Torchmate 1 up and runing, fine tune issues

[gfelippo]

Hi, my Torchmate is working rather fine. I have a few issues I'd like your opinions on.

1) When designing the drawing to cut, I'd like to know if there is any way to optimize the cut path by using one cut for two pieces. I.E.: two rectangular pieces sharing a side.

2) When cutting 1/4 in thick iron, I use my plasma cutter at 70 W at a 60 m/s speed (109 v AVHC). The sheet twists and bends to the point of offsetting the cuts, resulting in different sizes and shapes.

3) Using this same setup, my plasma Cutter (an Italian, Helvi) Overheats and stops after about 20 mins into the job.

If anyone has any answers, tips, or opinion on my problems, please let me know. Thanks!

[justlarry]

Congradulations on building your Torchmate 1. I am about build the same I think.

If I can ask you this? How does the gantry run up and down the rails on both X and Y axis. Is everything fairly tight and moves easily without slop?

I look forward to seeing posts about how it cuts after others help out with your problems.

good luck! larry

[LenMcC]

we're new with our tm3 and are learning more every day, but i'll try to answer your questions as best i can...

1) we use solid works to draw our parts, so we'd basically draw a box with a line through the middle, and it cuts as one line. if you're trying to nest and get a single cut, i can't help there yet.

2) i think some people reduce warpage by building their water table so the back of the work piece is touching the water, so the water draws the heat away. without water, i think you might be able to increase the amperage and cut speed or decrease the amperage and cut speed and get different results, but i'm not sure.

3) sounds like the duty cycle of your machine isn't high enough for the type of work you want it to do. i don't know if you can squeeze any more out of that machine.