Torch not starting at small shapes

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Black70
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:11 am

Torch not starting at small shapes

Post by Black70 »

Hello, just bought Sheetcam and trying to learn how it works. First I have a Tracker CnC 4x4 and the Command N Cut software that came with it. I'm using this software to load the sheetcam file and cut it. I'm trying to cut stuff for signs. If it's regular shapes, circles, squares, and cutting for a second or more everything is fine. It's when i'm trying to cut signs that have small details and sometimes small lines instead of a shape to cut. The torch goes down, touches, goes up to piercing height but doesn't ignite, moves to next spot, same or sometimes works. Les told me to play with the pierce delay. I did with some results. For 18g, 45amps Hypertherm plasma, it says to have a pierce delay of .200 . I tried going all the way up to .6 by .100 per shot. Same results. I tried a test circle 2" with 3 small circle inside it and a square. I tried the delay at .300 and a that setting it cuts everything perfect in my test part. Thought, yes, I got it. But when I tried it on my bigger sign, it didn't work. It's missing and spurting and not cutting when it should and gone to next spot before being done. Is there other specs I can play with to control the delay before the torches move after it ignites. Also, every pictures I load, there is almost always an X warning or the yellow warning that something is wrong with my drawing. Can I know where Sheetcam finds those "mistakes" so I can fix them. Is it ok or never ok to create G-code for something if it has those warnings? Hope somebody has a clue what to do next. Thank you.
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Les Newell
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Re: Torch not starting at small shapes

Post by Les Newell »

I am not sure what else to suggest with the delays. It looks like Command N Cut is doing something odd with the delays but without having access to a machine it is doifficult to work out what it is doing.
Also, every pictures I load, there is almost always an X warning or the yellow warning that something is wrong with my drawing. Can I know where Sheetcam finds those "mistakes" so I can fix them
If you hover your mouse over the warning it should show you more information. If you post the full warning here I can explain what it means. Generally yellow warnings mean something is happening which may not be what you want but it should cut. Red usually means something is very wrong.
Black70
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:11 am

Re: Torch not starting at small shapes

Post by Black70 »

I tried to clean up the file and now I do not have an X as a warning but just the yellow sign. It says that some areas are too small for a lead in and that's fine but places overlap and were fixed by Sheetcam. I checked and rechecked and the lines do not overlap anywhere. Only place I can see is some places they are very close to each other and the kerf width could be what is ovelapping. Is that possible? Tks
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Les Newell
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Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 8:12 pm

Re: Torch not starting at small shapes

Post by Les Newell »

The overlaps are in your drawing. Unfortunately they can be hard to find. One trick I use is to go around the drawing in my cad package, deleting each outline. If the outline disappears I undo that delete and move on to the next. If you have a duplicated or overlapping outline you will see because the duplicated or overlapping part wil stil be visible. Of course on big drawings that can get pretty tedious.
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