Plasma Operations Manual

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series Rev 2.1

Jan. 2006

1000 Series

3000 Series

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series HANDHELD PENDANT (KEYPAD) OVERVIEW 2

Keypad Conventions 2 1) START UP 3

Inspect Machine 3 a) Plasma Preparation/Power UP 3 b) Apply Plasma Power 3 c) Apply Controller Power 4 d) Find Home (Reference machine) 4 4Machine Parkinge) Material Loading 4 f) Setting Standoff 5 g) Setting Home 5 6Plate Rotation (rotate program to match plate orientation)

2) Machine Tool Setup 7 7a) Material Library 7b) Material Type 7c) Shield or Unshielded 7d) Amperage 7e) Material Thickness

3) PLASMA OPERATION 8 a) Press PC COMM 8 b) Press EXECUTE. 8

( 9Dry Run machine follows the toolpath at max speed without firing the torch) 9Step and Repeat (Onboard rectangular nesting)

Additional Operations and Functions 10 1) Changing Consumables 10 2) 10Job Time and Tip Usage3) PARAMS 2D 11 13PARAMS 2D – Cont.4) Soft Homes 13 5) Plasma Startup Checklist 14

SHUTDOWN 14 6) Maintenance Checklist – Daily, Weekly, Monthly 15 7) Maintenance Checklist – Quarterly, Semi-Annual, Anuual 16

ADDITIONAL NOTES 16 8) DIAGNOSTICS 17

Surface Test 17 Z Tracking Test 19

Plasma Not Firing 20 9) 21Plasma Glossary

21BEVEL 23KERF 23MISFIRE 25SLAG 26VOLTAGE DIVIDER

1

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series HANDHELD PENDANT (KEYPAD) OVERVIEW

Keypad Conventions Green keys perform an action Blue keys select an input Yellow key is a pause or caution RED key is an Emergency Stop

2

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series 1) START UP Inspect Machine for debris and obstructions to travel Check torch head for proper consumable and amperage selection for material to be cut.

a) Plasma Preparation/Power UP On Powermax models; check input air/nitrogen pressure. NOTE: Nitrogen often works well on non-mild steel applications On Hi-Def and Conventional Plasmas over 100 amp, check input gas pressures. See manual

As a minimum all non-Powermax units require O2,N2, and Air Check coolant level on liquid cooled torches b) Apply Plasma Power Set plasma unit gas pressures. Be sure you have the gases required for the material to be cut turned on. All others should be turned off. While turning gases off is not required, gas loss by seepage will be minimized. NOTE: Always be sure to open or close valves completely. See manual plasma manual for gas test procedure On Powermax models turn amperage select fully CCW and adjust led indicator using regulator knob. Remember to return amperage select to the proper amperage setting ` `Autogas Units set operating pressures automatically

3

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series c) Apply Controller Power Rotate controller power switch 90 degrees CW. The system will boot, and bring up the “neutral” screen

d) Find Home (Reference machine) At each Boot (initialization) the machine must be referenced (find its limits (0,0) NOTE: No other functions can be performed until the machine is referenced

Press Shift + Find Home to reference machine

Machine will find its “home” in the Z axis, then the Y and X axes

Machine Parking (PARK) means to travel at slew (max) speed to the limit of travel

For easier plate loading, you may park the machine at the far end by pressing

SHIFT + 8

NOTE: SHIFT + 2, 4, 6, or 8 will park the machine in that direction.

e) Material Loading Load material to be cut onto the table. Plate location is not as important as its squareness. When loading large plate or heavy materials, it may not be possible to square the sheet sufficiently. The Plate Rotation feature may be used to rotate the program to match sheet orientation See Pg. 6

4

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series f) Setting Standoff (torch to material distance) Torch Standoff is set automatically on units utilizing the Multicam Automatic Torch Height Control (ATHC) Some Powermax systems do not require ATHC, they use a plate rider. The standoff must be set manually on these systems. On manual height control systems, the speed of torch up/down is adjusted via exhaust valve restrictors. Once adjusted, set the locking nut.

g) Setting Home

JOG the machine to the lower right hand corner of the plate to be cut. PRESS SET HOME, then ENTER

5

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series

Plate Rotation (rotate program to match plate orientation) In cases where the material is too large or too heavy to be adequately oriented on the table, you may prefer to rotate the program to match the material orientation

SET HOME at the lower right hand corner of the material, then JOG to the upper right hand corner. PRESS SET HOME again, then PRESS the DOWN (2 KEY). When you press EXECUTE, to run your program, you will be prompted to accept or cancel the degrees of rotation.

