Hypertherm powermax 380.

[roblane65]

Yesterday I picked up a hypertherm powermax 380 looks in not to shabby a condition
I'll have a little try with it later today and see what happens , needs some new consumables, and there's a nasty nick in the torch cable which has been taped up and hopefully isn't going to cause any issues.
I know it's an old machine does anyone have any knowledge of these and do they have pilot arc.
I'll see if I can stick up some pics later . I'll also need some sort of water separator for the airline.

 

[Country Joe]

I know it's an old machine does anyone have any knowledge of these and do they have pilot arc.

Yes, they do.
CJ

 

[roblane65]

Well it didn't go well . Removed the insulation tape of the torch lead and wires cut through ( 2no ) and slice in gas pipe.
luckily the wires were two of six ground wires to the torch and fixed the slice with a self adhesive puncture repair patch Right then all the gas system seems to working ok and we now have gas to the torch, powers up ok but NO PILOT ARC . Press the trigger and the warning light for torch head / consumables starts blinking away.
the retaining cap is in a bad way but nozzle and electrode appear ok. No sign of any damage on the circuit board
I've some of the bay for , and did some basic testing before me £8 multi meter gave up.
Have I got a pup.

 

[Country Joe]

Yesterday I picked up a hypertherm powermax 380 looks in not to shabby a condition

I dunno, it looks sort of filthy to me! But then I've had a cover over mine whenever it's not used, but it is 14 years old, now.

I must admit I've not opened mine up as of yet, but is that thing in the bottom-right corner a water separator, just inside the case where the air-supply enters?

I only ask as my brother used mine while his compressor (with no water-separator) was full of water, and it's been odd ever since (i.e. self-extinguishing from time to time) so I've just realised there might be something I can do about it.

If it is, and I end up digging it out, I'll take a shot of the inside (if I remember to), as it may show something different to yours - well, you never know!
That'll be where I find out that mine is just as filthy inside, after all this time!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[roblane65]

It's a bit cleaner inside now ! still couldn't anything iffi looking though . And yes that is some type of filter under the air inlet . According to manual I downloaded It is supposed to be changed / cleaned but nothing about how to !
typical hypertherm apparently there is also a service/repair manual for the 380 which hypertherm must be guarding
like crown jewels as no joy finding it on the net. Will have see what happens when the torch consumables turn.
Any other thoughts ?

 

[Country Joe]

I've got a PDF here, that's supposed to be the service manual.

As you can probably tell, I've never looked at it - it mentions "air filter element replacement" on page 39, too!
They don't mention emtying it or cleaning it out, as if it's some kind of consumable item?

I'm going to have to make some space & have a look, now!

All the Best,
CJ

PS - I've just realised I can't post a PDF on here!
PM me if you like though, & I can e-mail it to you - it's 3.2 MB in size.

 

[roblane65]

I'll have to work out how to do a PM first ! but will do maybe interesting to have a look thanks .
I'll bet it doesn't go as far as repairs though.

 

[Appyasme 3]

I'll have to work out how to do a PM first ! but will do maybe interesting to have a look thanks .
I'll bet it doesn't go as far as repairs though.

If you are struggling to do a PM just go down to 10 Downing Street. I am sure you will get some help there.

 

[roblane65]

Very helpful

 

[Country Joe]

They're sent!
There's a Service Manual & a User Manual in your in-box.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[T0rnado69]

I'll have to work out how to do a PM first

click on the person's username on the left, then hit start a conversation..

to view a PM, click on inbox at top right of the page.

 

[roblane65]

Think I've got it sussed now but thanks .

 

[roblane65]

They're sent!
There's a Service Manual & a User Manual in your in-box.

All the Best,
CJ

Got them thanks, already had the operators manual but not the service one. Had a quick shufty and it tells me were to test for torch warning / safety circuit so we'll go from there. The consumables came today so a big heads up
UNITED WELDING SUPPLIES ordered 10am yesterday of ebay and at my door 1pm today and no delivery charge and all bought on make an offer.

