Powermax 65 and 85 Lead times

[jimcolt]

The Hypertherm production department is finally getting the lead times down to a reasonable level on the new Powermax65/85 systems. Since their introduction in September...the orders for these units have continued to exceed our forecasts. Our production group is working a lot of overtime, and we have hired and trained a good number of new associates. Lead times were as long as 5 to 6 weeks.....as of today they are in the 2 to 2-1/2 week range. It is always our ultimate goal to be able to ship units the day after they were ordered....and we should get to that point soon. From a performance and reliability point of view....the new systems have been pretty well recieved in the field.

I just recieved my Powermax85 for my home shop, and yes, I had to wait just like everyone else! I have not had the time to even unpack it....but over the next few weeks I will do so, and first will write a review about connecting the unit to power and air, and will do some hand torch cutting. After that is done I plan to electrically connect it to my PlasmaCam cnc machine.....I will go through the wiring step by step, and then will cut a few parts on various materials.

Any suggestions on what I should show in these reviews...or materials I should cut with both hand and machine torches?

Jim Colt

[Rockrunner86]

Jim, I would like to see some machine cuts untouched after cutting to compare what I am getting off the 85 to what you are getting. Show what dross is left behind, squarness of edges with a small square, etc. While I am super happy with my 85 so far, I know I can dial it in even better..

[jomara]

Hello Jim, could you show how to link the Powermax 65 to a Plasmacam table to automatic trigger? Thanks.

Jorge O'Mara

[Dawgonhawg]

I will watch and learn. I received my Powermax 85 this week. Mine will be hooked up to a Dynatorch machine.

[jimcolt]

Depends on what equipment you have...hand torch or machine torch, does the Powermax have the rear panel CPC connector, What model PlasmaCam.

Jim

Hello Jim, could you show how to link the Powermax 65 to a Plasmacam table to automatic trigger? Thanks.

Jorge O'Mara

[Francisco]

Hello, Jim.

I address you directly because, from reading dozens of posts -both here and elsewhere- displaying not just your ample knowledge but, more importantly, your generous willingness to share it and the amazing clarity with which you do so, I know you are the guy to go to with this.

We need to hook up a Powermax 85 with machine torch and CPC port to a PlasmaCAM table. The plasma source will ocassionally be used for hand cutting (with the proper manual torch) and we don't want to fiddle with the trigger bypass - which, if I correctly understood one of your post, would actually be useless for setting up for the machine torch, anyway.

Thanks!

Francisco

[jimcolt]

Francisco,

The Powermax65/85 were designed with an easy interface for PlasmaCam machines. The most difficult item is with the interface cable that goes from the Hypertherm rear panel CPC plug to the PlasmaCam control box. Hypertherm makes one that plugs into the Hypertherm....but has bare wires on the other end. PlasmaCam provides one that plugs into the control box, but has bare wires on the other end. I have not been able to convince either company to build a plug and play cable.....so I have produced the cables myself....and sell the complete cable with instructions for less than either the Hypertherm or the PlasmaCam cable. I will continue to do these until someone else is interested in making a plug and play cable for the 65/85 machines to a PlasmaCam.

Here are the options:

The PlasmaCam cable has two resistors built into the cable near the plasma end (they are concealed under heat shrink tubing) that are a 21.1:1 divider. You can use this cable as it is to interface directly to the Raw DC voltage output (screw terminals accessible on the main power board in Hypertherm systems), or?.with the 65 /85 you can remove the resistors and interface directly to the divided output on the CPC connector?..as well as making the start input connections there.

The Raw DC voltage is higher than CSA and CE electrical standards will allow for the CPC cable connection?.so only divided voltage levels (lower and safer) are allowed to pass through the CPC connector. Raw DC connections must be hardwired?.according to the CSA and CE safety codes.

Here are the alternatives:

1. Connect using the PlasmaCam cable by hardwiring the DC connections directly to the internal board in the Powermax?using the PlasmaCam cables internal voltage divider resistors. Connect the other two wires from the PlasmaCam cable to the start connections on the CPC connector (if using a machine torch) or splice them into the torch trigger swich wiring (if using a hand torch.)
2. Purchase the Hypertherm interface cable (which has the correct end to plug into the Powermax) and splice the 2 start wires to the 2 start wires on the PlasmaCam cable (which has the correct plug for the PlasmaCam), and then remove the 2 voltage divider resistors from the PlasmaCam cable and splice the 2 DC voltage wires to the two DC voltage wires in the Hypertherm cable. Remove the cover from the Powermax and reset the Voltage divider to 21.1:1 per instructions in the manual.
3. Purchase the cable from me?..since no one else (either Hypertherm or PlasmaCam) produces a ?plug and play? cable?.I have built them for quite a few users. My cable plugs into the Powermax65 /85, plugs into the PlasmaCam DHC2 (should work for the DHC as well)?.you still have to reset the internal Powermax voltage divider. Plug and Play. I sell the cable for $70 plus shipping.
4. I can supply you with the manufacturers part number for the Tyco brand plug that can be installed on the PlasmaCam cable (after removing the voltage divider resistors) as well as the pins and the cable clamp?.you can source it locally. It does require a special pin crimping tool.

Hopefully this helps to clarify the interface between the Hypertherm Powermax65/85 systems and the PlasmaCam DHC2 / Samson systems.

Feel free to contact me directly for any assistance with interfacing. I own a PlasmaCam DHC2 with a Powermax85 interfaced as listed above with a plug and play cable.

Jim jim.colt@hypertherm.com

[Francisco]

Thank you, Jim. As always, you reply quickly, honestly, clearly and thoroughly. You are a pillar for this community.

I will e-mail you directly to order that cable from you.

Best regards

Francisco

[4R8]

G'day Jim,
How'd you go with the tyco part numbers? I've searched high and low and are not getting anywhere.
Alternatively a supplier who has a cable in stock that a: ships internationally or b: an Australian seller.

Cheers,
Jason

[jimcolt]

The Tyco part numbers for the connector that will plug into a Hypertherm CPC connector:

Connector: Tyco 206044-1
Cable clamp: Tyco 206070-8
Pins: Tyco 1-66099-5

Is that what you wanted?

Jim

G'day Jim,
How'd you go with the tyco part numbers? I've searched high and low and are not getting anywhere.
Alternatively a supplier who has a cable in stock that a: ships internationally or b: an Australian seller.

Cheers,
Jason

[4R8]

Excellent, Thanks Jim!