Cut quality on 3/16 aluminum sucks

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TTMotorsports
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Cut quality on 3/16 aluminum sucks

Post by TTMotorsports »

OK here's my setup, Plasmacam DHC2 4x4 Powermax 600 plasma. Harbor freight air dryer and motogaurd filter. Cut the steel 3/16 with book specs. and it cuts great. very little taper etc. Load a piece of 3/16 for a customer. First cut doesn't fire, try again and doesn't fire. Change consumables. Fires but has a horrible angle on the cut. Change consumables again and does same thing horrible angle and cut quality is shit. Changed heigh settings, cut speed, etc with no real effect.

Any help here. The machine has always struggled to fire on aluminum for some reason, will have to try and try and try before it will sometimes.
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TTMotorsports
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Re: Cut quality on 3/16 aluminum sucks

Post by TTMotorsports »

No idea how or why but the new consumables i put in after 30 inches of cutting are blown out at an angle. Changed tips and ajusted arc shift voltage to get cutting height proper and it's going good now. Strange stuff happens sometimes and I have no idea why...
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djreiswig
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Re: Cut quality on 3/16 aluminum sucks

Post by djreiswig »

Do you have a good connection from your work clamp directly to the material? I haven't cut much aluminum, but on stainless I clamp a visegrip to the material and stick my magnet work clamp to it. If you just have it on the slats, it might not be making a good connection.
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TTMotorsports
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Re: Cut quality on 3/16 aluminum sucks

Post by TTMotorsports »

yes ground clamped direct to material
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