Plasma cutter issues this weekend

With the help is several people I was able to complete my plasma cutting on Saturday.

The cutter stopped 3 times with a error dirty nosel message. With advice we tuned the touch off and Cleaned it. It picked back up right where it stopped. Until it got to the last cut.

The final cut a circle around the picture the torch just stopped but made the motion as if it were cutting.
Lucky for me James new exactly what I was talking about when I went looking for someone that could help. He showed April Burk and I how to go back and find the last gcode cut and complete the work.

So my piece got completed Thank you to everyone that helped me get this project done. And I learned some new stuff on the Plasma cutter.

Ps: metal shop is this normal for a large piece with several small cuts? James had mentioned this had also happened to him earlier in the day. Don’t ask me his last name, I was Really happy do get it completed and a James is all my mind kept.

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Beautiful art!!!

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What is the auto Z height?

It senses the distance to the cut surface via the arc voltage, and adjusts accordingly. This is particularly important with sheet metal and others that will potentially warp as you cut it.
it’s also useful if you have something that isn’t flat, though that is more advanced usage.

-Jim

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I will look for you the next time I am there, so you can show me this on the computer. Just to make sure I am using it correctly.

In the Dynatorch software it’s a button right next to the torch on button labeled “THC” (Torch Height Control). It’s supposed to always be on, but some neer-do-wells turn it off and don’t reset it.

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I’m not trying to dissuade your seeking advice from Jim or other seasoned pro(s). I’m sure I don’t have to expound the values of in-person assistance here. Never the less, here is a pic of the manual (on top) and the software (from the training slide deck, in the background) portraying the button (outlined in green in each instance).
The manual is open to a prudent page, I think.

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Thanks jast that is just what I needed to see. Nope I did not make any adjustment on the touch.

I’m wondering is there a way to make sure the height is correct? Such as the lasers have a cookie.

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There is not, because ,“correct height” varies, and is determined by the amperage being consumed by the torch during the cut (initial height is determined using the the ohmic “touch off”). So there is no need for such a measure if everything is working as intended, and no way to use such a measure during run, when the height should be actively changing.

While I was at Plasma CNC class, I noticed that the swirl ring had a good amount of carbon buildup on the lip that touches the nozzle. According to one of the videos in the training page on the wiki, the Hypertherm rep mentioned that this can cause undesired arcing inside the nozzle and affect cutting accuracy. Could this be the issue?

Link to 5:05 on the video:
https://youtu.be/wHAuq0ntUD4?t=305

Hi, this is the “James” checking in.

The issue I had with the plasma cutter on Saturday was most likely due to buildup on the nozzle. I did get an error message a couple of times letting me know it had already detected the plate. Checking the nozzle there was a buildup of material on it. There were some other times that it did not give me the message and instead looked like it was doing a test pass instead of doing a cutting pass.

I did check the nozzle before I started for the day but I was cutting out a couple hundred pieces so it makes sense that it would get a buildup over time. So if it does give someone an air pass I would check the nozzle to see if it needs to be cleaned up.

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Thanks James, you rock