pierces are the hardest on consumables…I also get around 3hrs of torch time with this setup…
if you get low pierces then yoiu will also get low cut quality as it means you are having moisture in your air.
micron air filters (motorguard and similar units) are best used at the end of the system so they do not get saturated with moisture and then reduce air flow.
can you post picturs of your air setup?..it might help see if you have anything really visable with it.
also poor cut quality has a lot to do with actual torch height …have you ever measured the actual torch height?
My air set up is not adequate so I dont want to embarass myself by sending a picture just yet. I only have the motor guard type filter set up. I have a 3hp 18cfm, 125 PSI, compressor with 100 litre tank, there is another 100 litre tank nearby cheap and I am going to try and pick that up today to add to the unit. I am trying to do this on a realistic budget for wanting to cut a small number of mostly brackets and small fonts for light aluminium and steel fabrication as a small hobby business selling pickup racks, pickup bed fit outs for camping and trades and other small projects . The best I can do with 15amps, which is the power I have available (standard for Australian residential), is around 3hp motor which seems to be adequate but it does look like I need more air. I will try and avoid a refrigerated unit for now, I am getting some decent airflow in my shop even when it is warm.
At this stage I will trial the following air flow process;
AIR COMP PISTONS > AFTERCOOLER > WATER SEPERATOR > TANK > DRYER
Hopefully I can still achieve 80 psi at the plasma.
I am using cut heights from charts and entering to the post process and still working on finding the right heights for different materials and thickness. Everything is working okay, but the cut quality needs to greatly improve.
Thanks for taking an interest, please put forward any advice.
Never feel embarassed about any system you have…we all started somewhere…and even the smallest change can make a worls of difference…let us help…no one will ridicule or shame your system…
ok…so my system seems like overkill…but it was all bought second hand and is salvaged parts…from what you describe you biggest issue is the size of your tank and the motorguard filter…
the 100 litre compressor and tank is way too small…it will run hot and wet…but you can make it work…
so in order to get the volume of air you need to run a plasma you need to keep your lines as large as possible…so using 3/4" PEX or equivelant size pipe is important.
next…going from the 1st compressor and tank to an after cooler is good…put an auto drain in the first tank or drain it every few hours of use…
after the aftercooler to water seperators is great…
a refrigerated dryer would be great next…but if not then go with the tank you suggested.
after the last tank you will need desiccant beaded dryer to monitor your moisture in the air…and at the end the motorguard filter…then to the plasma…
as long as you maintain large pipe sizes and remove reduced fitting and hoses you should be able to maintain the air you need…
Thanks toolboy, gotta start somewhere. I’ll keep the lines as large as I can and I have identified some smaller lines on the unit now. Thanks for the input again, appreciated.
Your after cooler and water separator will do just as good after your tank and not put unnecessary and need pressure on your pump. That can make your pump fail.
Thanks Phillip. I will have a look at my configuration and if that works. I was also looking at setting up a small fan behind the aftercooler which may work better after the tank.
That is my set up. There is a thread on here which had some long discussions about that in particular. In it I actually had on between the pump and tank. That is until I started VA bunch of testing. It is kinda a long thread though.
I have saved this, some good information here to absorb. Hopefully i can track down the same parts in Australia, i am sure i can. I will have a good look at putting the aftercooler after the tank which may be good on hotter days. As i understand there is a cooling benefit with the second tank also.
Once again, I find myself in total agreement with @toolboy. No reason to feel embarrassed.
I found one of my best moisture management things that I could do is to make sure I regularly drain the tank. And my friend, Glen (toolboy), gave a great tip of putting termperature sensing to electrical switch on the compressor and that drives my electronic device that automatically drains the tank. Now every time the compressor runs, the drain opens for 0.5 seconds. It is relatively inexpensive and your tank is ‘designed’ to have condensation form inside.
Well…not 100% sure that the tank was ‘designed’ to form condensation but if you think that way, then you can take advantage of this side-effect of the tank.
I have been running small flexible hoses coming off a compressor that is not adequate. And I only have the motor guard filter attached! Yesterday I found another tank for my compressor so I now have 50 gallons and I am now well informed of what a realistic system for my set up will look like. I will certainly have a look at a sensor and drain, hopefully available in Australia. This will be a good idea considering the variation I will have in temps and humidity. Thanks for the input.
My 74 year old next door neighbor restores old cars and trucks as a hobby and source of income. He has a 2 bay unattached garage with one setup as a paint booth. His work is beautiful and clients are lined up waiting for their turn. He frequently uses a plasma cutter, has a CNC table, and paint guns. I was talking with him last week about his system. He uses a 5 gallon plastic bucket filled with plain water and coils 10’ of air hose up in it. He uses a cheap HF 2 bulb filter setup as the hose exits the bucket. He never has moisture problems with his paint guns or plasma cutters since he switched to this setup years ago. I wish I had talked to him before investing hundreds of dollars on filters…
I only drained my compressor tank frequently, no dryer, no desiccant, no cooling coils and for a few cuts, never had any water issues…I assumed. But, I never got dross free cuts ever. I also did lots of wood cabinets and used my air compressor with acceptable results. I just don’t cut much nor for very long.
I always say, if you are concerned about the quality of your cuts, don’t come here and complain about the cut unless you are willing to clean up the air situation. If you are happy with your cuts then who am I to say “They could be better.”
I have all sorts of water traps and they never have a drop of water in them. And just recently, after 6 months decided to check my desiccant beads (probably could have gone another 4 months) and decided it was time to replace/recharge. I still think the draining of the tank is sufficient for most of my needs but I do have pristine cuts now.
If you are used to grinding and polishing metal like an body shop does, what’s a little dross. Plus, he probably welds a lot better than me: Not a stretch of anyone’s imagination.
I worked for about 15 years in body shops and had many friends in the field. Most of the shops I know of did not have a great set up for removing moisture.
I think you will find automotive painting is somewhat more forgiving compared to Plasma.
Most guys have a small inline filter on the gun but I don’t think that amounts to much when it comes to moisture.
Plus do you really know how well his set up works on the plasma side? Unless you know how often he is changing consumables and seen his cuts.
True never needed a plasma table when I did bodywork due to nothing being flat. Even manual plasma cutting is not very popular in bodywork due to heat and sparks. Doesn’t take much to cut body panels. Most popular in my opinion would be an air shear.
but if you think that way, then you can take advantage of this side-effect of the tank.
