Speed variation while cutting

[desertsnakeoffroad]

Hello,

Just got a used Torchmate 3 and have finally started playing around with it. I am having problems with the speed of the torch as it is cutting. I tested it out with a number 2, on the straight areas it cuts at the set feedrate according to material thickness, etc, but when it gets to the curved parts of the number it starts to speed up and slow down randomly???

I have ATHC and it is set to manual, ams and current are all set to what the factory recommends!!!!

The table was originally purchased in 2003 and the person I bought it off used it very little and then was put in storage for about 6 years....till now when I bought it and started to set things up...

Any help will be much appreciated and I will call Tm on Monday if I can but I work during normal hours and find it hard to get to my shop to be able to talk and "do" at the same time with tech support.

Cheers

Alex

[jimcolt]

Every cutting machine will have a certain amount of de acceleration and acceleration that will affect speed in cornering. Think about a 90 degree corner...the machine actually must come to a stop and turn.....which means deaccelerating into the corner and acclerating out of the corner. The distance that this slowdown requires is related to the 1. tuning parameters (acceleration rate, gains) 2. design of the machine (motor size, inertia matching, mass off the machine).

Some machines and software have preset slowdowns for plasma cutting.....as an example it is a good "rule of thumb" to cut all circles or holes under 1-1/4" diameter at 60% of the plasma manufacturers suggested cut speed....this helps to minimize taper in the hole.

If you consult with Torchmate...based on the size of your machine they can likely help you make some software adjustments to "tune" your machine to its optimal settings. Once again, each machine is a bit different as the physical size and equipment mounted will make a difference in acceleration capability. Torchmate has a great tech service team....and I'm sure they can help you optimize your settings!

Jim Colt Hypertherm

[ssderick]

Call Torchmate Tech support 1-866-571-1066. They will help you with anything 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
Best tech support I have ever seen. It does not matter that you bought your machine second hand.