torchmate 2 height controller issues

[kingfishhotrods]

Hey Yaw

i have a question for all of you Torchmate 2 owners. i have had poor success with the height controller (red display) as far as straightline cuts go. for example this week i tried to make a metal border for a framed picture out of 16awg. it's a square in a square right? with my table, when i make long straightline cuts, when the material heats up and starts to bend, my torch drives upward and away from the material. i have worked with tech support several times on this issue and everytime they give me a fix that didnt work the last time we tried it. i have done evrything from changing consumables, reprogramming the lift station to running multiple grounds to the table itself. before i buy another brand of height controller i thought i would ask you guys and see if you are having the same issues and how you fixed them.

thanks
shawn@kingfishhotrods.com

[Mike@Torchmate]

So when you hit a straight line cut, the material warps away from the torch, or the torch retracts away from the material?

The AVHC is a very simple operating tool, and they all operate the same. I have a question as to what the amperage voltage and speed settings you are running at, because if it hits the straight lines coming out of corners or Arc's, it will accelerate to your Program Feedrate, which is probably pretty high. When the machine accelerates the voltage number changes, and the AVHC is simply responding.

This problem would be universal on AVHC systems because they all operate the same. My guess would be that when the machine hits a straight line it accelerates to the program feedrate and the set voltage is no longer accurate due to it's new faster speed.

-Mike

[BESRK]

Maybe slowing down the ramping speed would allow the torch height to adjust a little better? Torch height increases when the torch speeds up and decreases when the torch slows down (like in a radius) so it stands to reason that if the ramping speed is high, the torch height would jump up pretty quick as the torch accelerates out of a corner. Depending on the size of the picture frame, it may not cut long enough for the torch height to drop back down before it hits the next corner?..

I've had really good success by simply plugging in the paramaters printed out from the Hypertherm website (for my 1250) and then making small adjustments as needed. If anything, I cut a little on the slow side and just deal with the slow speed dross.. well, my son does.. he's the one who does all the cleaning

[Mike@Torchmate]

Maybe slowing down the ramping speed would allow the torch height to adjust a little better? Torch height increases when the torch speeds up and decreases when the torch slows down (like in a radius) so it stands to reason that if the ramping speed is high, the torch height would jump up pretty quick as the torch accelerates out of a corner. Depending on the size of the picture frame, it may not cut long enough for the torch height to drop back down before it hits the next corner?..

I've had really good success by simply plugging in the paramaters printed out from the Hypertherm website (for my 1250) and then making small adjustments as needed. If anything, I cut a little on the slow side and just deal with the slow speed dross.. well, my son does.. he's the one who does all the cleaning

Depending on the speed difference between the arc/corner motions and the set program feedrate. This could vary by 150+ inches per minute, at which point the arc voltage number would most likely be completely wrong, if you are even still cutting through the material.

I'd need some more specifics to see exactly what the issue is though.

[larryy1022]

you may try manual height control mode if yr workpiece is thin. I dont think it cused by voltage spike. Usually an industrial AVTHC has auto control freezing function on kerf crossing and corner turning.

BESRK should be right, it's not the torchmate thc's pro. You dont need to spend money on new THC.

[Kevin_Johnson]

I made a wet table after I got tired of constantly dealing with the warping. The problem even with automatic height control is that if you are cutting warped material with straight lines, then they are not straight. Also you can easily introduce a built in warp.

I cut out pretty complex patterns. Sometimes I will program the cutting to move to other parts of the design to give the first areas time to cool down and contract.