CNC Novice With New Table and No Clue How To Use It

[CNCGrace]

Hello All!
I'm new and hope I'm posting in the correct location. To make a long story short I am an office assistant at a small town fabrication shop. My employer recently bought a used 2005 Retro Systems Hornet High Definition plasma table. It has a Hypertherm HPR130 Amp plasma power source and Phoenix 5 software. I work with AutoCad 2000. I have been put in charge of figuring out how to make it work. My problem right now is that I can't get it to recognize my DXF AutoCad files. It will take DXFs from Design2Fab no problem. We've had the table 2+ months so the boss is starting to get impatient. I came here hoping someone could point me in the right direction.

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[ger21]

Try saving your .dxf files as version 12

[CNCGrace]

How do I do that? I tried saving it as R12/LT2 DXF but that didn't work. It sees the file but when I open it the image is distorted.

[silverslammer]

Can you bring the AutoCad dxf into Design2Fab , then output it from there ? Just a thought. Or maybe the AutoCad needs some tolerancing tightened up. Are there any programs that came with the machine in its controller ? If so maybe they are of other formats, like IGS or STP's .....just to name a few....if thats the case the machine may do better with other file types.

[CNCGrace]

I've never tried to load a part into Design2Fab. I'll see if it can be done. The Phoenix software has a shapes library similar to D2F. It also has HyperCad but the only save format is .cad. It seems to me the Phoenix program will only take dxf or txt files. It has a dxf translator that converts the file to EIA. I think my problem lays with creating the original drawing. It seems to me, D2F is including critical information about the part that AutoCad isn't.

[silverslammer]

I think your right about D2F creating it differently, this may go back to my suggestion that AutoCad may need 'tolerancing' tightened up....kinda sounds that way if your getting it but the image is distorted.

[silverslammer]

If I remember correctly, isnt a DWG file a newer version of DXF ? wonder if it would accept a DWG format ????

[CNCGrace]

LOL DWG was the first format I tried. Phoenix didn't even acknowledge the file's existence. I opened the flash drive and nothing was there.

[CNCGrace]

I think your right about D2F creating it differently, this may go back to my suggestion that AutoCad may need 'tolerancing' tightened up....kinda sounds that way if your getting it but the image is distorted.

I taught myself how to use AutoCad so I have limited experience. Where would I begin?

[silverslammer]

OK, so sounds like you need to keep knocking down the versions of Dxf

[silverslammer]

sorry can't help there, its been a long time since i used autocad. isn't there a 'help' button ? then search it.

[CNCGrace]

sorry can't help there, its been a long time since i used autocad. isn't there a 'help' button ? then search it.

It's ok :-) I really appreciate the idea. I'll go mess with it and start a new AutoCad thread if I can't figure it out.

[hoffmannm]

MANUAL

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...,d.aWw&cad=rja

search for "loading a part" hit next a couple times

Make sure to try the load "all files" drop down that softwares usually have, this way you can see all files in the folder.

Straight from the manual...

Raw DXF Files
If the CNC does not detect pierce information in the DXF file, the operator has the
option to use the Hyper DXF translation utility to import the file and add lead-in and
lead-out information.

you may be dealing with a "raw DXF" try those steps...

[CNCGrace]

MANUAL

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...,d.aWw&cad=rja

search for "loading a part" hit next a couple times

Make sure to try the load "all files" drop down that softwares usually have, this way you can see all files in the folder.

Straight from the manual...

you may be dealing with a "raw DXF" try those steps...

You are correct, I am dealing with raw files. Unfortunately the software I have is 5.0 and doesn't address raw files. After reading up on the DXF translator it appears that I need to add text commands to the AutoCad drawings before loading.

"For the control to load and understand the CAD file, certain guidelines must be adhered to when creating the drawing."

"Text commands determine Cut Sequence, and determine path through multi-segment Intersections. Text commands are placed on the drawing with the Text feature of your CAD program. Size of the text is not important. Location of the text is extremely important."

"Text commands are used to indicate Pierce Points and Cut Direction. Note that the direction commands should ONLY be used when more than one exit path exists at an intersection of segments to determine the direction of the next line segment."

So now I need to figure out how to do all that.....

[jimcolt]

Best bet is to contact retro systems....their trainers are there to help you....even though you bought a used machine. You can also contact Hypertherm's Automation for help with file compatibility. That machine is a high production machine....and normally you would import all .dxf drawing files into CAM (Nesting) software. Those machines are usually sold with CAM Solutions (formerly MTC) software that then post processes your .dxf's and nests the proper quantity. The CAM software then outputs the cutting file....which normally is a .CNC file. Depending on the version of CNC and the Plasma (is it Auto Gas?)...the CAM software also may have the ability to auto set almost all cutting parameters. The Phoenix software is Hypertherm's motion control software that operates drives as well as all of the peripherals on the machine (height control, plasma, markers, etc.)

It is not productive on a machine like this to manually enter and post process .dxf files!

Jim Colt Hypertherm

Hello All!
I'm new and hope I'm posting in the correct location. To make a long story short I am an office assistant at a small town fabrication shop. My employer recently bought a used 2005 Retro Systems Hornet High Definition plasma table. It has a Hypertherm HPR130 Amp plasma power source and Phoenix 5 software. I work with AutoCad 2000. I have been put in charge of figuring out how to make it work. My problem right now is that I can't get it to recognize my DXF AutoCad files. It will take DXFs from Design2Fab no problem. We've had the table 2+ months so the boss is starting to get impatient. I came here hoping someone could point me in the right direction.