With the right compressor you may not need a refrigerated air drier
just curious how often do you have to change your beads out?
where do you live? you may be able to find someone on here close by that can compare systems with to make sure you are have the best setup.
1 Like
I haven’t had to change beads yet. I’m still trying to chase down cut quality and consumable wear problems so I haven’t done too many hours on my crossfire yet. I’m in Utah and it’s pretty dry here most of the summer.
1 Like
a compressor upgrade is important but i dont think your air is as much of your problem as you think.
if you are having pressure issues it could be your air. can you cut small circles or squares with out much issue?
maybe someone on here close to you can chime in on how they dry their air.
i think i would go looking into your cut settings for improvement if you are not having to change beads out often.
are they changing colors any?
1 Like
That is true, maybe its more of dropping of air pressure. I would not be surprised if the spec on that compressor is inflated.
Maybe keep a eye on your air gauge and see what happens during the cut.
1 Like
those cells look great. I am very curious on your desiccant cells, what did the internals look like.
Is there a pipe that takes the intake to the bottom of the cell and then the air filters up through the beads and to the outlet?
1 Like
The cells have a tube that goes to the bottom, forcing new wet air to the bottom then flows up through the beads. Maybe I should post a separate thread about how I made them.
1 Like
These might be worth looking into?
You can get a new pump for <200 if the motors are in good shape. Keep the best one and sell the other.
1 Like
I’ve played with cut settings and can get really good quality cuts for a few minutes. If I have brand new consumables the cut is perfect for about 3-10 min then for whatever reason cut quality drops off and my consumables get trashed. The beads haven’t changed colors yet. I used to have a smaller desiccant dryer that would turn colors after one or two cuts. But these ones I built are way bigger than the old one.
Is air flowing through them properly?
There is a lot of factors that can trash consumables.
Bad air is a big one.
Did consumables last better with small bead filters?
I’m guessing the drop in air pressure/volume is your problem.
I’m in Utah also. Currently only using a desiccant dryer and a couple separators. One right off the tank and one right before the desiccant.
I have a 5hp 15 cfm pump and 60 gallon tank with an additional 20 gallon tank just before the desiccant.
Planning to add an after cooler. I have all the stuff together just need the time.
2 Likes
Fixing up an old one is a possibility. I haven’t looked much into doing that, but maybe I should look more into that.
I resurrected one my dads old ones. The motor was still in good shape so I replaced the pump with the 5hp harbor freight pump.
I had to make a adapter plate to mount it to the tank. It was one of my first cuts on the pro.
I think they have a 20% off coupon for the holiday weekend.
I think it was $160 when I bought it but still under $200
1 Like
Buying another small compressor will just mean you have two smaller compresors running all the time to make the air you need which in the end will just shorten the life of both. If you plan on doing long term cutting need to go ahead and get a get high volume 60 or 80 gallon compressor. They will run slower and cooler giving you years of reliable air supply. Good dry arit is ghe life blood of a plasma cutter and directly effects cosumbales and cut quality.