Let me preface this by saying I don't normally discuss upcoming products or features before they are ready to ship, trying to generate presales marketing. I have watched others take their beatings over announcing a product that is months out and may never actually be affordable or producible.
I have been working on this project (along with others) for several months. At first, it started out as a way to do a better job of generating the ARC OK (aka Arc XFR; Okay to Move) signal from plasma units that don't have those signals available. The idea is to make an easy-to-install DC current probe that would snap around the workclamp cable and trigger a relay at a preset level. It rapidly (well, sorta rapidly) became clear that since we could measure the DC/PWM current precisely and actually read it out using the same circuitry we use to read the Arc Gap volts for our Digital Torch Height Control (DTHC), it then opens up all kinds of possibilities for added control of the plasma process.
The simplest and easiest to implement is the presentation on the screen next to the Torch Volts of the Torch Current in real time. That brings us to the crux of this post:
1. We can make the
Arc OK trip point (value where it sees a valid arc) a parameter in our
Cut Profiles section so it can be automatically changed to match the type material you cut. You would define that parameter just like the other presets in the middle and lower part of the popup window.
2. We can make it so the Torch Current can have fault points above and below the recommend current and define what actions the fault triggers (i.e Operator Alert, Motion pause and torch off, complete STOP etc). It would be a way to manually warn the operator they forgot to change the current after switching tips or material types.
3. We can, on a future version, add the ability for the software to actually set the cut current to match the one on the Cut Profile (that is a manual process now) That needs a lot more engineering (and possibly the cooperation of the Plasma cutter companies). One idea I had was to make a small mechanized "knob" to replace the current set knob on any plasma unit using a small RC type servo. [open for ideas on this one] Basically a motorized pot.
4. And now for the biggest question/challenge. We can make the system "smart" enough so that it would vary the current based on specific cut factors. We can measure the actual feedrate and cut direction from MACH3 and predict when a feature that needs lower current (corners, small circles, etc) is being cut and the DTHC would actually adjust the current on the plasma as it cuts. Now, I have never cut with a machine that could vary the cut parameters while cutting, so I have no frame of reference. I don't know what the range of current change should be and if the Arc Volts need to be adjusted upward (?) in sync. I do know the cut varies based on where the leading edge of the arc is contacting first.....
I need some feedback from the field. We as engineers, sometimes get dazzled with technology (ooh SHINY!!
) and design stuff that is what
we think the market should have, not what it can really can use! I call it the "
Solution Looking for a Problem" syndrome. I'm too old and grizzled to fall too far into that pit. I have one foot that occasionally slips in.
So, if I could impose on the esteemed members to do a less than formal vote as to what features that you consider most important then we can use that to set priorites. We have 1 and 2 pretty much nailed but 3 & 4 are in the argument stage.
If you want to comment to me directly via e-mail then that is okay too.
NOTE:
This is not a stand alone product and is designed to plug into our new DTHC product line. If you have one of our new units (MP3000-DTHC or BladeRunner Dragon-Cut) and would like to be a beta tester contact me. We will need to switch out some of your cards and firmware.
TOM Caudle
www.CandCNC.com