Shielded torch?

Hello, so far I’ve used with success a machine torch with my PRIMEWELD CUT60. It works really well on my Crossfire PRO.

However I have seen people using “shielded” consumables and I was wondering what is the advantage and if I should switch to those, and in what cases regular vs shielded are considered better.

I cut often 30ga galvanized and 1/2" and most everything in between, alu, stainless, etc

I’ve started using shielded consumables on my PTM60 machine torch and I’m not impressed with the performance. The tip is recessed in the cap and the recess gets slag in it from piercing and screws with the air flow.

There’s no need to use a shielded tip until you’re had cutting. Along wit what @ds690 mentioned, you also need to adjust your pierce/cut height’s in your toolset to accommodate the difference of the shield. i believe it’s around a .03 -.035 difference.

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Well yeah one has to adjust the cut height (at least IHS, in theory THC if done with a set voltage should be unaffected)

However I read that shielded is best to protect the tip from slag, if slag gets stuck there… there isn’t much use for those :frowning:

@nicaDd “There’s no need to use a shielded tip until you’re had cutting.” can you rephrase this?

For example, when cutting 1/2" and piercing takes longer, my unshielded tip often gets messed up, I was hoping a shielded would help with that…

sorry, i meant “unless you are hand cutting.”

you’ll need to adjust pierce/cut height in your toolset to be lower to the sheet to account for the extra thickness of the shield. ihs is just there to sense where the sheet it and set the initial height.

@mechanic416 can probably give you a more in-depth answer on this.

If you are having trouble piercing !/2" mild steel with the Primeweld 60 you have your setting wrong, air not set right, torch height not set right, etc. With a 1.1mm/60 amp tip set at 60 amps and 75psi flow pressure in will pierce 1/2" instantly. When setting voltage it has to be set with the torch set at the right torch height .060" from tip to metal for 40 to 60 amps, less for 20 and 30 amps. Just putting a voltage setting in does not mean it will hold the TH at .060" with out manually checking it. If you leave your voltage set at that voltage with shielded consumables you may be .075" to .090"

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If there is no need for shielded consumables. Then why does Hypertherm use shielded consumables on all there CNC torchs?

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The “GEORGE” has spoken…

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“All” is a little strong. Hypertherm has mechanized cutting charts for both shielded and unshielded consumables in their books.

In the case of the unshielded consumables with hypertherm they call that piece a deflector instead.

I prefer using shielded consumables when cutting aluminum with my hypertherm.

On mild steel and stainless steel 14 gauge I prefer unshielded consumables it gives me a little bit narrower kerf width.

And all fine cut consumables for hypertherm have to be used without a shield and only a deflector while mechanized cutting.

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what?..no clip from a manual???..are you slipping???

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Maybe I should put it this way. On all newer models they use shielded consumables of some sort, deflector , shield what ever.

On the older models Hypertherm made shielded and unshielded consumables for all their plasma cutters.

On the really older models they were high frequency no need for a shield.

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unless I’m wrong, you were the one that said in some previous post somewhere on here not to use shielded tips with cnc.

I think you are confusing a drag shield with a CNC shield.

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yeah i could be. :man_facepalming: