people don’t always read as closely as they should on the forums and then the wrong info gets posted.
So you really have to double check what people are telling you.
And some people think there is only one way to do things.
It can be difficult to tell, from the manufacturers description, if a plasma cutter is “blow back” or " high frequency" start. They use terminology like “pilot arc”, which really could be either style of starting.
The easiest way to tell is to look at the torch that comes with the machine. If it has a ceramic insulator at the tip, it is defintely a “high frequency” machine. Usually those insulators are solid white or pink.
The Titanium 45 plasma cutter is definitely a “blow back” start machine.
If there was only a way to remove all the garbage from these posts after they get derailed and lock them with the real helpful info like you provide would improve the search function 1000%.
Good job for Jimmy!
It must be since it’s redundantly consistent with the previous posts that had already answered the question. Well, the bit about ceramic tip is new, but I’m not sure that is EXCLUSIVE to high frequency machines. It could also apply to contact type start plasma cutters…
