Does Temperature affect Grounding?

[tsmart11@gmail.com]

Ever since it got really cold outside, and in my unheated garage, I am having very inconsistent firings of my torch. Does anyone know if temperature affects grounding by chance? My torch just fails to light consistently.

[CNCCAJUN]

My 2 cents . . .

We chased a problem on a shut down system for 2 days . . .

Engineer insisted we drive a NEW ground rod . . . we already had three linked together . . .

There is a basic test you can perform with a light bulb and a power source.

Someone on here will be able to tell you how it is done.

It worked . . . just saying . . . I still find it hard to believe . . .
Steve

[boodog710]

Could be the ground has dried out. Try pouring water around the ground rod. I drilled a hole in the concrete floor for the ground rod next to the table. Every couple of months I pour water into the hole. Usually about a gallon. If the ground dries out, as it can in the Winter, the rod will lose contact with the ground.

Jack

[jimcolt]

Highly unlikely that it is a grounding issue. More likely, if temperature related....that the issue is with the plasma systems itself.

When you say inconsistent firing of the torch....please describe it..
-do you see a weak arc at the torch?
-do you see no arc at the torch?
-is it arcing, dimpling the plate, then extinquishing?
-when it occurs is there any error code on the plasma (don't know the brand and model) or the cnc machine (again, don't know what you have).

Earth grounding is done to route stray electrical noise (can be caused by the plasma start circuit, the plasma DC circuitry, the x and y motor drive circuitry....or other electrical noise sources in your shop) so that they do not interfere with sensitive low voltage signals on your computer or control electronics. On many machines if there is electrical noise you will get some sort of error code or feedback of the issue.

If it is a plasma problem...should be easy to trouble shoot.

-Try manually (by switching the on signal with a hard wired switch) firing the plasma to see if it always fires and transfers to the plate.
-If it works 100% manually...then you could have a noise issue
-If you have the same issue manually....inspect the consumables and replace if needed.
-Look for icing in your airlines (this has happened to me a few times in cold weather. Ice chunks in your air system can limit flow, which will cause a temporary low pressure during starting. Ice crystals can also bloc solenoids or can restrict electrode movement in a blowback start plasma torch (most of the newer ones are blowback)

Jim Colt Hypertherm

Ever since it got really cold outside, and in my unheated garage, I am having very inconsistent firings of my torch. Does anyone know if temperature affects grounding by chance? My torch just fails to light consistently.

[tsmart11@gmail.com]

Thanks for the answers. I am using a Longevity Forcecut 40i torch. Some more information I should have included. The only ground I have is the ground clamp from the torch to the work piece. I don't have a grounding rod. Should I?

Typically what I see is simply no firing of the torch at all. It will cut fine on one path and then stop, and may or may not start again. I am using new consumables and I always grind my work piece down to bare metal when I place the ground clamp on.

Tom

[abmagrum]

you need to run a ground wire from the table frame to a ground rod .
and a ground wire from water tray to rod.
do you have a pressure gauge at the back of youre plasma cutter ? you don't want to go below 90 psi so you need like 120-130 psi to start with

[tsmart11@gmail.com]

Thanks I will work on installing that today. Do you suspect that is the issue with the torch lighting?

I do have a pressure gauge and I feed 125 in, but I seem to have the best results running around 60psi to the torch.

Tom

[abmagrum]

that's probably youre problem. I have a hypertherm and a miller and they both have to have min running pressure of 90 psi. to have that you need 120-130psi because it drops fast.

try adjusting psi. then if that doesn't work check the cut height / pierce height.

im pretty sure its a psi problem .

do you have a air dryer ? that helps too.

[tsmart11@gmail.com]

Thanks I will play some more with the pressures. I don't have a drier yet but am watching for a used one to come up on my area.

[abmagrum]

wet air will cause those problems also.

check this out. will help a lot.

http://plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f ... yer#p59408

wet air will also tare up youre consumables.

[tsmart11@gmail.com]

As a temporary measure I have installed an inexpensive dessicant dryer in line so I don't think my problem is just from moisture in the lines. I have taken 2 videos showing my problem and put them on youtube. I would appreciate any advice as to what may be occurring. This is very frustrating and very random in nature.

Don't judge the state of my shop please, I have dismantled most of it troublehooting, the wires are not usually sitting on the part
New Consumables are installed.
One video shows the torch working fine and then having problems lighting. The other was made within minutes and shows the torch not lighting at all. You can hear an electical buzz while it tries to light and you can hear post flow air....

Video1
http://youtu.be/WRcvu3nWBYk

Video 2
http://youtu.be/EQUG6aJp06o

Thanks in advance. This is extremely frustrating.