Starting point off?

Ok. Just getting started in sheetcam and I see why everyone likes it. I have noticed a few things and have a question.

Observations first. Something seems different in the way the machine performs in code generated by sheetcam. I could be wrong but it seems to run smoother. Also pierce delays seem off. I have been using a 1-second delay for 1/4" material and yesterday I had a lot of failed pierces. Strange.

Question: why is the starting point off by about 4 inches? Meaning, the part is in the very lower left in sheetcam but in Mach after I zero, I’m about 4" from the part itself. I have to position the torch off the sheet by that much for it start at the edge of the material.

Under Options->Application options->Units tab, is time set to S (seconds)? If so, on Mach 3 is your G4 Dwell time set to seconds or milliseconds? If milliseconds then 1 second delay in SheetCam translates to 1mS in Mach3 (which it can’t do and won’t try). An experiment, which you can dry run without cutting pieces, is to set your delay in sheetcam to 1000 seconds and see if Mach 3 give you 1second delay.

In sheetcam, Options->Machine options->Working Envelope tab and Table Display tab, make sure your origin is set to lower left corner. Do the same thing in Options->Job Options->Material tab.
Other than that, when you load the part, the part should load at 0,0 and then you set up your machine to start whereever you want the lower left corner. Be sure you’re not in machine coordinates when you zero out your axis!

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with such a long pc delay is it maybe losing arc since there is no material to “ground” to?

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It’s not losing arc. It just takes off before it pierces completely through.

Okay, couldn’t tell exactly what was issue, so on that note…
What plasma cutter?
Some need a pause between pierces due to plasma cutter parameters.

I don’t remember which ones are effected, the dont start arc to keep torch cool