Anybody using the Dynatorch DASH System?

[magma-joe]

I am interested in buying the DASH system for my Dynatorch. I cut alot of thin material and it is always a problem with flexing on the initial torch height sensing. Anybody using the DASH System yet?

[Edwardo]

Its on my wish list, will probly get it this summer some time. From what i have seen in the vids it will make it alot nicer to cut thinner sheets. I cut mainly 1/16 - 1/8 and the last batch of 1/16th was warped bad, had to stay rite on it when peircing.

EDD

[Kyle Day]

Because the DASH sensor is optical-based it works great on very clean thin-gauge materials, particularly stainless steel and aluminum. However on heavier gauge hot-rolled steel, which usually comes with quite a few stains and blemishes you may encounter some problems. Cutting 1/4" at 100A my DASH sensor would frequently fail to trigger at the set height, causing the torch to pierce extremely close to the plate. This would cause severe blow-back into the shield cap which could then cause both the nozzle and electrode to blow if the system wasn't stopped immediately and the buildup on the shield cap picked off with a knife. Even then the orifice on the shield cap would be blown out. I assume this wouldn't be as much of a problem with a more rugged torch head as on a HyperTherm unit, but our Kaliburn high definition system is very sensitive to pierce height.

[AbachBua]

What brand, make, model sensor are they using in the Dynatorch DASH?

[magma-joe]

Kyle, thanks for the feed back on the Dash system. I ordered one today after talking to Leon about the unit. In my situation (clean thin aluminum) I cut some fine details with very precise locations, like small bolt hole circles. Any flexing or shifting of the material will ruin the part. Some parts I cut have several hours of work in them BEFORE they get cut. Holding the material down and saying a prayer before the initial pierce height starts is getting old. The dash system looks like it could open up a whole new dimention in thin material cutting. I also like the thought of cutting things that my competitors can't. I will post my experiences once I get it up and running.

[Homer Simpson]

Hey Joe this is Homer Simpson, thanks for the reply it helps alot in making this decision. Man the more specific I got with DT about what I needed they pushed the WEcim software, it sounds great except my quote keeps going up and shipping and crating is insane exspensive. I also was wondering if you think that the hypertherm1250 is good enough to cut 1/2" steel. One other thing was that you metioned is contacting hypertherm about configuring the tourch with the table, what do you mean about that?And what is the dash system because I cut 1/8' material, I will look at the web site again so I don't seem like to big of a dumbass.
I'm glad to hear that you are a DynaTourch fan it is a hard decision to make with all the companies out there. If you have any other suggestions please tell me, this is an exspensive tool that I need to speed production. I think I am going to Peducha. Thanks a ton, Homer.

[magma-joe]

Homer, Perhaps you should read the whats new section of the Dynatorch website. It lists all the upgrades made to their machine and software. For example, a customer requested a pierce counter be added to the software so they added one. When I spoke of Hypertherm I was refering to the same situation.

Lets say you have a table with Hypertherm controls. You are using the machine and suddenly it dawns on you, would'nt it be great to have such and such feature that would improve the machine performance. So you call Hypertherm and say, hey I have your CNC control on my plasma machine and I think it would be great if you would ad this feature (pierce counter or what ever) to your system. Although Hypertherm is a great company with excellent products, I don't think their response would be the same as if you called Dynatorch. When I called Dynatorch in the past with software questions they refered me directly to the software designer. Nothing like talking to the person who actually writes the software.

For the market segment Dynatorch is in I think they have beat all the competition. It sounds to me as if you need to do more home work on your purchase. Your decision will then become very clear on which path to take. As for the Hypertherm 1250, I think it would be a great choice and 1/2" is no problem. It has a higher duty cycle than the Hypertherm 1000 which becomes a factor for prolonged cutting of large sheets.

The Dash system is an initial torch height sensing system that does not require the torch to touch off the material before starting the cut. When cutting material that is thin this is a real pain. As the torch pushes down the thin material flexes down with it. Once enough resistance is felt in the torch lifter motor, it thinks it has reached the actual material height, then it raises up to provide an air gap between the material and the torch and is ready to fire off. Problem is thin material that springs downward with the force of the torch also springs upward when the torch raises. You don't want the torch to fire while touching the material as it wipes out your consumables, cut quality and if the piece of material is small enough the part will be dragged when the torch starts to move which translates into an inaccurate cut.

This is a universal problem with most CNC plasmas. Most operators either place weights or hold the material down by hand to prevent the spring back effect. The thinner the material the more the spring back becomes a problem. I have looked around and have found no one else offering a no touch initial height control. That is probably why Dynatorch has a patent pending on it. I just ordered one so I don't know how well it works but it sure looks attractive for the thin aluminum cutting I do. As for the 1/8" material you asked about, this should not be much of a problem especially if cutting from large sheets. But lets say you are cutting a 4" diameter hole in a 6" by 6" piece of material. A piece of material this small could shift on the table when the torch touches off on it depending on how well it is supported on the table slats. Any movement of the material should be avoided if possible. It is just something you have to be aware of and bear in mind thousands of parts are cut every day with conventional controls. The operators just work around it. Here is a great video, watch as the operator holds down the sheet of material -

