20.6 with correct THC Sheetcam Post processor.
When the machine is moving into position to cut (during the rapids) to you see any voltage readings from the LIVE voltage on the THC? Are you using a two prong adapter for the PC or Laptop?
It is odd the machine keeps running and doesn’t throw the lost arc error.
Adjust the eccentric bearings, make sure computer is not being charged or powered by a grounded source.
Computer runs on a 2 prong DC wall wart, no ground prong to worry about.
Live voltage hovers around 0v during rapid, basically unchanging till it touches the plate when it’s always 0.0v, then as the torch raises the voltage goes up until it hits about 130v.
It does throw the “Torch started moving before voltage was sensed” error after it gets high enough with the THC on. With the THC off it raises, then wanders around doing the program an inch or more off the part with the torch off.
do you have it on smart voltage?
I have tried smart voltage (0v), and manually setting it to 85v. Thanks, I forgot to mention that.
first, that is outstanding information provided…if even half the people did this it would be soooo helpful…THANK YOU!!!
you machine is clean…so rules out contact issues…
in the time I have been here…I have not seen or read that anyone has a slow raising torch like that…
it has me stumped…
Thanks, I know how much it helps to have as many details as possible when digging into the truly oddball things that machines do.
Is there any possibility that this is an abnormal amount of wear/carbon for just one attempted arc start?
Regarding machine cleanliness, if this is a THC problem, would the Z axis cleanliness even matter? The IHS does appear to be doing its job correctly each time.
How clean it is, for reference.
The machine torch can be eliminated as the culprit. I tried the hand torch and had the same result.
And just to verify, I checked and have no continuity between the USB ground and frame checking between the USB input on the controller and the Y axis frame rails.
@langmuir-daniel any ideas?
how about giving the ihs wires more slack. can’t tell how much slack they have going into the drag chain but that could be a culprit.
They seem plenty slack from what I can tell. If there was a problem with the IHS I would expect it to present itself in setting the initial pierce height, which it seems to do correctly and consistently. Wouldn’t be the first time in my life I made the wrong assumption about how something SHOULD work though.
have you tried a lower version of firecontrol like 20.5? I read some people have trouble with 20.6 and newer.
I have not, though I suspect I may end up having to.
I tried running with the THC turned off and unplugged, the plasma cutter off, and guess what. It still does the IHS routine, goes to the pierce height, then starts its upward drift to .599"
Problems I think this eliminates from the list:
- Interference from the plasma cutter
- IHS problems
- THC problems
- Torch or worn consumables issues
Does that mean it’s software time?
I’m onto something! Tried an old program, doesn’t drift. I am going to check and see if something is corrupted in the version 1.6 post processor.
make sure to fully delete the 20.6 with your control panel add/delete programs…
the fresh install…sometimes a full clean install works better than an update…
Was a clean 20.6 install on this machine when I bought it.
You know what works even better, larger fonts and not having a history of only using leading zeros on metric numbers.
Anyone want to guess what the problem was?
clamp on metal missing???
Ha, nope. I left not so subtle clues in my last post and the big hint ended up being in the one where I posted the link to the Ghost in Z Machine video.
I’m not used to leading zeros on inch numbers. So when I saw 06 in the cut height when checking programming parameters on my small laptop screen, I read it as .06, not 0.6
That wasn’t my only issue though. My other issue was that I was referencing a post by George where he posted a picture and later states the direction the swirl ring goes in, only, putting it in the way he describes caused my misfire/delay fire issues. As soon as I switched it around the misfires went away too.
Thanks to everyone that threw me ideas for where to go looking. Although it ended up being an embarrassingly stupid issue, I’m honestly glad it was me and not the machine. I’ve already filed that mistake away in the “do not repeat” bin, where as if the machine was actually to blame I’d have lost some confidence in it.
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Nothing is embarrassing or stupid…it is a learning experiance…
Now you have some great experiance to pass on…