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 Posted 4/2/2016 5:55:14 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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Hello everyone,
Cut out 72 mount parts that hold material bearing slats for CNC plasma water table. The low end Northern Tool horizontal metal cutting band saw works great for this kind of work. Still was rather tedious work.
vertigo
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| Posted 4/2/2016 6:03:51 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
I had planned to quit after cutting out all the slat mounting parts but pressed on and clamped up the 37 pieces that make up the slat mounting system for one side of the plasma water tank. Took a good bit of manipulating the pieces to get them all to line up just right and not move while clamping. Tomorrow I hope to MIG weld this set up and maybe get the other side finished as well. vertigo
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| Posted 4/3/2016 7:07:40 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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FOR THOSE BUILDING WITH FIBERGLASS AND/OR OTHER COMPOSITES
CUTTING COMPOSITES ON A PLASMA TABLE
Cutting speeds range from 30 to several hundred inches per minute.
To cut fiberglass and other pre-constructed composite resin laminated sheets on a CNC
plasma table requires a table with X Y and Z axis, a router (composite
router) and Composites Cutting Tools. The tool company listed below is
considered by many to make the best composite cutting tools.
"LMT Onsrud LP makes solid carbide routing tools designed specifically
for machining fiberglass, CFRP, aramid and other composite materials,
at its modern cutting tool manufacturing and customer service facility
in suburban Chicago. Our composite router offerings begin with solid
Carbide Burrs featuring the familiar pattern of cross-hatched,
diamond-shaped teeth. These tools are available with end mill or drill
points. We also make fluted solid carbide burrs for machining composites. Some
of our fluted burrs are designed specifically for difficult-to-cut
materials such as aramid fiber composites and phenolics. Most of our
fluted carbide routers are available with diamond coatings for
extended life in CNC machining operations. Our solid carbide Compression Mills for Composites feature upcut and down cut spiral flutes that compress the composite material being machined to prevent delamination. The cutting edges of our compression mills have a high positive rake, providing a quick, clean shearing
action that keeps heat to a minimum and prevents resin burn. These tools are also available with a diamond film coating for extended tool life."
A high speed exhaust hood or down draft table is required given the high volume of dusts generated when cutting composites with a CNC. vertigo
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| Posted 4/4/2016 7:12:27 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
Finished MIG welding up slat mounts and then welded units into plasma water table. Next I cut the 18 steel slats that are used to support work material and allow plasma cutting jet a clear direction into the water tank. I estimate about 15-hours left to complete this tool. When I look at the potential of the CNC plasma cutting table I believe the 100 or so hours I will have spent on acquiring the ability to computer control the plasma cutting of steel and practically every other metal will be worth the investment of time. A CNC table can also cut composites, acrylics, other plastics, wood, and even be used to computer control MIG welding. I expect to save 2000 or more build hours on my Tumbler by using my CNC plasma cutting water table. vertigo
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| Posted 4/10/2016 7:10:28 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
Finished slat work, then cut and welded the CNC gantry mounts on the plasma table. That's about it for welding on this project. Time to assemble and mount the TORCH MATE system. vertigo
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| Posted 4/11/2016 7:18:44 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
Assembled gantry components. Drilled and tapped gantry mounts. Mounted gantry related assemblies. Installed central CNC cross axis. Trued and squared gantry and related assemblies. Easier said than done. Took 3-hours to get it done exactly right. Less than 10-hours work left. Still need to install machine torch mount, linked cable tracking, arc height controller, set up an independent computer, and install Miller machine plasma torch, and also a 150 gallon air compressor. Miller plasma torch uses approximate 10 SCF per minute. Tired of working on this tool. Useful as I expect it to be. Ready to get back to work on my Tumbler. vertigo
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| Posted 4/13/2016 5:23:40 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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ESAB KNOWLEDGE LIBRARY
What is ARC VOLTAGE HEIGHT CONTROL (AVHC)
And why should I consider adding it to a CNC plasma table?
When cutting with a CNC plasma shape cutting machine, a height control
system is required to keep a constant distance between the tip of the
plasma cutting torch and the metal plate being cut. As flat as a
cutting table might look, the truth is that plates are never perfectly
flat, and cutting tables never stay perfectly level. Without some way
to maintain the gap between the torch and the plate, the torch would
get too high and loose the arc, or it would get too low and crash into
the plate.
In order to maintain good cut edge quality and accurate part size, the
height control system not only has to maintain a constant height, it
also has to be the correct height. If the torch is too high while
cutting there will be too much top bevel, and probably too much dross.
If the torch is too close to the plate while cutting there will be a
bottom bevel (under cutting), the torch may crash, and nozzle damage
is likely. The height also affects the kerf width, which in turn
affects the part size.
The most common way to maintain the correct cutting height is by using
an “Arc Voltage Height Control” system. Arc voltage height control is
an automatic system that maintains cutting height by maintaining a
constant voltage through the arc. It works by measuring the voltage
between the electrode in the torch and the plate that is being cut.
The actual measurement is between two points in the circuit on each
side of the arc, usually a point in the plumbing box where the torch
lead is attached and a point in the plasma power supply where the work
ground is attached.
The higher the torch is above the plate, the longer the arc is
stretched, and therefore the voltage gets higher. As the torch cuts
closer to the plate the arc gets shorter, which makes the voltage
lower. An electronic feedback loop compares the actual voltage to a
set-point, and then drives the motor on the torch lifter either up or
down as required to maintain a constant voltage. The set-point comes
from the operator either through a dial on a control box or through
the cutting machine CNC.