Speed Control For more accurate control of torch movement, once you are close to the plate, Press the OCP speed control, to SLOW

Each Press of the Speed Control Key toggles from Med, to Fast, to Slow

6


2) Machine Tool Setup Be sure all required gases are turned on. a) MATERIAL LIBRARY On the keypad PRESS the MATERIAL LIBRARY button

b) MATERIAL TYPE You will be prompted for MATERIAL TYPE. Use the 8 and 2 keys to scroll up and down to the proper type (Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, or Oxy Fuel), then PRESS ENTER. c) SHIELD or UNSHIELDED Next you are prompted for SHIELD or UNSHIELDED, select SHIELDED (Only PowerMax units use unshielded consumables) d) AMPERAGE You will be then prompted for AMPERAGE (plasma) or TIP SIZE (Oxy-Fuel) Use the 8 and 2 keys to INCREASE or DECREASE, then Press ENTER e) MATERIAL THICKNESS Use the 4 and 6 keys to move left and right between AMPERAGE/TIP SIZE and MATERIAL THICKNESS. Use the 8 and 2 keys to select the proper thickness, then Press ENTER

7

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series 3) PLASMA OPERATION Be sure you have the correct consumables for the amperage and material thickness desired. Use only plasma manufacturer’s parts.

a) Press PC COMM Use the up/down arrow keys to select the program you wish to cut, then Press ENTER

b) Press EXECUTE. The program will be checked as a valid program. Any “out of bounds” error means that the program cannot be started at its present Home position, as it will run out of space in the given direction, prior to completing the cut.

c) Press Execute a 2nd time to begin cut. OR

8


Dry Run (machine follows the toolpath at max speed without firing the torch) Dry run can be used to check a part, check sizing, etc. Once the program has been validated,

Pressing the 2 key will allow you to Dry Run

Or

Step and Repeat (Onboard rectangular nesting) Pressing the 2 key again, allows you to select how many times the “part” is to be cut using X,Y repetitions. Program Completion Depending on the software you are using at the end of cut, you will be asked to Press START to Continue, which returns you to the SET HOME POSITION or cuts off the scrap material. Otherwise when the program is complete it simply returns to the MAIN MENU Congratulations ! You have cut your first part.

9

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series Additional Operations and Functions 1) Changing Consumables Most plasma systems over 100 amps are water cooled. This means that as long as the plasma unit is powered on, there is coolant flowing through the torch. The plasma unit must be shutdown to change consumables. Autogas units (HPR) have their power applied by the Multicam controller. To power down these plasma units you go to MENU, UTILITY, then CHANGE TIP. You must press ENTER twice to turn of the unit

UTILITY UTILITY MENU NOTE: When changing plasma consumables DO NOT pull Ohmic Sensor by wire. Grasp the connector to remove.

2) Job Time and Tip Usage Under the UTILITY Menu, Job_Time (the cut time of the last job) may be displayed. Tip_Usage may also be displayed. Resets if selected to do so at consumable change

10

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series 3)PARAMS 2D Select MENU, then PARAMS 2D Check PARAMS 2D to verify the proper settings for the material to be cut,

In PARAMS 2D, use the Arrow keys to navigate through the selections. NOTE: Z UP, and Z DOWN, can be used to Page Up and DOWN through the selections

11


12

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series PARAMS 2D – Cont. There have been some additions to the standard Params 2D MENUS ARC FACTOR Arc Factor sets the percentage of the feedrate at which arcs will be cut.

The range is 0 – 1. An arc factor of .4 means that if the material feedrate is set to 100 ipm, then arcs will be cut at 40 ipm. Adjustable arc feedrate can help maintain arc’s cylindrical quality

NOTE: In conjunction with ARC FACTOR parameters 194 195 affect arc cutting. See your tech rep for more information PERF This is a YES/NO toggle. Perf refers to perforated metal. Metal with holes

or gaps cause a loss of ground, which would normally halt the cutting process. Selecting YES will allow the cutting process to continue by not monitoring arc loss.

4) Soft Homes The Multicam controller has the ability to store up to 10 home or starting positions.

This can very helpful on larger cutting tables and repetitive jobs. To SET a SOFT HOME, jog the torch to the desired soft home position, then press SHIFT + the SOFT HOME KEY, you will then be asked to give the new HOME a number

To move to a soft home, press the SOFT HOME KEY, then the HOME number.

