[cnc2015]

Hey guys! haven't posted in a long time!

Looking any recommendation on a torch height controller.


My setup:

Windows PC
Mach3
C11 BOB
Everlast plasma 60S

If you have a simulator setup I'd appreciate some feedback.

Thanks

[rodw]

I'll be cheeky after a glass of wine on a Friday Night!
Throw out your current hardware. Buy a Mesa 7i76e ethernet card and one of their THCAD-10 boards which will cost you all of USD $268 all up, far cheaper than most THC's. You can buy the gear here and the manufacturer's site is here.

Install the LinuxCNC plasmac config. I've written an installation guide here. Its actually got even easier as there has been a configurator written in the last few days.

There is not one external THC that can hold a candle to this plasma controller. The reason for this is that the THC function is fully integrated into the motion controller so a simple M3 starts the whole probing and torch ignition process. Jim Colt from Hypertherm says that the best THC's are fully integrated into the motion controller. He was really referring to Hypertherm's high end controllers never imagining that the Opensource movement would create an equivalent (some would even say superior) system.

Here is a video today
https://youtu.be/e2QUCfEFHTY

And another one showing how well it manages torch height control with slopes higher than what you will get when cutting normally. Just before I made this video, I had been playing around with probing speeds so the slow probing is user configurable as I had slowed it down to accurately test the probing height.
https://youtu.be/5uJzgNeLSxs

[rodw]

Ooops, forgot to mention that I have used an Everlast 50s so can help you with the configuration as there are some traps for new players due to the very basic electronics used on the voltage divider board. eg. the 16:1 Everlast divider becomes a 24:1 with the THCAD

[cnc2015]

I'll be cheeky after a glass of wine on a Friday Night!
Throw out your current hardware. Buy a Mesa 7i76e ethernet card and one of their THCAD-10 boards which will cost you all of USD $268 all up, far cheaper than most THC's. You can buy the gear here and the manufacturer's site is here.

Hey Rod, thanks for the suggestion, something I'll probably look at in the future when I build a new plasma table, right now I'll be using my existing CNC router which works perfect


As you can see in the picture I'm making a combo CNC router/Plasma I want to use the existing hardware.

I'm looking at MiniTHC torch height controller

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MiniTHC-tor...orig_cvip=true

Seems to be pretty much plug and play!

If anyone has used the Minithc some feedback would be great!