How to know if your consumables are done

[Black70]

Hello guys, could anybody post a pic of how worn out consumables look like. Just got my TrackerCNC a few months ago and wondering what am I suppose to look at to know when it's time to change them. Another question maybe related to the first one. What could cause waviness in cuts? Not big zigzags but if you look at the cut close up you can see little waves. Tks

[OTHill]

I go much more by the cut quality than what consumables look like.

[jimcolt]

If you have a Hypertherm plasma.....simply open up your operators manual to the section "Inspecting consumables" in the maintenance chapter. It will provide the info you need to get the most life out of your consumable parts.. Jim Colt Hypertherm

[Black70]

Tks Jim, will do

[Metriccar]

Re: consumables. I have a Powermax65 and as I was getting the hang of this, I was going through consumables like crazy. I now can look at a consumable and tell if it's at the end of it's life or not. Unfortunately I throw them away when done. Maybe next time I will save one. I have been using part number 220842 electrodes and have been replacing the electrode/nozzle together as a set. I can tell the nozzle still has life in it. The new Copper Plus electrode part number 220777 is supposed to last twice as long, so I may get full life out of the nozzle if I switch to that and continue replacing them as a set.

Re: waviness. Not sure what you are describing, but if it's what I think it is and if it's in the corners, you'll need to slow your acceleration rates down because the table is not stable enough for how fast your gantry is changing direction.

[chevybythesea]

I cut a lot of thick, heavy plate at 80amps - and the easiest way for me to know is by the color of the plasma (flame). Normally, it is a blue/white color, goes green/blue when the consumables are done.

Self-taught, so take it for what it's worth.

[Metriccar]

Here is a fine cut electrode that has a little life in it still but I'm throwing it out because it's at the end of a cut and will probably fail soon. I replace the electrode and the nozzle at the same time and the nozzle still looks good. Kind of hard to get a good pic on my cell. But as you do this more you will learn that point where they stop cutting.

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