YouTube - Dynatorch

YouTube - Dynatorch

Now here is the DASH system

YouTube - Dynatorch D.A.S.H

YouTube - Dynatorch D.A.S.H

[Edwardo]

Another thing to check besides good things about any cnc table is to check the complaints, when i was where you are 1.5 years ago i only seen 1 serious complaint about DT, and i dont beleive for a minute it was DT fault, and actually i havent seen 1 since.... check the forums for other brands and see what negative remarks are in there.
I screwed up when ordering my DT, i thought i ordered the table frame with it, but i didnt.... so i ended up making my own from DT plans, it worked out great in the long run as i made it from heavier guage tubing and saved alot of coin on shipping etc.. i also bought the air handler, if i had to do it over again i would just skirt the table in as other guys have done, but at the time i didnt know or understand exactly what i was doing, all i knew was i wanted a cnc plasma table and DT was my choice after doing the reseach....
I bought the Hypertherm 1250 for my table, again from doing the research... i cut mostly 1/16 & 1/8 using fine cut consumables, on 1/8 when i have it dialed in there is basically no slag (dross) ... i have a couple vids on youtube under dynatorch, the 1 shows cutting a nested 4x8x 1/16 sheet, that 1 sheet alone had almost 1200 peirces using the same nozzle/electrode...
I could have bought smaller and cheaper, but i want to start a business using this machine, i could only afford to buy 1 so i decided to try and buy the best i could, and so far i beleive i did... good luck

EDD

[Homer Simpson]

Awesome, Mr. Magma. You are a great help. I thought I had read all the cnc info on most every website I had come across. Obviously I thought what's new on the DT website would be like tourchmates and would get to see when their next offroad race was and when the expo shows are. I downloaded the operation manual for the DT table and I am getting anxious to purchase. One other question for you is that at Dynatourch they tell me the table will cut all the way to the edge of a 4x8 sheet(on a4x8 table), or at least very close. Is it true? Thanks for the vid's I had seen them both before but was to eager just to view them, now I see what you are talking about. Thanks a bunch. Homer J.

[Homer Simpson]

Edwardo Thanks for the reply. This website rocks. You are right there are alot of complaits about other machines. I have talked to at least 8 companie's on the phone and through e-mails for about 2 months, it gets confusing. I was left feeling that DT has the best support,people and machine and with you guys plus this forum it seems to have helped with the decision.
Now to change the subject. I will look for Edwardo on you tube and check out the video. The question I have for you is " What kind of work do you do with your cnc torch(probably see it on you tube right after posting this) and has your DT paid for itself since you purchased it? Thanks Homer

[Edwardo]

Homer, that vid posted by Magma-joe is me ( thanks joe), its a 1/16th and some of the sheets i got from my supplier were warped worse than others, its not bad if you are cutting larger peices with less peircing because once it has peirced the THC takes over and holds the gap, but when cutting like i was in the vid i have hundreds of peirces so i had to stay rite on it, also with lots of small cuts like that you have the chance of more tip ups, i have the collision gizmo with my system, but i still keep a eye on it.... as for the DASH, as i said in my other post its on my wish list. As for cutting a full 4x8 sheet its no problem, i have my table cutting area set at 50"x 100", im not sure of the actual size it will cut, but it is more than 4x8......i never measured the full travel distance. Business wise, its a bit of a story... i got the cnc bug over 2 years ago, spent a year of my time off renovating my garage/shop to be able to work year round in it( cold in Canada half the year) then bought my DT and got it together and running, spent the last year and a bit learning how to use it and the drawing programs, and buying more tools (band saw, welder, etc) i work away from home ( im in mexico rite now) for 8 months a year, 2 months away, 1 month home on break, so its been a challenge learning, then relearning when i go home again... so far we havent even advertised what we have or what we can do, mostly because when you advertise that you better be ready to walk the walk and be there to do it... we think we are at that point now and will be advertising and knocking on doors when i get home... our web site is almost ready... still needs a few things added, we have sold things around the neighborhood but nothing serious, but so far people like what we do..... like anything it will take time to build up a customer base. Would i like it to take off and become my soul source of income, you bet i do, but realistically it will take time and i wont be giving up my current job to soon....
So no, my DT hasnt paid for itself yet! ... and i can guarentee that my neighbors boats, and RV's sitting in there yards will never pay for themselves, but some day i think my DT will... for now its my hobby, i enjoy it, it drives me crazy sometimes, its one of the few things i have that i dont owe money on, i can do it with my family, its 30 feet away from my kitchen in a attached heated garage, its my space when my wifes girlfriends are visiting her, until i bought my DT the only thing ive ever drawn in my life was unemployment insurance, and when 40 guys are whining on the job site down here i can close my office door and go on line here in the zone and read, talk, learn and share about something that i have in common with other people on here and find some peace and sanity.... and hopefully some day i will be working from my home, doing what i really want to do...

Regards
EDD

[Kyle Day]

Originally Posted by AbachBua What brand, make, model sensor are they using in the Dynatorch DASH?

The sensor I have is a Baumer Electric OHDK-14.