I need help cutting perforated sheet metal. My setup is a Hypertherm Powermax 45XP on a 2x4’ Avid CNC plasma table controlled by Mach4. I realize the answer to my question might be in the mach 4 settings but I thought of asking here as well.
My design is a simple rectangle. The torch drops down, ignites and then stops immediately. Is there some setting (a “rule” or similar)in Sheetcam I need to change? The Hypertherm generator does otherwise work with non-contiguous surface (keeps the flame alive), I have cut mesh before. I use the plasma CNC infrequently and do not have a great understanding of the intricacies of the system, and I don’t remember prior settings.
These are the screen grabs; I am using FineCut for 24Ga
Does the 45xp have a mode for cutting perforated sheet? My 65 has a setting on the dial that keeps the arc running even if it goes off of the metal momentarily.
Yes the 45XP maintains the arc through brief interruptions in the material.
I managed to fix the problem with some help from the Avid CNC forum; I reduced the settings from 40A and 78V recommended in the Hypertherm manual to 30A and 60V.
In playing with the sheetcam settings I encountered the settings “AD1 Delay After Arc OK Time” set at 0.8(by default?). What is this parameter; there is no mention in the Sheetcam help.
That must be something that your controller uses. It’s not a normal SheetCam setting. If you look through the gcode, it’s probably being sent to the controller.
The Hypertherm Powermax 45XP doesn’t have a specific “perforated sheet” mode like the Powermax 65, but it does have features like adjustable pilot arc settings that can help maintain the arc during interruptions. You might need to adjust your cutting settings or use a continuous arc transfer mode to keep the torch running during gaps. Check the manual for optimal settings for cutting perforated materials.
