PM 45, etc

[exapprentice]

Hi all
just a simple question regarding Hypertherm Power Max range of machines.
We all know how clean our environment is just wondering if you need to take any additional care
where you site your PM and if you need to create any additional protection to keep all that lovely clean dust out
with out effecting the cooling of the units
I am sure Hypertherm designed the units to work in our environments but just wondering if you can prolong the units life with a little care and attention
I think this one is over to Mr Colt.
Another question to fellow members is where have you mounted your PM and does it work for you
I am sure some of you have had that time and tried it
regards to all
exapprentice

[WyoGreen]

I use my HT45 for hand cutting as well as on my CNC machine. I have a machine torch on the CNC table, and a hand torch for the manual cutting. So I built a mig like cart for the HT45 that has hangers on it for the power cable, air hose, ground cable and hand torch. The cart is stored under my CNC water table, and is rolled out for use either on the CNC or for manual cutting. This gets the plasma cutter away from the water table and cutting residue as far as possible when in use, and seems to keep it pretty clean.

Steve

[jimcolt]

All of the current Powermax units, including the Powermax45 are designed to survive in a shop with airborne particles of metallic dust. Here are a few of the design features:

- Fan only is active when needed to cool the power supply.....so it does not pull shop dust in continuously.
- Clean side/ dirty side. The critical parts such as circuit boards and high voltage that could be shorted by conductive dust are in the no-airflow side of the power supply. This side has no access to dirty shop air. Only heat sinks (that cool the circuitry) penetrate through the divider into the side cooled by the fan.
-Circuit boards are conformally coated so components cannot short electrically.
- Circuit boards are mounted vertically to keep dust from building up.

It is not a bad idea to occasionally remove the cover from the power supply after disconnecting power...and blowing the unit out with an air hose.

Best regards, Jim Colt Hypertherm

[MajorMetal]

Should you remove the mylar barrier when you want to use an air hose to blow out the unit? I have never had the cover off of mine and was just looking at the manual and it says to occasionally clean out inside with compressed air but doesn't say anything more about what to remove before using the air. Thank you

[jimcolt]

There is a Mylar insulator in the "Clean" side (circuit board)....if you follow the directions in the operators manual it is easy to remove and replace if you feel the need to blow out the dust. I have never seen much dust in the clean side as there is no fan airflow there.....however it is pretty common for shop dust to build up in the fan flow side.

My Powermax85 has been setting on the shop floor for almost 5 years next to my cnc machine. The cover has never been off.....

Jim Colt Hypertherm