Cnc plasma table

[superclarkey]

I believe it does, unsure just knew it was what people used so thought I would get one. Maybe someone can shed some light on this?

 

[scott0031]

I'm surprised no one has given you this link to date (I didn't see it on the previous page anyway)

http://www.mycncuk.com/
http://www.mycncuk.com/
This is the place to be for the information you want. Many experienced guys on there that can help and advise with every aspect of a build. You will see a lot of gantry type router builds on there but the fundamentals are the same X and Y Motions, circular interpolation and in your case a static z control. There are several plasma builds on there also if you take a good look about.


All the best,

Scott

 

[T0rnado69]

I'm surprised no one has given you this link to date (I didn't see it on the previous page anyway)

i did scott in post 20

but i agree 100%, thats the place to ask the questions you have, and get a wealth of information.

 

[henry Kadzielski]

Good morning superclarkey.
I have built my own machine from scratch (all my design), electronics from the USA as well as software. The build is the easy part, the software and software setup is the character building exercise. I have uploaded two videos of my machine operating in the swiftcut posts on this forum, you can have a look there. You have selected the correct plasma machine, no question and the PM45 will cut much thicker than 12mm. In the plasmaspider forum there are people that have cut 20mm with the PM45, with good results.
If you have questions I may be able to help, as I have already gone through what you are embarking on

 

[superclarkey]

Thanks for the help guys, and Henry You might live to regret offering help haha, can you tell me if you went for stepper motors or Servo close loop type set up and trying to work out the cost difference etc.

 

[henry Kadzielski]

good morning superclarkey.
I am using servo motors and yes steppers are a lot cheaper. I chose servos for a reason, I wanted to also do routing and flat bed milling and needed the torque. So got the biggest servos this mob had and fitted 15:1 planetary reductions. This still gives me the speed and also the torque. Someone gave me an analogy, a plasma machine is like a Ferrari and a router is like a draft horse. The plasma machine just has to move the gantry about, at speed do the change of direction, which is most important the thinner the material. Whilst a router needs to push the tool through the job. It is somewhat difficult to get a machine to do both, and most places will recommend against doing so, but it is doable. I do not have the space for two machines so one has to do both and the changover is not difficult for me as when I built I built with this in mind.
The videos I posted are in the private forum under swift cut, let me know what you think.

 

[superclarkey]

Yeah totally get the difference in how they work, arguably you don't require servos for what I'm doing because there is no resistance in the cutting process, but if you turn speeds up the mass of the gantry at high speed (changing direction sharply) may knock a stepper off a count if its not closed loop etc, so I was hoping to use very small servo's which I was hoping would bring the cost down, but yet to put a figure on the difference between the two. the servo seems like the best idea because you can program in anti-collision etc, I don't know if you can do that kinda thing with a stepper motor?

 

[8ob]

I have been gathering bits to build a cnc plasma table that takes half sheet ,I cant justify the space of a table that takes a full 8x4 sheet. I purchased the carriage gubbins as a kit, it all runs very smoothly up and down 50x50x3mm erw . It traverses using timing belt.I bought the motors, breakout boards etc separately. The table is cut and ready to assemble for when the mancave extension is complete.

Bob





These are neat little plastic caps that take a flexi conduit gland.

 

[8ob]

I had a go at freehand cutting some 15mm plate with the plasma but I am a bit too erratic with the speed and a tad shaky .

 

[AdrianH]

@8ob
That kit looks neat, could have done with some of that when I built this.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/cnc-plasma-cutter-start-of-bits-buying.52149/

Still going OK after I got some HF noise issues sorted.

Only a bench top unit so only for small jobs.

Adrian

 

[T0rnado69]

some nice bits there to get started with.

those motors have a fairly high phase inductance...

 

[ukracer]

I bought it as a off the shelf ready to go package, so comes with the touch, and I know what you mean its like £500+ for a replacement so I will be taking very good care of it thats for sure!!

I set the gas pressure and away I went, I used a straight edge to do that cut and just nice and steady movement, (I've not owned a plasma cutter before, but I've used loads) so I know the travel speed, it was a perfect cut, hardly and gross or whatever they call it and it was smooth to the touch, I'm sure as the torch consumables wear out that it will go down hill.. But having the shielded shield cap on the end makes a big difference.

I had an R-Tech plasma for a while and it as just a waste of time, This is worth every penny and I'm sure the gun makes it amazing too.

Like you the only reason I bought this machine is for CNC future capabilities, I will actually really ever cut more than 10mm, and normally around 5mm max most days.

interesting I have an R-tech plasma and it seems fine for what I use it for. what did yours not do??