I am loosing arc mid cut. I have been cutting the same piece 24 times in a row in the same day. i get to my last sheet to finish the last 6 pieces and i loose the arc. ran the self test, good. it will fire and run for a bot 5 seconds and then torch will raise and or the i will get the error of lost arc… i am tired of cutting cutting cutting and then all of a sudden i get the lost arc message. This completely random, the machine cut flawlessly for 4 complete sheets and 24 pieces.
kobalt compressor 60 gal
125 ipm
32 amps
100psi
compressed air dryer
brand new consumables
Is your computer plugged into a grounded outlet, could your dryer not be able to keep up? I use a refrigerated dryer and a desiccant after and my desiccant still gets consumed.
Great question… That was one of concerns last time the happened. I always clamp to the material and found that the webbing in the clamp had corroded and bacially turned to dust, maybe that was the problem? Switched to a magnetic ground that, problem solved right? nope same issue. Now I would not be so aggitated if it happened from the starting gate, but to have this happen after a full day a flawless cutting is beyond me.
Generally when this happens, (notice i said generally) THC will set itself up and make the pierce so to speak, scratch the surface and get the error. This time it added a little extra fun by THC setting up, piercing so to speak and then THC would raise torch about 2" and keep firing through program until it lost arc.
Computer is plugged into 3 prong grounded outlet. from the compressor to desiccant to compressed air dryer to machine. I even have a regulator right before the machine not only to be able to chenge pressure but to watch the pressure as the machine works and how it drops when comprerssor cycles.
i have my laptop within arms reach of the plasma and arms reach from the control box.
What I find frustrating is that this thing will fire on all cylinders for multiple cuts and sheets and then just decide, meh… Im done… let me start acting up.
It is getting to the point that this is costing me money, ruining sheets and time. Analytically if there is a problem you can trace back steps to a point where a problem occurs and make a fix, but when it randomly does it, it becomes more than one wants to handle.
Understanding that this is not a 40k machine, it should work. I shouldnt have to raise my right arm, wiggle my left pinky toe and stand on one leg in hopes of the machine and process to work.
Could it be my plasam cutter? I am using the Titanium 45 HF special. not the problem I dnot believe as it fires with no issue once removed from system, but just in case, I have a fix for thast also. Spent 2,400 on the Hypertherm 45xp. awaitng shipment
If your plasma cutter is not piercing before motion starts, you’ll get the behavior you are describing. Usually happens when consumables (both electrode and nozzle) become worn. The pierce delay required actually becomes greater the more worn the consumables become.
Additionally, make sure youre keeping an eye on the live voltage when cutting. If you are seeing an erroneous figure for voltage, that may constitute an issue elsewhere that needs to be resolved.
If your torch is raising its because it’s reading low voltage from ground interference and is trying to raise it to increase the voltage. Unplug the computer (obviously if it’s a laptop) or get a USB isolator. Problem will be solved. I had the same thing.
makes sense, But i would not imagine having to change consumables that often, meaning new consumable at the start of the session and a change out after 48 min of cutting, not including swap out of material, set up and restart?
also one thing i did not mention and dont know if there is any bearing to my issue is that when i first started using the machine I had the delay set up as default .5 in the Gcode screen and would have issue so i would manually bump the delay to 140% and cut was fine. decided to change the gcode to .75 delay and 100% with no bump. cut fine there also
USB Isolator? lol i am not a tech guy. Remember, I work on FJ80’s. wrenches and sledge hammers. lol
Can you explain the isolator? Remember, i am in the 3rd grade sitting indian style watching the teacher flash through picture books as she reads them out loud to the class…
Also, why do think the problem is hot or miss? i would think that if there were an issue it would show up in the time line at or near the same point everytime, giving the opportunity to isolate and repair. the whack a mole approach gives me pause… shouldnt the machine just work? lol
It prevents ground interference. Google is your friend. I was a UZJ100 guy for a bit. I’m rehabilitated now.
Put your desiccant after the dryer as well. It should be getting whatever’s left after the dryer. The low live voltage issue is finicky. It didn’t consistently ruin all my cuts either, and only caused issues on thicker material.
Don’t over think it. I had the exact same issue. Take the suggestions and try them. Langmuir has documentation on troubleshooting THC. Their instructions also say to not plug into a grounded outlet. I like many others didn’t read that or research it properly until it became an issue.
I don’t know what google you’re using but the first result is a $38 one on Amazon.
Man i am the king of overthinking… also the king of glazing over fine print, like dont plug into a grounded outlet… Thanks my friend, i will try the isolator. and in the mean time unplug the laptop when using the machine.
Side note, would this also cause and issue- i was cutting a rectangle out of 3/8 mild steel and had settings at 40A cut speed 40ipm and it would scratch the surface and then pierce for about 2in and then go back to scratching the rest of the way.
My apoloigies for bothering you with this stuff, but it seems your knowledge base is deep and picking your brain and reading comments on other posts has helped signifigantly.
Yep. That’s what was happening to me. It was a real pisser to figure out and causes weird stuff to happen. I’m almost certain the ground interference is causing your issues. Your live voltage was probably reading around 20 when that was happening. The torch ends up hunting for the sweet spot. You can get it to keep cutting by slowing down a ton but then the torch still stays high, which will toast your consumables and give you a wicked bevel.
Someone else posted something similar a while back and I think it was tied to a dirty z axis. I had that theory on mine that the z was jamming and causing the initial pierce to be too high, which then threw off the voltage parameters. I don’t even know if that’s possible or makes sense, but I think someone else had a similar issue.
I got lucky and the laptop I bought can charge through a usb c port, so I switched from my 3 prong standard plug in to the usb c and been fine ever since.
Why aren’t you cranking that bad boy up to 45 for 3/8?
Great question- I am using a Titanium 45 from HF. I did crank it up to 45 and it started popping and making weird noises. Come to find out the only consumables that HF sells goes to 40A. tried not to over think it, but I assumed that if the consumable is 40A, then it would nto be a good idea to go past that. I did however place the order for a Hypertherm 45xp, bought and paid for, but when i checked status it is on back order for 6-8 weeks… lol