Anybody actually use one?

[dacsco]

Originally Posted by pbenjamins

Hi: Our shop provides radio communications for the City of Los Angeles, we use the PlasmaCam machine for most of our Police, Fire, and other departments radio installations (roughly 700 Police vehicles and 450 Fire vehicles annually). We cut out hundreds of brackets, radio mounts, every year and a number of custom consoles, racks, and boxes.

We used to do a lot of aluminum but found the slag took too much time to remove and primarily use a mechanical router. We will be trying a new plasma supply on our second PlamaCam machine to see if we can cut down the slag and may even try using nitrogen in the future. The PlasmaCam is much faster than any mechanical router.

pbenjamins

Hi pbenjamins:

I'm really glad to hear from someone that has successfully used the Plasmacam machine. I'm trying to begin a new business using this machine and it has been an uphill experience. I'm using a hypertherm 30, plasma cutter. Apparently, the problems are RF and EMF interference. However, lately, it has been running a lot smoother.

If you are using a router, you have essentially eliminated, EMF and a lot of the RF. What size router and what type of router bit are you using? I have also tried aluminum, and the slag is gummy, hard to cleanup. Perhaps you can help me with running a router. Have not tried running a router. I'm afraid of putting too much axial load on the motors.

Thank you for responding. Any help is well appreciated.

Dacsco

Perhaps

[pbenjamins]

Dacsco:

We use a Panel Pro 4824a that has a Porter Cable 690LR router. we use 1/16", 1/8" and have used 1/4" bits all with two flutes. Our feed rate while cutting is about 12" per minute in 1/8" aluminum. We bought the machine originally to do our helicopter instrument panels and found it quite useful in our prototype work as well as for making custom short run items. We have cut 1/16" steel with the router but found the steel chips rusting in the liquid coolant creating a huge cleanup mess.

The Panel Pro router uses stepper motors, the PlamaCAM uses servo motors.

Regarding the PlasmaCAM, we have never had an RFI or RF problem and we are primarily a two-way radio shop so we have lots of transmitters being keyed in over the air radio checks with our 911 dispatch centers nor has our PlasmaCAM operation interfered with any of our sensitive receiver repairs or tests. Is your problem one of your operation interfering with others or is outside RF interfering with your work?

Regarding our plasma power supply, originally we switched between using a Hypertherm Power MAX 1000 for 1/8" aluminum and a Lincoln Pro-Cut 25 for 1/16" steel. We found that the Pro-Cut 25 with a 100% duty cycle of 19 Amps was too small for cutting 1/8" aluminum. The Power MAX 1000 has a 100% duty cycle rating of 42 Amps.

At the moment we use the Panel Pro router for aluminum and the PlasmaCAM for steel. However, we just acquired our second PlamaCAM with a Lincoln Pro-Cut 55 (that has a 100% duty rating of 40 Amps) and intend to use it for both aluminum and steel. We prefer the Lincoln Pro-Cut over the Hypertherm as it gives us a nicer cut in both aluminum and steel. We also found that the Pro-Cut consumables last six times longer at one third the cost of the Hypertherm's consumables.

In summary the PlasmaCAM is quieter and faster (40 to 55 inches per minute cutting speed) than the PanelPro (12 inches per minute cutting speed). With the PlasmaCAM you must deal with the vaporized metal fumes (before we installed an enclosure around the PlasmaCAM and an updraft exhaust system out of the building, I could taste what type of metal was being cut anywhere in the building). The Panel Pro creates a lot of noise when cutting and will require ear protection. We can actually get about the same accuracy with either process however, for small front electronic equipment panels with numerous switch cutouts the PanelPro is preferred.

pbenjamins

Originally Posted by dacsco

Hi pbenjamins:

I'm really glad to hear from someone that has successfully used the Plasmacam machine. I'm trying to begin a new business using this machine and it has been an uphill experience. I'm using a hypertherm 30, plasma cutter. Apparently, the problems are RF and EMF interference. However, lately, it has been running a lot smoother.

If you are using a router, you have essentially eliminated, EMF and a lot of the RF. What size router and what type of router bit are you using? I have also tried aluminum, and the slag is gummy, hard to cleanup. Perhaps you can help me with running a router. Have not tried running a router. I'm afraid of putting too much axial load on the motors.

Thank you for responding. Any help is well appreciated.

Dacsco

Perhaps

[dacsco]

Originally Posted by pbenjamins

Dacsco:

We use a Panel Pro 4824a that has a Porter Cable 690LR router. we use 1/16", 1/8" and have used 1/4" bits all with two flutes. Our feed rate while cutting is about 12" per minute in 1/8" aluminum. We bought the machine originally to do our helicopter instrument panels and found it quite useful in our prototype work as well as for making custom short run items. We have cut 1/16" steel with the router but found the steel chips rusting in the liquid coolant creating a huge cleanup mess.

The Panel Pro router uses stepper motors, the PlamaCAM uses servo motors.

Regarding the PlasmaCAM, we have never had an RFI or RF problem and we are primarily a two-way radio shop so we have lots of transmitters being keyed in over the air radio checks with our 911 dispatch centers nor has our PlasmaCAM operation interfered with any of our sensitive receiver repairs or tests. Is your problem one of your operation interfering with others or is outside RF interfering with your work?

