Originally Posted by
plasmaMac
If you picked up a used DHC1 system, make sure to give plasmacam's tech support a call and if you haven't already, have them send you a copy of the video instruction manual.You can also find a great wealth of information and everything having to do with your older DHC1 system machine on plasmacam owners community.
Definitely upgrade the older DHC machine's software to the DesignEDGE platform. You'll see a huge improvement in not only machine control, but amazing changes to its design capabilities compared to the outdated version. My friend upgraded his DHC to it and loves it..and I am sure you will too!
I've used a DHC in the past that a friend has and at the time it was great, but now after having the DHC2 with Designedge...... you couldn't pay me money to go back to using it vs plasmacam's DHC2 system. Definitely a wonderful upgrade, and especially with the more advanced height control that the DHC2 offers.
If you ever get a DHC2, the high control is completely hands off and requires virtually no user import. It will automatically zero out the Z-axis, in between material changes and from cut to cut. The collision avoidance feature on the more advanced height control is extremely nice as well (You can walk away from the machine! because it will stop automatically if something goes wrong).
As for setting the height control on the DHC1 (Please note that you do not have to do any of this stuff with plasmacam's more advanced DHC2 and its advanced height Control).
Calibrate z shift (affects piece height only) by doing the following:
Jog the Z-axis all the way up, and then Jog the Z-axis down until you are about the thickness of a washer above the surface of the material. Try not to stall on the metal to avoid doing it over again. Next go the height control setting menu and click the ZERO butter (at the bottom). Check to make sure that your Cut Height is equal (or lower) than the pierce height. Now re-initialize the machine
Now you have to calibrate the Arc Voltage Shift (effects cut height);
Increasing and decreasing the arc voltage shift setting corresponds directly to the distance of your cut height.
therefore, you have to adjust the arc voltage shift until the torch cuts at the height you want (usually about 1/10" to and 1/8" above the material). Adjust accordingly until your torch height is set. I recommend doing a few test cuts (usually a straight line is fine)
Once the arc voltage shift is set, write it down and make sure that you note consumable set that you used as well (arc voltage varies when using different types of consumables). Arc voltage may have some minor variations when cutting mild steel, stainless or aluminum. So make sure to adjust accordingly and save your settings for the different types of material that you cut.
Here are some other things to also check in order for your height control to work optimally:
1. Cut speeds that is recommended by the manufacturer of your plasma cutter for the material type and thickness of such. (if your cuts speeds are out of whack, your torch height control may not function properly).
2. Check to make sure that your minimum and maximum cutting signal (typically it should be 3 and 12 respectively.
3. Z-axis Speed (for DHC only) should between 40-50 (and never beyond 50…. this is NOT true for the DHC2 though, which is substantially more robust z-axis motor)
Don’t mess with the factory settings any for the other height control stuff or you might regret it later (i.e. height tolerance, max climb, max dive, climb zone and dive zone ).
Good luck brother,
JAG