I just use my pro table more for hobby, so not much. I seem to be getting around 110 pierces out of the consumables I have pretty good air filtration. Motoguard and silica as well as 2 other water traps in the system. My latest project was a mini torture test to see what I could do. Blew out 2 tips over the coarse of the entire table.
Blow were my setting for this cut. What do you think went wrong?
everlast 82i with ptm60 torch
-45 amps on a 60 amp tip (Georges consumables)
-.125 mild steel
-75 ipm
-62psi
-30 minutes cut time
-1688 lineal inches cuting
-.6s pierce delay
-.1181 pierce height
-.3.937ipm plunge rate
-.0591 cut height
-.0591 kerth width
-cutting voltage was 90-111v whole time
-tested air blowing on glass. Don’t see any moisture.
Is 45 amps too little for a 60 amp tip? I know 10 amps less is ok, but 15 i’m not sure! What are you thoughts on this?
ok…I think I might be able to help here.
I run my everlast 62i a little higher and faster.
I am getting over 500 pierces per tip…and I have not added my electronic dryer yet.
I do not have my setting in front of me right now,…but here is what I have and what I cut with
compressor running out and into a copper wall cooler consisting of 5 x 5’ lengths of pipe with a valve at the bottom of each run…this increased me from 150 to over 500 pierces.
the copper wall cooler does an incredible job with condensation removal
this goes then to a reserve tank (60 gallon)
it then goes through a primary filter…then through a beaed dessicant dryer…and lastly through a motorguard filter.
you motorguard air filter should be the last item before the plasma.
45-48 amps
95ipm
60-62psi
plunge rate is around 40…I feel yours is to slow and heating up the tip to much
The electrode wear is not what it it should be. Its burning the copper away that normally means moisture in the air. The cutting tips are getting melted from to much heat. Also is your torch height .0591 from the tip to the metal or from the shield to the metal. If its from the shield to the metal then its really .0891 why to high.
Thanks for the input guys. I don’t believe I have air quality issues with the system. The silica bowl is properly sized too. I will change silica and moto guard filter now and cut later today… this might be the problem. I was just assuming the lack of blue color meant it was good to go. Haven’t used it much, but also haven’t changed it in a long time. Water doesn’t seem to get past the first of 3 water traps as well. The compressor is 7’ tall and has a spare huge tank connected. Doesn’t run much. Air never gets really “hot”. There is probably 200’ feet of steel pipe in between compressor and machine.
I will change my plunge rate to 50, double check the cnc shield distance. My cut seems to be trapazod all around which would indicate too high torch. shoot, George… I know better! Ill try mixing up IPM to higher.
I did a bunch of test cuts chasing minimization of draws and forgot about key stuff. Ill report back!
In addition to what others have noted, I’d bump the pierce height up to .15 and the plunge speed is called out in the Langmuir instructions to be 50ipm or more. I use 60 to be safe.
Also, you don’t want to wait until the desiccant change window is all white to change. As soon as you see white it’s worth changing out. Sometimes it’s only a few minutes from almost to over time to change - like in the middle of a cut leaving you with wet air for much of the cut. I use rechargeable beads so I can pop the used ones in the oven to dry out so it’s no big deal if I switch early as it’s not costing me anything and it saves consumables.
this is a good point. so you want the .0591 from the tip to the metal and not the shield to the metal? if so how do you measure that without taking the shield off everytime? i normally just put the .0591 guide under my shield and metal until it touches is this wrong?
Well if you check the tip is .030" up inside the shield to protect it. You need to make and use a .030" shim between the shield and metal. Then you will have .060" between the tip and metal. If that does not work for you then use the unshielded tip and use your .060" shim.
Does your tip move freely up and down inside of the nozzle? I had a set that locked up and didn’t move, which I didn’t notice till after they were worn out. It still cut, but the cut life was terrible and quickly got a lot of bevel in the cuts.
I have changed plunge rate, ipm, keep drying beads, had the .125 material nice, low dross. Then blew out the tip quickly, wonder if the damage was done pre fixes.
The tip moves freely when I am putting the consumables together and then I screw on the cnc shield to just tight. Everyone keeps saying its moisture in the air, and I’ll buy the harbor freight compressor dryer unit but I have to just double check that this is not enough already.
Goes from the Quincy compressor tank to a auto drain water separator—>75 gallon storage tank(big ugly unit)—>25’ steel pipe—>regulator/air trap—>motoguard—>2QT capacity silica bowl—>75’ rubber hose—> plasma units water trap. All that is not enough? No visible moisture with the jim colt mirror test. Just seems a bit overkill already for how poor the tips last.
I just cut off the 75gal auxiliary storage tank to isolate any issues. going to test today again a full sheet.
you got it pretty good there…
but I do see what might be your issue…used pipe and lots of fittings…rubber hose…all have loose debris in them…
that is why you need the filter at the very end…
That first filter probably isn’t catching anything because the air has no chance to cool before it passes through there. You’re getting 300 degree air off the pump, and sending it straight to your plasma. If it’s not cooling you aren’t dropping any moisture.
It probably cut fine through the winter, but just started acting up when it warmed up right?
EDIT - you do have a long run of hose and pipe, but I’d still be skeptical of air temperature. Definitely switch the order of those filters and run that first.
alright great, I’ll pull the motorguard and desiccant off the wall and put it on the cart with the plasma and then look into a cooler pre first air trap. We have hundreds of feet of steel pipe, so I need to make sure that water doesn’t get into the system in the first place. I’ll get a dryer, copper manifold or radiator attached to the compressor fan.
I’ve never ran extended much up until now. Just little brackets as I needed them… so heat may not have been an issue back then. Now these issues are showing up.