13


5) Plasma Startup Checklist

1. ____ Check that the proper consumables are in torch 2. ____ Check incoming air pressure 100-110 psi 3. ____ Apply plasma power 4. ____ Check for correct output pressure (75-80 psi) Turn amperage selector fully CCW 5. ____ Check for correct amperage setting 6. ____ Apply controller power 7. ____ FIND HOME (shift + FIND HOME) 8. ____ PARK MACHINE in positive X (shift + 8) 9. ____ Load material onto machine 10. ____ Jog to lower right hand corner 11. ____ SET HOME (BLUE home, ENTER 12. ____ Select PROPER MATERIAL, AMPERAGE, and THICKNESS in LIBRARY 13. ____ SELECT PART, ENTER EXECUTE, EXECUTE to CUT

OR……DRY RUN (press 2), OR STEP and REPEAT. 14. ____ JOB COMPLETE

SHUTDOWN

1. ____ PARK MACHINE at front (shift + 8) 2. ____ Place safety plate under torch 3. ____ Power Down Controller and Plasma

14


6) Maintenance Checklist – Daily, Weekly, Monthly PLEASE DATE and INITIAL EACH ENTRY DAILY Month - ____________ Date:_________ Consumables/Lube O-rings Gas Pressures Gas Volumes Coolant level Inspect/Clean Echain Shift 1 Shift 2 Date:_______ Shift 1 Shift 2 Date:_______ Shift 1 Shift 2 Date:_______ Shift 1 Shift 2 Date:_______ Shift 1 Shift 2 Date:_______ Shift 1 Shift 2 WEEKLY Lube TorchO-rings Check Coolant Check air filters Check machine pneumatics Inspect/Clean Echain Date:_______ Lube TorchO-rings Check Coolant Check air filters Check machine pneumatics Inspect/Clean Echain Date:_______ Lube TorchO-rings Check Coolant Check air filters Check machine pneumatics Inspect/Clean Echain Date:_______ Lube TorchO-rings Check Coolant Check air filters Check machine pneumatics Inspect/Clean Echain Date:_______ MONTHLY Grease All Linear bearings Date:_______

15

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series 7) Maintenance Checklist – Quarterly, Semi-Annual, Anuual

QUARTERLY Date:__________ Change swirl ring Chg retaining cap Chg O-rings Clean ground conns w/light emery cloth SEMI-ANNUALLY Date:__________ Change coolant Check Coolant filter Inspect/Clean pump filter Schedule Multicam Tech Inspection QUARTERLY Date:__________ Change swirl ring Chg retaining cap Chg O-rings Clean ground conns w/light emery cloth ANNUALLY Date:__________ Change coolant filter Schedule Multicam Tech Inspection

7) ADDITIONAL NOTES Always be aware that GROUND, GAS FLOW, and CONSUMABLES are the most frequent cause of improper cutting. Due to the shape of the arc and the “vortex” created by the swirl ring: internal cuts MUST be made in a counter-clockwise (CCW) direction external cuts MUST be made in a clockwise (CW) direction. Excessive bevel on the part to be saved (slug or hole) indicates that the cut direction is incorrect.

16


8) DIAGNOSTICS This section includes some basic troubleshooting procedures for your Multicam CNC plasma shapecutter. It should be noted that some of the tests are performed on an active system, and as such electricity is involved. Wherever there is electricity, there is the possibility of “shock”! Only qualified personnel should be allowed to perform these procedures.

Tests that involve electrical testing are denoted by a

NOTES: Lack of volume (flow) is the most commonly ignored plasma cause of plasma problems, followed closely by a poor ground.

When in doubt, change ALL consumables When an error occurs, the exact error can usually be determined by pressing the controller question mark key

Surface Test Multicam has incorporated a test for the “Ohmic” and backup touchoff sensors. The ohmic sensor is used as the initial material height sensor. The “plasma switch” is a backup to the Ohmic sensor to prevent a torch crash during initial height sensing. Ohmic Sense Test To test the Ohmic sensor: See Pg. 10

1. Locate the plasma torch over a piece of metal. NOTE: 1. The Ohmic sensor senses ground so the metal must be large enough to ground to the slats 2. Fouled consumables can cause Ohmic sensor failure

2. Press SHIFT + SURFACE.

3. You will then be prompted to Press the EXECUTE Key. The torch will travel downward until it contacts the material.“Surface Block” will be displayed. 4. Press ENTER to lift. If the display shows “Hit Plasma Switch”, the Ohmic sensing circuit is faulty. Contact your local

Multicam Technology Center.