Regarding our plasma power supply, originally we switched between using a Hypertherm Power MAX 1000 for 1/8" aluminum and a Lincoln Pro-Cut 25 for 1/16" steel. We found that the Pro-Cut 25 with a 100% duty cycle of 19 Amps was too small for cutting 1/8" aluminum. The Power MAX 1000 has a 100% duty cycle rating of 42 Amps.

At the moment we use the Panel Pro router for aluminum and the PlasmaCAM for steel. However, we just acquired our second PlamaCAM with a Lincoln Pro-Cut 55 (that has a 100% duty rating of 40 Amps) and intend to use it for both aluminum and steel. We prefer the Lincoln Pro-Cut over the Hypertherm as it gives us a nicer cut in both aluminum and steel. We also found that the Pro-Cut consumables last six times longer at one third the cost of the Hypertherm's consumables.

In summary the PlasmaCAM is quieter and faster (40 to 55 inches per minute cutting speed) than the PanelPro (12 inches per minute cutting speed). With the PlasmaCAM you must deal with the vaporized metal fumes (before we installed an enclosure around the PlasmaCAM and an updraft exhaust system out of the building, I could taste what type of metal was being cut anywhere in the building). The Panel Pro creates a lot of noise when cutting and will require ear protection. We can actually get about the same accuracy with either process however, for small front electronic equipment panels with numerous switch cutouts the PanelPro is preferred.

pbenjamins

Thank you for reponding so quickly.

I was mistaken about your router use. I was under the impression that you adapted a router to run on your plasmacam, some people have done that, which is what I intend to do, primarily to work on wood or plastic.

I think I have solved the EMF and RFI problem, by inserting a ground rod and connecting the rybar steel grid used to reinforce the cement floor. Regarding the fumes they were a big problem, at first. I built and fitted a 4 ft by 4 ft 20 degree funnel right underneath the machine. In the center of the funnel there is a 6" pipe that connects a 5 micron filter, 5hp blower. There are fire proof clear plastic curtains around the perimeter, top half of the machine. I also made an enclosure for the computer and monitor which saved the second computer. The fumes got to both the first monitor and computer within a week.

What type of computer are you using? Are you using a mother board parallel port or an add on? Does it run in xp or vista? Sorry i ask so many questions but out on a limb and really can use all the help I can get.

Thanks a lot for your time.

[pbenjamins]

Dacsco:

1. We are using a Panasonic CF-48 Toughbook laptop running Windows 98 on the old PlamaCAM and have a Panasonic CF-29 Toughbook laptop that currently has XP on it.
2. We purchased the router bracket for the old PlasmaCAM and intend to use it that way as a backup router. We should have our other machine up and running before the end of June.
3. One of our crew recently did a job in a shop that runs a PlamaCAM that cuts aluminum with a plasma cutter and gets very clean cuts. We intend to bring the shop owner in for a day, he swears he can dial us in to get cuts as good as the router. We will keep you posted.

If you're ever in LA, come look us up.
pbenjamins

Originally Posted by dacsco

Thank you for reponding so quickly.

I was mistaken about your router use. I was under the impression that you adapted a router to run on your plasmacam, some people have done that, which is what I intend to do, primarily to work on wood or plastic.

I think I have solved the EMF and RFI problem, by inserting a ground rod and connecting the rybar steel grid used to reinforce the cement floor. Regarding the fumes they were a big problem, at first. I built and fitted a 4 ft by 4 ft 20 degree funnel right underneath the machine. In the center of the funnel there is a 6" pipe that connects a 5 micron filter, 5hp blower. There are fire proof clear plastic curtains around the perimeter, top half of the machine. I also made an enclosure for the computer and monitor which saved the second computer. The fumes got to both the first monitor and computer within a week.

What type of computer are you using? Are you using a mother board parallel port or an add on? Does it run in xp or vista? Sorry i ask so many questions but out on a limb and really can use all the help I can get.

Thanks a lot for your time.

[crestiksa]

Thanks Guys,

Ive passed on my request so letss see what happens

Jim

EDIT: Mike - as you are "in the trade" do you know for certain that and ISBN can be issued before a bokk is actually avaiulable in at least Draft form ?
Óìíûé äîì-èíòåëëåêò äëÿ êîìôîðòà - äèñòàíöèîííîå óïðàâëåíèå îñâåùåíèåì. Ïðîìûøëåííîå îñâåùåíèå.

[dacsco]

Originally Posted by crestiksa

Thanks Guys,

Ive passed on my request so letss see what happens

Jim

EDIT: Mike - as you are "in the trade" do you know for certain that and ISBN can be issued before a bokk is actually avaiulable in at least Draft form ?
Óìíûé äîì-èíòåëëåêò äëÿ êîìôîðòà - äèñòàíöèîííîå óïðàâëåíèå îñâåùåíèåì. Ïðîìûøëåííîå îñâåùåíèå.

Hi,
I have this thread going for a while regarding the Plasmacam machine. At first, I had many issues with one in particular regarding the controller. Ive been able to resolve them and it is functioning reliably.

If you have questions regarding this machine I would be happy to help.