HP105 THC problems

[8SecondDave]

Does anyone have any experience with a HP105 height controller? I have a table with that and a Starfire cnc controller but the instructions for both are translated from Chinese and make little sense.

I'm having trouble getting the right settings for arc voltage and understanding the "IHS time" setting.

From what I can understand the IHS time is actually a setting for the peirce hight as there is already a separate setting for peirce time and when I set higher IHS time it gives a higher peirce height but there seems to be no way of working out what time to set to give the correct peirce height other than guessing and a lot of trial and error. To make matters worse, if I try to pierce and hit pause to measure the peirce height the torch lifts as soon as I pause. Is anyone able to explain this better to me about how it works and how to work out the right setting? Or perhaps someone wouldn't mind sharing a list of their own settings that work?

I have a similar problem with the arc voltage, if I pause a cut to try to measure the cut height the torch rises as soon as I press pause. The only way I have been able to get close to the correct cut height is watching it cut and estimating whether it is cutting at the right height or needs adjusting. Does anyone have a better solution please?

20211009_094427[1].jpg

[weldguy]

Not familiar with your equipment, it seems odd that IHS (initial height sensing) would have a Time associated with it and not a distance. What sort of values are you experimenting with? You have the right idea pausing to check the pierce and cut heights but all I can suggest is go through the Menu and see if you can determine if there is a feature you can turn off so the torch doesn't rise on pause. Trial, error and documenting your results is likely the best you can do but hopefully someone else here has sorted this out already. Curious to hear what you find out, good luck

[8SecondDave]

Thank you, mostly setting between 0.2 and 0.5 seconds, this seems to vary the pierce height considerably. I have also noticed that the torch is stationary for the pierce delay that I set, but then starts cutting and doesnt drop to cutting height for a second or 2 afterwards, this seems to be regardless of any settings I input. If anyone has any suggestions or soutions to this too I would be very grateful

[adbuch]

Just out of curiosity - does your controller have the ability to disable thc (monitoring arc voltage to maintain cut height) and manually set the cut height and pierce height? If so, and if you are just trying to get this table up and running, then that might be a good place to start.
David

[Rodw]

I think you'll find the machine uses a 24v motor to control z axis torch height and therefore there is no way to control the torch height precisely as you would if it used a servo or stepper motor. So it can only use time to approximate a height.
No doubt a Chinese machine of dubious quality.. But if you can set the cut voltage accurately, the THC should get it back to the correct height..

If you retrofit it with a better controller, you will need to replace the motor with a stepper motor.

[weldguy]

Ah, good point Rodw, never thought of that and I suppose for setting the initial height that could work OK.

[Rodw]

Ah, good point Rodw, never thought of that and I suppose for setting the initial height that could work OK.

It really is a very crappy (Chinese) way to do it. I disassembled one recently and replaced the motor with a Nema 23 stepper and it was already machined to accept it. Which needless to say it now has mounted in place of the original motor and gearbox.

[8SecondDave]

Thanks Rodw, is it difficult to fit a new THC and stepper motor? What THC would you reccomend?

[Rodw]

Thanks Rodw, is it difficult to fit a new THC and stepper motor? What THC would you reccomend?

In my case, all I had to do was drill out and tap 4 x already spotted holes.
You can't really just add a THC when you already have one built in (I assume).
You would also need to replace the controller.
I would use Linuxcnc but I'm a bit biased that way!

I would try and learn how to work around the weaknesses for a while.