help stand alone torch height control needed

[marcmnrsports]

hi all
can anyone tell me of any torch height control packages that are a stand alone unit and as such onlt need to interface with the plasma cutter rather than the table as i suspect most versions that link to the table will not be compatible

many thanks

marc

[jcc3inc]

Sir,

Could you explain a bit more? Some years ago I made a stand-alone ht controller for the machines which we manufactured. Later I designed a more complex unit that had initial height sense and retract-at-end-of-cut.

Regards,
Jack C.

[Torchhead]

Look at Torchmate. At 2499.00 their ATCH is about the cheapest WORKING stand-alone system. Then again maybe Jack C would build you one cheaper. Being in the UK you have to fight the RHoS directives so anything you buy will have to pass the rules. You can go buy a car battery with 1000 times the lead of any electronics assembly but not anything built with conventional pre-RHOS parts or soldering....go figure.

[stirling]

Originally Posted by Torchhead Being in the UK you have to fight the RHoS directives so anything you buy will have to pass the rules..

Also applies in California - go figure

Originally Posted by Torchhead You can go buy a car battery with 1000 times the lead of any electronics assembly but not anything built with conventional pre-RHOS parts or soldering....go figure.

It was Tom who first brought this to my attention and for that I'm endebted to him. I've since read up on the whys and wherefores of this directive and whilst I'm not going to defend it (I'm British, proud of it and hartily fed up of being ruled by the wasters in Brussels) I will offer a reason why being able to buy batteries with 1000s of times more lead actually isn't as daft as it sounds. The very fact that they contain a lot of lead means they are relatively easyily recycled and are simply too valuable not to. Circuit boards on the other hand only yield their lead conent at relatively great expense and therefore are more likely to be trashed to land fill. - sorry - this is probably a little off topic.

[jimcolt]

Stand alone arc voltage height controls for plasma have been available since the 1970's.....however the technology has dramatically improved in recent years. Early systems were "deadband" type....meaning that they would adjust the torch height up or down when the arc voltage varied either plus 5 volts or minus 5 volts. A 5 volt change in arc voltage is roughly equivalent to about .020" in torch to work distance. Todays servo controlled (and some are stepper controlled) THC systems combine a lot of necessary features...but also have the ability to control the proper height to around 1 arc volt....or roughly .005". This better accuracy is necessary in order to control cutedge angularity to much tighter tolerances ....and to dramatically improve fine features (small holes) as well as increasing consumable life due to correct pierce height, cut height and minimizing contact between the torch and the plate.

Here is a link to Hypertherms lowest cost stand alone THC.....they also make auto height for oxy-fuel cutting....and higher end THC's for high definition industrial plasma cutting systems. These systems are available worldwide....meeting rohs compliance as well as CE, UL and CSA certifications.

http://www.hypertherm.com/languages/...sensor_phc.php

Jim Colt