[dozer50bmg]

whats the difference in using mach 3 with a computer as your controler rather than something like a burny 10. i know price is a differnce and the burny wil have many more features but does it affect cut quality or is it purely convinience thing?

[ger21]

Burny won't even let you look at a brochure without registering, so it's hard to say. But Mach has an awful lot of features itself.

[DSL PWR]

I'd look at Hypertherm's stuff. http://www.hypertherm.com/languages/...automation.php


My cousin has retrofitted many machines with the edge units. You can get quite a few options on these units, even nesting! I'm not sure what all the costs are, but the control (never mind the drives and motors) will cost more than a whole table built on Mach 3.

[Khalid]

MAch-3 is a great software...

[dozer50bmg]

i guess what i am trying to figure out is... if you were to take a high end piece such as hypertherm or a burny controler and stripped all the bells and whistles off would it be the same as running mach 3 on your own pc? or is there something more, better programing, more accurate code generation...?

thanks for the ideas so far.

[Torchhead]

What "bells and Whistles" are you talking about? MACH3 has so many features and options that it sometimes draws complaints for having too much. It is one of the few control programs (that humans can afford) that has intergal torch height logic in the core program. What that means is that the THC knows where the tool is and what height it is (for piercing, initial cut and after the cut) It knows if you are coming up on a sharp corner and can modify the THC response (anti-dive). Few other controllers have that feature at any price.

Using our Digital Torch Height Control and options like our low cost hand controller you can match most if not all of the features you have in a $30,000 commercial controller.

Yes it uses a PC, but it should be considered a dedicated unit and you can mount it up and out of harms way in a cabinet.

Mach 3 does not generate code (unless you count LazyCAM) it runs g-code. SheetCAM is a cost effective CAM program with lots of plasma specific features like auto lead-ins/outs, kerf offset, cut order and process control, inside outside offsets, preset pierce height and initial cut height to name a few. Sheetcam has a MACH3 plasma Post (actually several) and the combination of the two works very well.

So lets compare: Sheetcam + MACH3 + MP1000 Digital THC + PC = approx $1500.00

No auto nesting (Sheetcam does have step & repeat of parts and arrays).

Burndy Controller = ?
Hypertherm Controller with THC = ?

Find a feature in the two commercial controllers you think is worth the extra 20 0r 30K dollars.

Even if you factor in ALL of the electronics and software for a MACH based system (like one of our Plazpak 3 or 4 servo systems) and you are still about 1/10 the price of just the controllers.


If you just need to spend that kind of money buy 3 or 4 of the midrange MACH based tables and quadruple your output. One guy can probably run two to three machines at a time.

Find a bell or whistle on the units you described and let me know what they are and chances are you can get same thing with the MACH based plasma.

Don't kid yourself. There are a LOT of those so called "hobby" units running in commercial shops all over the world.

Do some research including looking at the THC features comparison chart on our website.

tomCAUDLE
www.CandCNC.com
BOB's
Digital THCs
DXFTool Software
Complete Electronic Packages
Stepper & Servo Systems
Hand Controllers

[NC Cams]

If you want/need a turn key system, Mach might NOT be for you. When the user gets it going, it is surely is every bit as good if not better than a turn key BUT, don't go there unless you have the time to build, develop and troubleshoot it. Do a site search for some of the setup issues that guys encounter every so often

Speaking as a small business owner, I triied to go the DIY equipment route and learned some lessons. It is hard enought to make ends meet on a day to day basis WITHOUT having to deal with a science project that you screw together yourself. Can it be done? Yes. Do you have the time and patience to do it? That depends on your patience, time and cash budgets.

Some folks want/need to simply be able to call someone and have them come and fix something. After spending the first few years of my business fixing things and trying to make parts inbetween the fire drills, I'm disinclined to do any more science project/DIY based projects for my business. Life has gotten too short and the days even shorter.

I do NOT disagree with Torchhead. I'm only providing a contrarian view to the issues that DIY equipment generates for the small shop owner/operator. It may NOT be something you're equipped or capable of dealing with, all in all, especially if you run into a problem in an area that you're not experienced in/with (wiring, engineering, electronics, computers, whatever).

