[DennisCNC]

I would like to hear from people that run a cnc plasma cutter with THC (digital torch hight control) every day a few hours a day. The machine can be DIY or commercial.
Things I would like to know:

Power source brand and if you like it?
Average life on consumables?
Do you have a CNC torch (I mean a vertical style) or hand held style?
Thickness of material mostly cut?
Average IPM you run it at for given material?
Is the machine driven by gear rack, belt, screw, other?
Is it stepper or servo?
Any EMI problems you had to solve?

Thanks

[xjdubber]

I can give some of my experience as a tech from when i used to work for multicam...

I have run and installed multicam 1000, 3000, 6000 series

Powersource
Hypertherm 1000 ~ 1600 series (absolutely love them no problems ever!!)
Hypertherm HD4070 (love it too not to many problems)
Hypertherm HPR 130/260 autogas (Love hate relationship too many litlle problems)

Consumable life
Hypertherm 1000-1600 series absolutely no clue cost of these consumables never really raised my eyebrows enough to care.

HD4070 800~900 pierces depending on material type
HPR130/260 1200 to 1300 pierces depending on the Position of the stars as related to the sun and if the grass is green or purple.

material thickness.
1000~1600 series usually under 1/2 Have cut some 1" with the 1600 very sucsesfully
HD4070 3/4 and down
HPR130 3/4 and down
HPR260 1.5 and down

IPM always to hypertherm spec except for alluminum, like to run that a little faster.

all multicams are driven by Gear rack, 1000 series are steppers most 3000 and all 6000's are servo's

EMI problems? Grounding grounding grounding, and them some more grounding. Mostly on 6000 series, flaw in multicams design.

[DennisCNC]

Thank you very much for the great details!

[Dale Heart]

I would like to hear from people that run a cnc plasma cutter with THC (digital torch hight control) every day a few hours a day. The machine can be DIY or commercial.
Things I would like to know:

Power source brand and if you like it?
Average life on consumables?
Do you have a CNC torch (I mean a vertical style) or hand held style?
Thickness of material mostly cut?
Average IPM you run it at for given material?
Is the machine driven by gear rack, belt, screw, other?
Is it stepper or servo?
Any EMI problems you had to solve?

Thanks

HPR260

About 2400 pierces. It took a bit of work to get there... but we're at the stage that cut quality doesn't suffer until the electrode develops a pin hole and everything turns to rubbish very quickly.

Machine style.

2-40PL MS and SS

7,100mm/min-510mm/min. We sometimes go to 9,000 depending on what we are doing (eg. stripping)

Gear

Servo

No

[DennisCNC]

Dale, did you build the machine or buy it?

[Dale Heart]

I bought it.