It was working fine a week ago cutting 14ga , then tried to make the same cut and the torch fires moves about 5 in the torch stops but keeps moving. Straight does the same. Thing I have done:
Hypertherm 45xp cpc
Pierce Delay: 0.6
Pierce Height: 0.15
Feed Rate: 150 ipm
Unplugged laptop
Changed consumables
Air supply 100gpm
Unplugged Torch ON/OFF and used wire to fire troch, it does the same thing fires then stops.
Where is your work clamp located. On the metal or table. Might try to move it
connected directly to the work piece.
I run hypertherm 45 myself and 99% of the time I have an issue it’s consumables. I had a little issue with moisture which caused my consumables to go bad quick but got that resolved. Other1% is work clamp…lol.
Sounds like you already replaced them.
so…you are cutting and the arc goes out but the table keeps running right?
does it happen on every cut?..every time you cut 5 inches the arc goes out?
yes, no matter what I try it will fire for a few seconds stops firing but keeps moving.
I replaced the consumable but used one that looks less worn. I will try purchase new ones and test again.
Your electrode might be spent. Can you show us some pics of your consumables? Are you seeing any green light/flash in the torch - I know it is hard to sense with the glasses but that would be a sign that the electrode is exhausted.
Any chance your air pressure is dropping below min spec?
here is picture of the electrode. Still does the same thing even with new consumables. Run straight cut 10in stops firing a 5in but keeps moving.
I wouldn’t clamp on an electrode with a vise. I am sure you were gentle. Just saying…any little nick or scratch on these things mess them up. The photo is easier to assess if it is taken at an angle. If there is a 1 mm indentation, it should be discarded. I can’t really tell but it does not look like it was abused.
Speaking of @Knick, he asked about the air. So you are sure there is adequate supply? Does your air compressor run continuously while cutting? What we are getting at is that checking the air pressure right at the cutter while cutting, can help to rule out if it is starving for air. To preserve the torch, it will shut down so as to not burn up your torch.
the air pressure does not drop.
I notice the live voltage run at 50+ but drops around 3+ when the torch stops.
I am relatively new to all of this, based on how much cutting I do but that electrode does not look to be your problem. I did have an air problem and the torch kept turning off but wasn’t throwing an alarm. I can’t remember the steps I took but I changed something and finally the cutter (Hypertherm) through an alarm and in the book it said that the air was one of three possible issues. I just cranked the air up after that. I thought I had 100 psi to the back of the cutter but after that, I put 115 psi and don’t change it.
The fact that your cutter is not giving a code makes me think that FireControl is turning off the torch. The cutter is not controlling that. But it is odd for FireControl to turn off the torch and still be moving. Somehow, FireControl thinks the torch is still cutting. Obviously, the voltage is going to dropped because it is shut off at that time.
I am just thinking out loud. But my low grade assessment is that electrode is not likely the problem. Others may justifiably disagree with me.
Your voltage should be much higher than that while cutting. Do you have THC? I’m assuming you do or else I don’t think you’d have a voltage reading in firecontrol. Run the THC test and check for resting voltage.
If you’re jumping the leads to fire the torch and it still won’t run without shutting off… are you running it over material or just triggering the arc in open air and then it shuts off? If yo Lu have a hand torch run that to test it.
My hand held torch runs without shutdown. It shuts off either way when I jump it.
is it possible that the VIM box is the issue?
the VIM box has nothing to do with the torch firing.
If the hand torch is working fine then it’s something with the machine torch.
If the table doesn’t recognize the arc has stopped then you have a problem with the table electronics. The hand torch of course by passes all of that.
