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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Posts
    1

    Plasma build HF start

    Hello everyone im new to this forum and would like to share my recent plasma table build. Im using a HF start plasma CUT70H and i have seen alot of people having problems getting this systems to run smoothly due to high RF/HF noise from the plasma.
    But i have sucessfully built a system running this with no interferance problems at all. Basicly im using cheap chinese components and a normal consumer PC.
    So this is basicly to help anyone having issues with cheap HF plasma systems. It is possible to get it to work! Just needs some planning when setting up the system.

    Components:

    - CW5045 x 4 Drivers
    - 270oz 23hs8430 nema23 Motors x 4
    - Simple 5 axis breakout board (Parallel)
    - Openbuilds OX 1000 x 750 mm table
    - Trafimet A141 Torch
    - Compact THC 150
    - Homemade water bed
    - Mach3
    - SheetCAM
    - Draftsight (CAD)

    First when i ran the system after assembly hell broke loose... I had all sorts of random problems, Computer BSOD, Motors moving around without input, Keyboard/mouse stopped working, Mach3 randomly stopped middle of cut etc etc..
    What i did first was to drive a earth rod as close to the machine as i could, this was just a regular steel pipe that i drove about 1m into the ground with a slagehammer in my case it's about 3 meters from the machine then i bolted a 15mm3 cable to that and screwed it on a copper bar on the machine, then basicly earthed everything to that copper bar with separate earth cables for each component of the machine. What i earthed was:

    - Gantry
    - Torch carriage ( Z axis )
    - Machine bed
    - Water bed
    - Computer chassis
    - Plasma cutter chassis

    After this it was noticibly better but still had signal issues, So i used shielded cables for the Stepper motors, Switches and grounded them in the machine ( Only on one side do not ground the end at control box! ), Also shielded cables to the THC, Parallel cable.. well basicly all cables should be shielded and grounded at one end. But still had strange issues with the Stepper drivers making the motors move by thier own when the HF came on, so i clamped Ferrites on all cables and also wond all stepper cables and signal cables 2 turns ferrite core rings this eliminated the signal issues wich made the motors move randomly. Also power cables to computer and SMPS to drivers where wond in ferrite cores (Around 3-4 turns) After this the system has no interferance issues at all! all it took was basicly some earth cables and some ferrite rings and some cable management not an expensive fix if you ask me. (the plasma source and driver electronics and PC is now max 1.5m apart and works flawlessly)

    Hope this can help someone thats building a similar system.

    Best regards.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    287

    Re: Plasma build HF start

    Thanks for the info Elind.

    Never know when it may come in handy.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    87

    Re: Plasma build HF start

    Hi elind ,you have no idea how happy I am that I’m finally in contact with someone that have a solution to my problem, I too built my own Cnc plasma table and I’m experiencing noise problems, at the moment my machine can cut with minimal interference where my system stops due to noise and motors move due to noise but at most times I’m able to pierce and least times I have to go to the pc and click torch on and cycle start to continue .... I’m also new to this and my biggest problem is trying to understand how and why noise is a problem in Cnc plasma, I have a promax cut 40 power series, parallel port bob ,Tb6560 drivers, nema 23 stepper motors and 1 off 14.6 amp 24v power supply and inside a metal enclosure,using shielded cables on my motors too ,running a old desktop pc with windows xp ,mach3, sheetcam and turbocad, can you please send me pictures of your setup as to how you connecting everything and how you positioning everything in terms of distance and wires etc

    Bradley


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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