Profile cutter

[Welderpaul]

Next purchase is going to be a profile cutter. Keen on peoples thoughts who have used them.
We need something that can do 3mm to 50mm. Bigger would be handy, although not cutting stuff much bigger than 50mm too often. Need to be able to feed it with a DWG ideally, not the end of the world if it needs to be specifically drawn.
Would be great if it could be swapped over from plasma to oxy propane which would let us do the bigger stuff.
Nice accurate cuts needed, especially keen to avoid slight sharks teeth on radius cuts that we get from the profilers.

Makes to go for/avoid?

 

[Hitch]

Weve got an achient old thing, Esab Ultrarex or something.
Never bother cutting anything thinner than about 5mm though.
The controls are pretty easy to master, a burny 2.5, fairly common i think.
It will cut from a drawing or template too.
Plenty of standard shapes, lugs, rings, eye, gussets all preprogrammed in, just change critical dimensions to suit.
It can be linked in with computers, via rs232/332
Hypertherm do a torch that fits into the oxyfuel torch holders. Think it could quite easily be wired into the gas solenoid(or burny) instead of using a lightswitch

 

[snowcat]

I found Thermal dynamic torches to be better than Hypertherm one, consumables are cheaper and theres less false starts, A THC would be essential for clean cuts, the problem with cutting tight circles is two fold, firstly the THC doesn't have time to settle, secondly the FRO really needs to be set differently from the straight feed rates, around a third less, Its time consuming to do this as its an edit in the Gcode or run two programs..

like all CNC machines the more time you take with the code the better the results...

Iv an old Magic Eye profiler I burn the bottles on, hateful old thing, ruined many decent sheets with it.

 

[Welderpaul]

Our profilers have a few nice ones. Hypertherm cutting gear, but the bed/control system is some unknown make. They only plasma to 20mm, then go to gas. Not sure why, plasma will go quite a bit more. Lads who work there not sure either.

Looking at some older ones, the Ultrarex ones crop up quite often, although seem to be magic eye ones?

I need to get to grips with G code

 

[Hitch]

Ours has an eye, but its much better than the old one that it replaced. Barely use it month to month though.
You can scan in drawings and store the path in the memory somehow.

We made the bed for it ourselves. No hardship.

 

[Welderpaul]

Like this?

 

[Hitch]

Similar....
Looks a little more dated though

This puppy

 

[Welderpaul]

Magic eye looks a pain...bit old technology?

Theres a few around, bit cheaper than i thought. Plasmas seem to need a massive air consumption. Nore than a hand-held torch version.

 

[Hitch]

Teyre cheap as chips.

I expect gas is still used for thicker plate because its probably cheaper than lots of nitrogen, just a guess there mind.
Plasmaing over about 20mm or so is done with nitrogen for a much nicer cut.

 

[snowcat]

Magic eye looks a pain...bit old technology?

Theres a few around, bit cheaper than i thought. Plasmas seem to need a massive air consumption. Nore than a hand-held torch version.

Air consumption is higher because cutting is continued Its the main difference between the hand held and machine torch a M/T has a higher Duty cycle, you can program stops in the Gcode to help..

All Hypertherm machines are table ready, Tip Volts and a pendant for the torch start and motion start are all standard on the powermax series, the Nitrogens for better definition, also Air quality becomes more of an issue and speaking to hypertherm last year bad quality Air was killing my consumable life..

I assume its mainly cost on thick materials, piercing large plates is also hard on plasma consumables, The magic eye profilers will make a decent job in the right hands.....

 

[Shox Dr]

Would you not be better off with a machine like this.


Steeltailor

 

[astro_al]

I think there is a step up from about 20mm, in terms of the plasma plant you need to invest in. Its probably a cost / return issue. You can certainly get the kit, but the cost takes a step skywards.

Al.

 

[maceng]

re plasma

A few fabrication workshops around my area invested in the torchmate system which they find very easy to use.They shipped it directly from the usa and mounted a hypertherm plasma cutter The only plasma suitable for industry all the rest seem to be knock offs imo.Their website is torchmate.com. And a link to one of the companies using the system www.midcorkmetal.ie

 

[awemawson]

Any idea of the price?

Would you not be better off with a machine like this.


Steeltailor

Handy looking machine - any idea of the price here in the UK?

 

[Benderart]

Talk with the guys at Rapid Welding in Hampshire.
They import and sell PlasmaCAM and Samson CNC plasma tables, made in Colorado.
I'm in Aussie and, have been operating the same equipment for over eight years.
Started out with a lil 4 X 4 table, extended in '04 to 8 X 4 and, then sold and now run the Samson 5 X 10, coupled with Hypertherm 1650.
The 1650 will cut up to 25mm (edge start) and pierce and cut 16mm with ease.
I don't know of anyone operating a propane cutter with one of these however, that's not to say it can't be done.
These are an entry level system and, very cost effective to start with.
They have didgital torch height control and, ohmic material sensing, features that are usually only found on high end industrial units.
Well worth a look.

 

[Shox Dr]

Handy looking machine - any idea of the price here in the UK?

There currenlty isn't an importer into the UK. I contacted Steeltalor directly in China. I was quoted 4850USD FOB.

I can supply their details, and a contact name if required

 

[mac1]

Another low cost table is from Swift Cut see www.cncplasma.co.uk, it is UK made & very robust.