[rutexus]

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Hello. I am at the stage in my cutting table where I think I can now start buying some software and hardware.

I am only new at this sort of stuff could you please tell me what I would need to buy from you to get my table up and running.

I plan on using the table for oxy first then once it is all up and running properly I will go and buy myself a nice 3phase plasma cutter. But for now only just oxy use.

Peter,

You've asked a lot of questions. After I answer some of them, I encourage you to go to the Rutex.com web site and look more closely at the areas I direct you to.

The R510A/B board is really designed to work with the plasma cutters. It also only runs with step-ex software. Mach2/3 will not run it. If pcut meets your needs, you can choose to use it to do your cutting. The 510 can be used to run an oxy system but its torch height system will only work with plasma. The Oxy torch height control (R982) works independently of everything else. So, if you make a machine which you plan to alternate back and forth on, I encourage you to make a replacable Z axis, one for plasma and one for oxy. There are really no complicating issues related to cutting with oxy, but there are with plasma.

The plasma A/B card that you sell, can that be use for an oxy as well, then later used for a plasma?

I see that there is pressure on you guys to get the new 2000 series card made. With the old driver cards I understand that when cutting corners they are not smooth corner cuts but stepped. Will the new cards fix this problem? Or is it not an issue for me as I am only using it for a oxy/plasma table?

Peter, I believe the issue with rounding corners has nothing to do with the rutex drives. It is related to the mach2/3 software. All servos have a very slight lag, but I don't believe this is the issue either. Mach2, like most other programs sometimes have minute delays between moves, or at least some change in velocity. When the control software tries to blend the moves in continuous contouring, it tends to smooth out the transistion between moves. In order to change directions, velocity changes sometimes require the move to have ramping up or down. This is particularly important in controls designed to control stepper motors. If you change velocity with a stepper motor too quickly, it will lose steps and thus position. The inherent (but slight) delay can also "integrate" these moves.

I expect that Art (author of Mach2) will impliment the spi functions which will allow buffering of the moves. This may help with this problem, but we will have to see when we get them.

Could you please list what I would need to buy from you for my machine to go.

It is your choice on how you want to proceed. If Pcut will serve your needs, you may want to get a 510 board, and use servo motors that draw less than 6 amps. The 510 board is presently being updated to allow motors of any size (any of the 2000 servo drives will plug into it.). It will be an intelligent mother board (having special features for plasma cutting and torch height control) and also serve as a mother board for control of the motors. This will allow large gantries to be built.

Otherwise, the R990H, R90H and the new 2010 drives will work to allow a normal configuration that can be driven by mach2. The oxy torch height control can be used, and the Bob campbell plasma torch height control system which is designed and integrated into mach2 can alternatively be used. We are presently out of stock on the oxy torch height, but I am considering helping Vladimir get some in stock soon. I think Rutex has one of the few reasonably priced oxy torch height controls available. Hopefully by the time you are ready for it, we will have them in stock here in the USA. I sent my last R982 kit to the Netherlands yesterday.

Rutex does not provide power supplies. They are easy to build, and others on this forum can help you with this. If you need more assistance in building a power supply, give me a phone call at 573 341 1528.

I don't mind talking over the phone about these things. I am normally in the office, although I do take short trips to town from time to time. I get motors from Servo Dynamics, MCG, (small ones from Pittman) and Mag motor may have motors suitable for you. I won't give you a price until you narrow down your choices.

Hopefully guys on this forum will also advise. I must run an errand right now.

Tom Eldredge
Rutex LLC.

Do you sell power supplies and servo motors? If not could you list a few quality suppliers that you know of please. This will make life a bit easer for me as a lot of stuff on the internet is for USA.

Hope you understood all that....lol

Also could you list a total price for me as well. And what about THC for oxy? You can't make/get them any more?

Cheers Peter

I await your reply.
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