plasma turn on coolant

[4130metalworks]

Hi, I am brand new to cnc plasma and have built my own table. Instead of using a water bed i want to try mist cooling
Now here is my question, how do i turn on and off the coolant m08 and m09 with sheetcam whenever the plasma turns on and off. Also how do i raise the plasma torch up higher between cuts so the post cut air can dry off the torch tip. Thank you

[bLouChip]

welcome to sheetcam.

how do i turn on and off the coolant m08 and m09 with sheetcam whenever the plasma turns on and off

at least two independent ways to do this...
1) associate a Path Rule set with your Tools or Operations. This is a multi-step process to setup but you'll find the process handy for many use cases, including dynamic control of your THC. Read about it in Help or find a tutorial video on it. You'll need a Path Rules set, two Rules, and two Code Snippets (one for M8, one for M9).

or second way 2) modify the post processor (.scpost) that you are using. OnPenDown() and OnPenUp() are the likely functions to insert the M8 and M9 gcodes at the points where M3 and M5 are already used.

how do i raise the plasma torch up higher between cuts

Menu Options->Job options has a field "Rapid clearance", put the Z height value here, the .scpost should already be using it (variable safeZ).

[4130metalworks]

thank you bLouChip, i will do some reading and give it a try

[bLouChip]

you're welcome.

please report back how the misting approach goes in terms of the plasma cutting process. I run with a water table. Some use a down draft table. I have not researched this extensively, but what I have read and experienced is that the purpose of the water or down draft is to capture or evacuate the toxic vaporized metals and fumes from plasma cutting, and in the case of water table you also get the material cooling effect which minimizes heat expansion (flatness and lateral dimensions). So be sure to evacuate those toxic fumes while you are cutting.

[4130metalworks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Z6rIYLmSM

This is a more high tech version than mine. This is where i got the idea, hopefully this works out as water tables look very messy

[4130metalworks]

Blouchip i have tried multiple ways to turn the coolant on with path rules after adding the coolant codes in but once i run a simulation on sheetcam it never indicated that coolant was working. I can see the change in colour indicating a rule is implemented

Would you have any ideas?

[bLouChip]

I’m not sure what indication the simulator would give. Have you looked at the Gcode file to see if the M8 and M9 statements appear?

[4130metalworks]

So i figured out why in the simulation it would not indicate on the side box that coolant was on. It needed to be changed in setup to machine type jet cutting.
There is now a box showing the code snippets

I can see my coolant codes working, all that's needed is fine tuning. It also does come up in the g code, i opened it up in a g code viewer

[bLouChip]

fyi...
perhaps you've seen this, I just stumbled onto it...
https://premierplasmacnc.com/collection ... cnc-tables