[eye_2_eye]

Newbie. Brand new Torchmate X table with Hypertherm 85. My Christmas present to myself.

First cuts on some 5/16 mild steel were so poor I almost cried. So i cut out a Deer and Horse on some old furnace ducting I had...the kids were excited.

Today I tried again on the 5/16 inch mild steel, results remain very poor. Extreme Dross and difficulty cutting through at anything over 60ipm Here is a youtube of the results: First cuts hyperthermia 85 - YouTube

Here is the situation. We dont have a circuit in the shop to run full amperage so I have been trying around the 45-55 amp range.

If I follow the manual at the 45 amp settings according to the book the result is still very poor (cuts through but with heavy hard to remove dross)

Is this caused by running the Hyperthem 85 at 45 amps with the 85a consumables?

My air pressure is not regulated...130psi...is too much air causing this?

If I buy 45A consumables can I use those on the Hypertherm 85 while we wait for a new electrical panel to be wired in?

Thanks for any and all help. Happy new year everyone!

Best
Dustin

[jimcolt]

If you read the operation section of the manual....you will see there are 45 amps shielded, 65 amp shielded and 85 amp shielded consumables for the Powermax85, there are also Finecut consumables. The Fine cuts work best (cut quality) on thin gauge to 10 gauge (1/8"), the 45 amp shielded work best from 12 gauge through about 1/4", 65 amp work best from 1/4" through 5/8" and 85 from 3/8" and up.

Use the consumables at their rated amperage for best performance. If you run an 85 amp nozzle at 45 amps....you will have about 1/2 of the energy density, which results in poor edge quality, dross, bad angularity, etc, kind of like your picture shows. You can probably get away with running the 85 amp consumables at 60 amps or more with acceptable results.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

Newbie. Brand new Torchmate X table with Hypertherm 85. My Christmas present to myself.

First cuts on some 5/16 mild steel were so poor I almost cried. So i cut out a Deer and Horse on some old furnace ducting I had...the kids were excited.

Today I tried again on the 5/16 inch mild steel, results remain very poor. Extreme Dross and difficulty cutting through at anything over 60ipm Here is a youtube of the results: First cuts hyperthermia 85 - YouTube

Here is the situation. We dont have a circuit in the shop to run full amperage so I have been trying around the 45-55 amp range.

If I follow the manual at the 45 amp settings according to the book the result is still very poor (cuts through but with heavy hard to remove dross)

Is this caused by running the Hyperthem 85 at 45 amps with the 85a consumables?

My air pressure is not regulated...130psi...is too much air causing this?

If I buy 45A consumables can I use those on the Hypertherm 85 while we wait for a new electrical panel to be wired in?

Thanks for any and all help. Happy new year everyone!

Best
Dustin

[eye_2_eye]

Thank you Jim

Understood on reading the manual

Great information.

For the fine cut nozzles. What is the recommended thicknesses of material. I see lots of people trying fine cut nozzles with less than great results but I think they are using it on too thick of material.

For example what is the max thickness for a nice result using the 85a finecute consumables?

Happy new year! I am literally on my way to pick up some 45a consumables

Dustin

If you read the operation section of the manual....you will see there are 45 amps shielded, 65 amp shielded and 85 amp shielded consumables for the Powermax85, there are also Finecut consumables. The Fine cuts work best (cut quality) on thin gauge to 10 gauge (1/8"), the 45 amp shielded work best from 12 gauge through about 1/4", 65 amp work best from 1/4" through 5/8" and 85 from 3/8" and up.

Use the consumables at their rated amperage for best performance. If you run an 85 amp nozzle at 45 amps....you will have about 1/2 of the energy density, which results in poor edge quality, dross, bad angularity, etc, kind of like your picture shows. You can probably get away with running the 85 amp consumables at 60 amps or more with acceptable results.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

[eye_2_eye]

Just left welding store.

They advised me that there is only a 45a finecut nozzle. What is the maximum thickness that would work well in?

Is there ever a time where you would want a real nice cut and you would use the 45a consumables at say 65A or more? Would it make a real fine cut but be hard on the consumables?

Thanks
Dustin

Thank you Jim

Understood on reading the manual

Great information.

For the fine cut nozzles. What is the recommended thicknesses of material. I see lots of people trying fine cut nozzles with less than great results but I think they are using it on too thick of material.

For example what is the max thickness for a nice result using the 85a finecute consumables?

Happy new year! I am literally on my way to pick up some 45a consumables

Dustin

[xjdubber]

using 45A consumables at 65A would severly impact their life, they are rated at 45A and that is where you use them at.

[eye_2_eye]

I was more just wondering if you really needed super fine cut quality if you could sacrifice your consumables and get better quality by turning up the amperage beyond the rating of the consumables. just trying to understand the theory here. Thanks

also any info on air pressure as it relates to cut quality? can you ever have too much air?

thanks again
Dustin

[plasmamatt]

You want to follow the charts that Hypertherm provides to get best results. Any variation from the charts will either result in poor consumable life or poor cut quality. When everything is set right you should have a very nice glassy smooth cut with limited dross. There are many times that I almost cut dross free.

The Powermax units can be set to auto for the air pressure. I always cut in auto so I don't have to worry about it. I believe the manual says to not exceed 130 psi at the inlet. I set my regulator at 120 psi on the inlet.

Since it is a new system you might have a height control issue as well. Does your system have torch height control or is the height manually set?

The attached picture is 3/8" A36 steel cut on a Powermax 85 at 65 amps.

[jimcolt]

My first response suggests the maximum thickness for Finecut nozzles (10 gauge). You should be using the mechanized cut charts in the Powermax operators manual, these cut charts will give you the recommended thickness range....as well as the cutting specs for each nozzle and power level and material. It is recommended that you do not exceed the rated amperage of any plasma torch consumable....immediate damage to the nozzle orifice will be the result. Consumables in the Hypertherm system are designed to operate at a specific cut air pressure.....which is automatically set and maintained if you have the air in the "Auto" mode (Powermax65, 85, 105 and 125 systems). Decreasing or increasing the air pressure will affect consumable life and cut quality. Inlet air pressure must be between 90 and 135 psi when air is flowing at the torch.

Using a 65 amp nozzle at more than 65 amps will strip away the boundary layer of un-ionized air (created by the centrifuge effect of the swirling gas).....which will allow the 25,000 degree plasma arc to damage the precision nozzle bore. You will see no advantage to running at higher amperage levels than the nozzle is designed for.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

I was more just wondering if you really needed super fine cut quality if you could sacrifice your consumables and get better quality by turning up the amperage beyond the rating of the consumables. just trying to understand the theory here. Thanks

also any info on air pressure as it relates to cut quality? can you ever have too much air?

thanks again
Dustin

[eye_2_eye]

Thanks all for the help.

I went back to the 45A consumables at 45Amps....and boy things are looking much better. Still getting a fair bit of artifact in areas of the pentrations but 99%. I am very pleased. Thank you all for your help.

We have started to cut everything actually "under water" about an 1/8" under water. Does anyone have any advice on that? What water level is best?

Also there is a wire coming out of the back of the Hyperthem in the bottom right corner. It is a two wire. I dont know what that is but I think it may be for wiring up an emergency stop switch. Can anyone confirm? I could not find anything in the manual.

Thanks again.