powermax 65 Amp settings

[kochj]

I I had read somewhere in this forum that someone else asked the exact question
I am asking...

What is up with the Voltage settings and no amp settings in the manual..?
I realize this is for Automation...

I will have to look at the 45 manual...or 30... perhaps it has setting for material thickness..

I remember that Jim answered this question that the upper left page states the amperage
But it is only 1- setting.... I don't think 1-size fits all, as the volts on the side of the page are specific enough to vary by only 2-volts!!!!....
I don't think this is correct...

45AMPs for 0.5mm Mild steel???

Or 85 Amps for 3/16 Mild steel??

I think these #'s are merely reference to the machine...powermax 65, 85 or the 45 consumables...

In the case of fine cut stainless steel...No ref at left corner...Again...ONLY Voltage
For each thickness.... And the volts are Very specific....per thickness...

As a Newbe...I can cut... but it would be nice to have a starting amp setting to go by
For 1/8 alum. and mild steel....As these are some of the beginning thick nesses I will be cutting.

I will move on to very thick stuff latter on, as I cut steel for making English wheels ect..

Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks..

[kochj]

Looked up the settings for the other plasma cutters on hypertherm's webpage..45&30 hypermax..
They appear to have only 2-amp settings....for either of the two powermax plasma cutters..
It seems the powermax 65's manual is correct... and offering 2-amp settings... as this is what they did with the other models...

I can't wait to cut the thicker metals.... More importantly...make a cutting table..
It is something you have to have...

Cheers..

[jimcolt]

This question comes up often!

All of our cut charts list amperage at the top of the page....where it says "45 amp shielded consumables" (or 65 or 85). A set of consumables produces it best quality in terms of edge squareness and minimal dross at its maximum design amperage. This is because at this amperage...the life of the nozzle is acceptable....and the energy density is high (energy density is measure in amps per square inch....and is based on amperage and nozzle orifice area). If you run at lower than this rated amperage...the arc will get "soft" (lower energy density) and will not create the best combination of edge angle and dross.....if you run at higher that the listed amperage....you will definitely get shorter nozzle life.

Are there specs that will work just as well on thinner materials using the 45 amp nozzle at lower amperage, different speeds and different cut heights? Yes...there likely are. Most of our customers want the best possible cut parameters listed as simply as possible....and that is what we offer with the cut charts. If we listed all possibilities.....we could easily add 100 or more pages of cut charts! In fact...our Industrial High Definition plasma systems have 35 to 40 pages of cut charts to choose from.....there are probably 10 different power levels and speed combinations with these systems for cutting 3/8" steel!

Voltage. There is not voltage adjustment on the Hypertherm plasma system....so why do we list a voltage on the cut charts? It takes amperage and voltage to combine and produce a plasma cutting arc......and the relative power at the arc is measured as wattage....or more accurately, killowatts.

Voltage is totally dependant of the length of the arc. So...if you had a DC voltmeter with one lead connected to the plate you are cutting (which is positive) and the other lead connected to the electrode in the torch (negative...the electrode is where the arc starts inside the torch....then passes through the nozzle to the plate) and you did one cut along a plate at 30 inches per minute with the toch riding exactly .06" off the plate...you may see an arc voltage on the meter of 105 volts. Do the exact same cut again....but with the torch at .100" off the plate...you likely then would see a voltage of about 115 volts.

When the arc is longer, the voltage will get higher. When the speed gets slower (at slower speeds the arc burns a wider kerf and gets longer to reach the metal)...the voltage will get higher. When the plate is thicker (arc longer to cut through plate) the voltage gets higher.

So....if you have a machine with an arc voltage based height control that has a voltage setting......you should look at the cut chart in the Hypertherm manual for the material you are cutting....see the pierce height, cut height, pierce delay, amperage (make sure the right consumables are in the torch), then set the voltage on your height control system.....and (if everything is calibrated properly) the torch will now cut at the suggested height listed in the manual. By setting the voltage....you have effectively set the height.

If your machine does not have a height control....then the voltage setting will mean nothing to you. If your machine has a height control.....but no voltage setting on the height control (such as a PlasmaCam or Samson machine) ...these machines use their own method of setting the voltage called :sample and hold" that automatically does it for you.

Hopefully this explanation helps out.....and the Percocet has not clouded my explanation too badly!

Best regards, Jim Colt





I I had read somewhere in this forum that someone else asked the exact question
I am asking...

What is up with the Voltage settings and no amp settings in the manual..?
I realize this is for Automation...

I will have to look at the 45 manual...or 30... perhaps it has setting for material thickness..

I remember that Jim answered this question that the upper left page states the amperage
But it is only 1- setting.... I don't think 1-size fits all, as the volts on the side of the page are specific enough to vary by only 2-volts!!!!....
I don't think this is correct...

45AMPs for 0.5mm Mild steel???

Or 85 Amps for 3/16 Mild steel??

I think these #'s are merely reference to the machine...powermax 65, 85 or the 45 consumables...

In the case of fine cut stainless steel...No ref at left corner...Again...ONLY Voltage
For each thickness.... And the volts are Very specific....per thickness...

As a Newbe...I can cut... but it would be nice to have a starting amp setting to go by
For 1/8 alum. and mild steel....As these are some of the beginning thick nesses I will be cutting.

I will move on to very thick stuff latter on, as I cut steel for making English wheels ect..

Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks..

[jimcolt]

I thought I would add one more thing.....if you go to the www.hypertherm.com page there is a tab called training and education. Click on it....and you will find many plasma technology courses for free (well....you will have to register!).....there is a ton of valuable learning on the site....maybe you can get some extra credit at work for completing the segments of these courses!

here is a direct link: http://www.hypertherm.com/en/Training_and_Education/index.jsp

Jim Colt

[kochj]

Jim
Thankyou very much for your information..

THe powermax 65 cuts the Allum. L-bar very well, @ the recomended (book) setting
of 45amps...
You def. know your tools!

[Mick120]

Hopefully this explanation helps out.....and the Percocet has not clouded my explanation too badly!

Best regards, Jim Colt


Hey Jim,
Happy new year mate.
Just one question....What the heck's a Percocet???
Maybe a red?? :drinkup:

Ah....Oxycodine.....hope you didn't walk into a door.....

[jimcolt]

They sure make you better when in pain.....I think they are the same as oxycodone and Vicodan. Had the Doc drill out my nostrils so I can breathe better.....so far its working well!

Happy new year to you as well....for us its been a great year!


Jim

[kochj]

Ahh...
You had the ground turbinates and a window in the sinus?

I have had that 2-times...both were at a very young age; controversial to many...

The worst was when they pulled the packing, vomited many times due to blood drianing in
the stomach while surgery...

I am a RN....

Oxycodone=percocet
hydrocodone=vicoden