Would this work. It sounds like you could just use your Z axes to move up auto shut off and when lowered in the next spot it would refire. Does any no anything about using a Miller.
Hypertherm has an expanded metal mode aswell.
As quoted from the Hypertherm P-Max45 manual...
To cut expanded metal or grate cutting (top position). Use
this setting to cut metal with holes in it or for any job that
requires a continuous pilot arc. Leaving the mode switch on
this setting to cut standard metal plate will reduce
consumable life.
Also, I believe that starting the pilot and then lowering it to the metal will generate a very long arc stretch at "ignition" and will also reduce consumable life.
Too close a start and you get blow back into the nozzle, too far and I think the electrode loses halfnium faster??? Jim will verify or correct the last part.
If you have the unit (either Miller or Hypertherm) in the auto refire mode (Hypertherm calls it grate cutting mode)....as you pull the torch away from the plate with the start input active.....the torch will revert from a cutting arc to a pilot arc. So a lower powered, non transferred plasma arc will be active at the torch. Using the torches this way will dramatically reduce nozzle life.......you may only get 10 to 20% of the nozzle life that you would expect when firing the torch with the plate close enough to transfer the arc. Also......at least with the Hypertherm system....if transfer from pilot arc to plate does not ocurr in a few seconds....the pilot arc will extinguish.....this is a safety feature.
Auto-Refire™ Technology Miller
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