[turmite]

Well as a small business owner who also tried the diy route, in that I did a retrofit of an existing machine, I would like to add that had it not been for the support of Art personally, and the great support of the fourms he has, I would never have made it. My only problem all along the way was I didn't have enough money to do things like I wanted and have had to "make do". Things are finally coming together and I owe muchof it to Mach software and it's unbelieveable support system.

Mike

[dozer50bmg]

thanks again for all the help

i hope i did not give the impression that i was ragging on mach 3. i hve never used it or any of the other controlers. i wa just making sure that i was not missing something on why one costs 1500 and others 15000.

is there a nesting program that is avalible that can be used with the mach3 set up?

im not sure if this is true but i have heard from some plasma reps. that the THC for a conventional plasma is different from what you would need for a hydefinition plasma. anyone have any thoughts on if this is trua, and if so what those differences might be.

once agian thanks for the advice

[turmite]

Dozer I don't think anyone thought you were raggin on Mach. Wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway since we are going to voice our opinion!

I know in Tom's case, he uses Mach for exactly the application you use and knows it inside and out. BTW I don't know for sure your number comparisons in the quote but Mach is only around $159 +- so there is a significant difference in price.

I think most of the nesting you will find will be cad or cad/cam generated rather than controller generated.

I can't help you with the plasma questions since I have no experience there.

Mike

ps 50bmg.............you a shooter?

thanks again for all the help

i hope i did not give the impression that i was ragging on mach 3. i hve never used it or any of the other controlers. i wa just making sure that i was not missing something on why one costs 1500 and others 15000.

is there a nesting program that is avalible that can be used with the mach3 set up?

im not sure if this is true but i have heard from some plasma reps. that the THC for a conventional plasma is different from what you would need for a hydefinition plasma. anyone have any thoughts on if this is trua, and if so what those differences might be.

once agian thanks for the advice

[dozer50bmg]

i like to shoot but i live in the wonderful state of CA, so no BMG action for me. what bout yourself? also my qoute of $1500 came from tom talking about sheet cam + THC + mach 3...
thanks for the input

[Torchhead]

I'm not sure if this is true but i have heard from some plasma reps. that the THC for a conventional plasma is different from what you would need for a hydefinition plasma. anyone have any thoughts on if this is trua, and if so what those differences might be.

Hydefinition? If you can afford that you can afford the 15,000 THC that goes with it! All the THC solutions quoted here have been for standard plasma.

Make sure HyDef is what you want. It's really good on thicker material >3/4" but won't buy you a whole lot more on thin (>12ga) stuff.

It still won't give you laser or even AWJ cut quality. In fact conventional OXY-ACET on thick material is hard to beat.

What are you planning on cutting that you think you need HyDef?

[dozer50bmg]

my company sends alot of parts out to be laser cut. some of which only have a +/-.015 tolerance. the range from 1/8 th inch to 3/8 with alot at a 1/4 inch. probably 100 differnet parts with runs in the neighborhood of100-1000 parts. there are bolt holes usualy about .400 in diameter. there is not too much that have delicate features but edge quality is important and secondary rework operations (sanding, grinding, drilling) should be avoided at all cost.

[duraflap]

Two questions
If I read this all right, Mach 3 does a good job of Torch Height Control? I use Mach for my cnc router and love it!!
Now I'm interested in a cnc plasma and have been looking at Plasma cam, TorchMate and Tracker.
Any feed back on the three machines?
Dennis

[Torchhead]

PlasmaCAM does not use MACH and their controller ONLY works with their software. They have their own THC.

Torchmate uses Flashcut. Will not work with MACH. Only THC solution is to buy the stand-alone THC box they sell for 2499.00

Don't know much about Tracker but it appears they have their own analog THC similar to the THC300 from Campbell (a knob sets the height and there are no presets). I don't think they use MACH (have their own software).

Tracker uses a direct connected stepper which is touted as a "feature" (no belts to break/replace). Direct connection to a pinion gives you amazing speeds (which can't be used) and sacrifices torque and resolution. Best resolution (which has to be better than accuracy) is .015 with a 1" pinion. A simple belt reduction trades the speed you can't use for torque and resolution you can. Belts do wear out but last hundreds of hours and are easy to replace.

Some other plasma tables to consider:

www.plasmaroute.com
www.EZ-router.com