Got my first table up and running and starting to look like I know what I'm doing but the DTHC is still kicking me in the teeth. Everytime I think I have it figured out, it bites me. Otherwise, I can run with it turned off and things look pretty good.
I've been under the assumption that you can just turn on THC after you've dialed it in and walk away, but I think I need to pay closer attention to what I'm doing. So I need some feedback. My setup is PPLLC SDB gantry, DTHC IV and Bladerunner from CandCNC and Hypertherm Powermax65. Sheetcam and Mach3.
Today I switched to fine cut consuables for a 16ga project. I had been running on the same electrode for a while but put in a new nozzle. I didn't pay any attention to the tip volts or torch height and the torch dove during a cut mid project. I turned off THC and did a straight line test and saw tip volts around 90 instead of 75 at 0.06 cutting height. I'm guessing the electrode is wearing down and I need to adjust the volts up in Mach while watching the Z DRO to get it back up to 0.06. My 16ga plate is pretty flat.
I see where some folks cut a small part of the job in manual mode first to see what the tip volts are and adjust it before doing the rest with THC turned on - the objective being setting the tip volts to get the right cutting height. Is this a pretty standard process to follow? I guess I was hoping I wouldn't have to baby it that much. Also, how much of a voltage adjustment can you make before you say "that's just to far out of whack" and look for something else that's messed up?
Thanks