 

[roblane65]

Well no progress at present , waiting on some electrodes and looks like needing a new multi meter too .

 

[Country Joe]

Well, I had mine apart, and the water separator was empty - probably evaporated over the years!

I've got the feeling I never did set it up quite correctly, though - as after a load of messing about with the air supply, and that odd "push-to-lock" regulator on the unit itself, it managed to cut without intermittently stopping.

This business of maintaining a 1.5mm gap between the torch and the work-piece, in order to avoid dragging the electrode is irritating, though.
Obvoiusly (as they say in the manual) dragging on the surface reduces the consumable life, but there is no "stand-off" device available for it.
Also found no electrodes with the castellated electrode tip, which would have the same "stand-off" effect.

I can see why yours didn't get the torch cable replaced - Hypertherm charge a fair chunk for one!
I think I'd have found a way of splicing it all back together somehow, too.

Having said that - looking at yours, there appear to be a fair few duplicate coloured wires within that main sheathing - but maybe that's just a ruse to dissuade anybody from giving it a try in the first place, and just buy another!

I thought a few "bent wire" type of stand-off - like this one pictured:-



....would be reasonably easy to make, but I suspect I'd just be sat here wrecking coat-hangers all afternoon, if I gave it a go!

All thge Best,
CJ

 

[Country Joe]

I'll take a shot of the inside (if I remember to)

Bugger! I forgot to take any photos - Sorry.
My memory is properly shot to hell!
I assume I got distracted - but I don't quite remember, now!

CJ

 

[julianthegypsy]

I have the same machine, and find it reliable but very slow on 5mm plate, which is what I use most of course, but much quicker on anything thinner.. I didn't know there was a water filter either! I suspect it should be a bit quicker than it is but can't figure out why its so slow. Consumables are new, genuine hypertherm and I have a water filter on the compressor too. I've got used to maintaining a gap, probably because I grew up using an oxy-acetylene torch. I always use a guide for straight lines, and dot punch outlines, even though it takes ages, because its worth it, but small stuff I cut freehand. I practice beforehand until I'm happy before I attempt the one I want to use though. I cut loads of the snowdrops in the picture below then picked the best.

 

[julianthegypsy]

The rest of it is obviously laser cut!

 

[Country Joe]

The rest of it is obviously laser cut!

I'm so glad you put that bit in at the end - I was thinking you'd chopped all of that out of 5mm, but still weren't satisfied with the speed of cut!

I have difficulty imagining what say, "4060 mm/min" looks like, but on thin stuff it seems about right.
I made a few 1m cuts, which the numbers above would have the cut taking 15 or so seconds, but it was probably half that, in reality.
The cuts were lovely though - no clean-up needed, and quite hard to tell from the original egde of the sheet.

At the time, I was dragging the torch down the side of a piece of 15mm ply, to keep the tip about 1-2mm from the steel, and to keep the cut straight.

Once you get over 6-7mm, it does start to look as if Grandma chewed through it!
I got through some 8mm, and it seemed a clean(ish) cut, but I'd just put in new consumables, so maybe wouldn't expect that to be repeatable now, even after only about ten minutes max of actual cutting use, since.

I assume I'll be making templates in 15mm ply for anything other than straight cuts, especially if it needs to be repeatable.
Or I'll just drag the tip, and accept that I'll have to change the consumables all of the time!

The few bits of car-work that I've been somehow talked into doing, I've just let it drag, too.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[roblane65]

CJ the torch wiring isn't that bad 12 wires total all spiral bound around the gas pipe. 2 pair switch 2pair sensor and 2pair ?
there are six wires which are the ground/earth for torch ,they are all crimped together in the machine and at the torch head it was two of these that were sliced . I guess it was easier that way rather than one thick cable.
Any how no progress as yet my mate who's an electrickery wizz ( maintains hospital gizmos ) was going to call today but couldn't make it, so still on hold and I havn't got a new multimeter yet. still hoping it will be an easy fix , I'll have to cost a torch lead if still availible. Did you just put the filter back in the air cleaner ?