17


Plasma Switch Test Place an insulating material (cloth, glove, or paper) on the material. Repeat steps 1-3 above. Because you have insulated the material, the Ohmic sensor will not sense

ground. The torch will continue down until the plasma switch IS activated. “Hit Plasma Switch” should be displayed. If it does not, the Plasma Switch circuit is faulty.

Contact your local Multicam Technology Center

18


Z Tracking Test

Note: Be sure that the Z axis is operational via the up/down keys Be sure that machine/table grounding is correct. Proper ATHC operation is often critical to the finished product.

To test ATHC operation: 1. Place a piece of .125” material beneath a corner of the material to be cut. This is to raise the cut material so that the Z axis must track upwards. 2. Monitor the handheld display. The voltage on the left is the “specified voltage”, the voltage on the right is the active voltage. The active voltage normally changes on a constant basis up and down as the torch traverses the material. 3. Visually observe the torch, and the Z axis screw. The torch should rise with the material, and lower as the material goes down.

IF NOT

4. Locate the Voltage Divider Board (VDB) for your system. Contact your local Multicam Technology Center. Inspect all connections.

5. Check that there is 120Vac (red and red/blk) power to the VDB. 6. While the machine is cutting; place your DC voltmeter across the two Plasma Voltage In

terminals. You should see between 100 and 165 Vdc. The Voltage Divider Bd. Divides the input voltage by 50, so; 100Vdc in = 2Vdc out 7. Check the Analog DC Out, the voltage should be between 2Vdc and 3.5Vdc

19


Plasma Not Firing NOTE: THERE IS NO VOLTAGE REQ’D FOR THIS TEST, BUT THE PLASMA IS LIVE

Check input gas pressure and volume. Lack of volume (flow) is the most commonly ignored cause of plasma problems, followed closely by a poor ground. Check gas supply. When in doubt, change ALL consumables. To check a ground issue: Connect the star ground point directly to the material being cut.

Battery jumper cables are a good substitute If using an Autogas plasma unit, the torch should purge no more than 30 seconds, if it does, this

usually means that one or all of the input gas volume or pressures is insufficient To isolate a plasma issue from a controller issue, disconnect the interface cable at the controller

end, and jumper the START command pins. There is no voltage at this point, only a relay closure.

20


Plasma Glossary BACK PRESSURE Back pressure is the amount of pressure built up within the gas lines. A

back pressure kit is available for torch and valve testing

BEVEL Bevel refers to perpendicularity of cut. If you look at the side of a cut it should be straight up and down. There will always be some amount of bevel it is the nature of thermal cutting. There are two types of bevel positive and negative.

Positive bevel is when the top of the cut is smaller (narrower than the bottom of the cut. Negative bevel is when the top of the cut is larger (wider) than the bottom of the cut.

Conventional plasma bevel can be up to 15 degrees. HyPerformance or Hi-Definition varies

between 2- 6 degrees.

21

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series CHOPPER The chopper circuit is unique to the Hypertherm plasma. The AC input is CIRCUIT converted to a pulsed DC output. This is a pulse width modulated voltage.

Pulse amplitude is not varied, but the pulse width, or ON time is. There is onechopper per 100 amps.

HT 2000LHFs and HT4070s have 2, the 4400 (4) THE HPR 130 (1)

CONSUMABLES Consumables are components that are “used up” in the cutting process

When in doubt of torch operation replace ALL consumables. The most ignored consumables are the swirl ring and O-rings.

DROSS See SLAG

HIGH VOLTAGE The High Voltage relay activates the ohmic sensing voltage (24Vdc) while RELAY isolating the controller from the Hi Frequency (2Mhz) and Voltage (300Vdc)

22

Multicam Plasma Operations Guide – 1000-3000 Series KERF Kerf is the width of the cut. A plasma's kerf varies with amperage, cut height, and

ISFIRE This occurs when the torch goes through its normal ignition routine goes down to

ser inspection of the

to

MOTOR CONTROL Used only on units with automatic gas consoles. These are found on

ole. It is ids.