It is important to set the correct voltage for each torch setup. Each
setup will use a different nozzle, amperage, or speed, and thus
requires a different voltage setting to maintain the optimum cutting
height for that condition. There are too many possibilities for an
operator to remember them all. Usually the optimum arc voltage setting
is published in the plasma system’s cut data manual. In more modern
plasma systems, the arc voltage setting is just one of many plasma
setup parameters that are recorded in a database on the CNC control,
so it can be set automatically.
When the arc voltage height control system doesn’t work properly,
things can go very badly for either the cut parts or the torch itself.
If the system is not calibrated properly it can also lead to poor
cutting results. The accuracy of the plasma height control system is
most critical when cutting small holes with plasma, using a system
such as Hypertherm’s TrueHole, or ESAB’s Precision Hole Technology.
The latest technology in arc voltage height control will also
automatically compensate for electrode wear. As an electrode is used,
it wears a divot into the surface of the electrode, causing the
portion of the arc that is inside the nozzle to get longer. In order
to keep the same height between the tip of the nozzle and the plate,
the actual arc voltage has to increase. With an older plasma system,
the operator will have to manually increase the arc voltage setting as
he notices the torch cutting closer to the plate. If he doesn’t, the
torch will start to crash more frequently, and the operator will
probably replace the electrode before it is completely worn out.
New systems, such as ESAB’s Smart Voltage Height Control, will
automatically compensate for this wear over the life of the electrode.
This eliminates the need for the operator to manually adjust the
voltage setting, and allows the torch to keep cutting until the
electrode is fully used. Not only does this make the system more
automated, but it also helps keep the cut quality more consistent over
the life of the electrode. vertigo
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| Posted 4/13/2016 5:26:10 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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What is required to set up and use an ARC VOLTAGE HEIGHT CONTROLLER?
The ARC VOLTAGE HEIGHT CONTROLLER (AVHC) uses the voltage of the arc
to maintain the height of the torch during cutting in Auto mode: This
allows you to use the AVHC to make good quality cuts on material that
is not perfectly flat, allowing the torch to
compensate for warping or irregularities in metal sheets to ensure
consistent cut
quality.
By measuring the voltage in Manual mode, you can specify the Set
Voltage that will maintain the correct height during Auto mode
cutting. To get this right you have to gather specific information
from your plasma torch and machine, identify your Metal, measure
Thickness of Metal, determine the Initial Cut Height, Pierce Height,
ARC voltage, Feed Rate, Amperage, run a speed cutting test, and
finally set the best voltage. Sounds simple enough! My TORCHMATE AVHC
came with a hundred page manual. I am still, working on mine. vertigo
Here is TORCHMATE’s description: The TORCHMATE new and improved arc
voltage torch height control (AVHC) maintains the proper torch
tip-to-work distance for the entire cut by first sensing the material
height and adjusting to the set pierce height before igniting the
torch. After piercing the material the AVHC will drop to the cut
height by measuring voltage between the torch tip and material, and
will continue to monitor the plasma cutters arc voltage for the rest
of the cut. This process has proven to increase your plasma cutters
consumable life, and improve your overall cut quality. By
communicating with the CNC controller and plasma cutter, the Arc
Voltage Torch Height Control precisely controls the entire cutting
process to give you the best results available on the market today.
TORCHMATE AVHC listens to the plasma cutter to know when the torch has
completed ignition, and will signal the CNC controller to start its
motions after the appropriate delay. If your plasma cutter fails to
ignite properly or loses the arc for any reason, the AVHC can halt the
motions of the CNC controller allowing you to reset quickly without
wasting valuable time or material. Simple, single cable plug and play
connection between the controller and lifter station makes setup quick
and easy. This also reduces the chance for RFI or EMI interference to
interrupt the operation of the AVHC. vertigo
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| Posted 4/15/2016 8:31:13 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Visits: 5,166
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Hello everyone,
Normally I wouldn't post this here, but base lining around a donor vehicle frame is a technique that's been around for many, many years, used to build effective frames for many custom vehicles. I have worked on a lot of projects in fiberglass or carbon fiber, and more in aluminum, and a lot more in steel. I have also looked at the Batman vs Superman bat mobile pretty extensively. To the point of doing some preliminary planning and CAD/CAM analysis. It didn't take me long to figure out that steel would be my ideal medium for this bat vehicle for the same reasons I am building my Tumbler body from a mixture of 1/8" and 3/16' steel panels. I most likely will build this vehicle in steel after I am finished with my Tumbler. My donor would a heavy truck, welding on additional structural steel until I matched the base outlines of the original vehicle and then taking it up from there. That's one reason I have invested in a heavy duty CNC plasma steel cutting table system. I plan to do a lot of steel cutting with it. I probably will continue to build bat vehicles until I die. I try to help and encourage as many viewers as I can in their bat vehicle endeavors and only stop short at providing build ready plans and step by step instructions. I hope you builders out there will share your progress in pictures with the general viewers on this site. vertigo
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| Posted 4/16/2016 9:09:20 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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Hello everyone,
Currently building an enclosed 4' X 4' control booth for my CNC plasma steel cutting table. This will hold a couple of computers, a flat panel display monitor, and all the other electronics. Got most of the wood construction done. Still have the door framing and shelf units to complete. The exterior will be sheathed with a thermo barrier. Thermo barrier = 1/4" Hardi backer concrete board from Home Depot. A 12' X 12" window in the front will have a # 6 shaded glass, same as the ones in welding goggles. I order my custom shaded glass from Phillips Safety Products, Inc. www.phillips-safety.com 1-888-674-0509 They will custom cut any size and are the best source of welding glass. vertigo
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