Any knowledge about a TD PAK-45 beast ???

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beefy
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Any knowledge about a TD PAK-45 beast ???

Post by beefy »

Got a mate overseas who has acquired a Thermal Dynamics PAK-45 and is asking me about about putting it on a cnc table.

I downloaded the instruction manual and see the schematic is dated 2001.

The only info I could find on the net was that it is a beast that makes the power grid dip and it eats nitrogen. I don't know if it can use air only.

I don't see any info on it being high definition and have no idea about the quality of the cuts it makes.

Keith.
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jimcolt
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Re: Any knowledge about a TD PAK-45 beast ???

Post by jimcolt »

The PAK-45 was developed in the early 1970's, and was probably discontinued in the early 2000's. It uses Nitrogen as the plasma gas and C02 as the shield gas......air plasma cutting had not yet been developed. Many were equipped with hand torches for up to 400 amp cutting. It generally was used for cutting stainless and aluminum up to 2" thick. Steel cutting was drossy and horrible in most cases. Probably not a good process to use today!

Jim Colt
beefy
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Re: Any knowledge about a TD PAK-45 beast ???

Post by beefy »

Thanks Jim,

I'm guessing that's why he got it so cheap (US$70 LOL). Sounds like a good tool for ripping bits of metal apart.

Keith.
Dana gear
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Re: Any knowledge about a TD PAK-45 beast ???

Post by Dana gear »

We had one years ago, purchased new, as Jim Colt stated it needed Nitrogen and CO2 to operate, ours had a holder on the back of the machine for the two compressed gas cylinders. At the time it was it was the cats meow, we got it dialed in to cut carbon steel reasonably fair for the time.
We donated ours to a high school some time in the early 80's. It went to the scrap heap a few years later when we donated a newer plasma power source to the school.
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