LVE OR SOLENOID ERRORS ARE DISPLAYED ON

AX VOLT GAP This is the maximum +/- voltage allowed before height freeze (ATHC

ge t

-BRIDGE BD The M-Bridge Board is used for communication with devices external

M-Br

chanic for the same

feedrate M

the plate height or non-height controlled and does not ignite. As usual the common suspect is consumables. However a clotorch is warranted. Is there proper pre-flow gas. Is there any “sparkling” around the torch nozzle when firing is attempted, this indicates Hi-freq is present. Is there a “popping” sound accompanied with a small blue arc, as if the torch is attempting fire, this indicates pilot arc, but no arc transfer. Refer to the sequence of events section of this glossary, or your owner’s manual

VALVE ASSY all 4070s, they are optional on HPR 130 and HT2000 LHF. The motor control valve assembly is in a separate gas cons

comprised of a series of motor controlled metering valves and solenoThere is no operator intervention. The material and thickness to be cut is sent to the AutoGas Unit from the Multicam controller via the keypad, the onboard plasma’s onboard processor selects and meters the proper gas, pressure and mix NOTE: MOTOR VATHE FRONT CONSOLE. ALL VALVES. PRESSURE SWITCHES, SOLENOIDS AND OPTOS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE

Mdisable) Example: With a Max Volt gap of 15, and the correct arc voltais 120V,at 105V or 135V is reached ATHC will remain at its present heighuntil either the next pierce or an accel/decel point is reached

Mto the Multicam controller.

idge communication can be tested in the Service Menu by selecting Modbus devices. Normally the M-Bridge is position 14.

The Scan_for_mb command can be run from Motion Meresults.

23


NOZZLES Fairly easy to monitor. When Hole size or roundness deteriorate change.

he

OFF VALVE ASSY. The Off valve assy. functions to reduce gas flow at a controlled rate, when

ar or

O-RINGS The O-rings normally last for months, as long as they are properly one

e are O-Rings within the torch head as well

RIO board The RIO board is used to control ON/OFF devices. Vacuum zone blast r

TANDOFF STANDOFF or Torch Height refers to the distance of the torch tip to the

t standoff can cause: excessive slag, beveling, premature

lly wer etc.

The swirl ring maintains a stables “vortex” of gas. When the vortex is

Poor cutting is the first sign. Inspect for interior blackening or minute deposits or hafnium or copper. This means that there s arcing within ttorch

the torch is extinguished. This reduces excessive “blow through (notching) at the end of a cut. On HT 2000LHFs the off valve assy is mounted directly on the torch. On HPR130s, and 4070s it is mounted on the re side of the Z carriage. Autogas units have the Off Valve Assy within the Metering Console.

lubricated. The O-rings should be lubricated with the supplied siliclube, every 3rd consumable change. Excess lube should be wiped away with a clean dry cloth. DO NOT FORGET ther

gates are an example. RIO boards must be configured and addressed fothe devices(s) they are to control.

S(torch height) material being cut. Understanding this relationship is critical to good cut

quality Incorrecconsumable wear, and a variety of other cut inconsistencies. The Hypertherm manual, and the Multicam presets are generasufficient, but due to variables such as ground, air quality, input pominor changes may be necessary. Some experimentation during setup may be required if cut quality is unsatisfactory.

SWIRL RING unstable, cutting becomes erratic. CHECK for cracks and jet hole size

24


SLAG (DROSS) Slag and dross are used interchangeably. Slag usually refers to melted ”

d thing though at first glance it is undesirable.

material adhering to the bottom of the cut. Dross refers to the “splatteredmaterial on top of the cut. Slag is not necessarily a baThere is almost always slag in the corners due to reduced speeds. Slag that flakes off easily is good slag. Hardened slag that requires grinding isa result of incorrect settings, usually speed.

25


TORCH Powermax torches can also be used in a handheld configuration. Be sure

threaded components and O-

OOLS ALWAYS use the correct tool for consumable removal. Wrenches etc. that

OLTAGE DIVIDER The voltage divider board reads the analog voltage across the neg and

when ordering PM 1000,1250, or 1650 torch replacements that the torch has an “M” (Machine torch) designator. Periodically cleaning the torch head (all rings) with distilled water can prevent poor cut quality, premature consumable and torch wear.

T

appear to work almost always damage the component.

V

positive bus bars, and then divides it by 50. Example if the voltage at thetip measures 100V the VD bd. Output is normally between 2.2 and 3.22Vdc

26

Plasma Operations Manual

Documents

Transcript of Plasma Operations Manual