Redrilling Plasma Cut holes.

[acourtjester]

Are you saying the software will not allow you to turn the amps down? I just do it on the front of the Plasma unit before I run the routing. There is no pierce delay as it actually takes place before the any movement so no delay is needed. This is similar to hitting the fire button on then off. I am using LinuxCNC which I think yours is based on too.
I am not saying your method is wrong, like many things if it works for you it is fine.
Here is the tool I use in SheetCam and in the CAD I make the smallest circle I can.

dimple tool.JPG

[TJS]

I will get a screen shot of the tool I have. It does not matter what I put in the box for AMPs. It pierces all the way thru. I thought you were disabling your THC. The check box is showing enabled.??

[acourtjester]

Well no it does not have enough time to get into the THC control. a way to look at it is a short pierce not long enough even for a delay. That is why it does not blow through the metal just dimple, or you could say just long enough for a Arc Ok signal so it does not shut down the G-code.

[tcaudle]

I will get a screen shot of the tool I have. It does not matter what I put in the box for AMPs. It pierces all the way thru. I thought you were disabling your THC. The check box is showing enabled.??

If you do not have the OPTIONAL RS485 serial port on a Powermax or SYNC Hypertherm AND the OPTIONAL HYT-Connect in CommadnCNC, then you cannot remotely set the Amps . You have to do it manually . Even if you do (have the RS485) , most Hypertherm models will not allow you to set less than about 20 to 25aamps. The 45XP will let you go down to 10Amps for marking

The two most important things are the pierce height and the duration . You can peck thin material if you pierce about double the normal height and about .2 seconds. It takes some trial and error but after you get it once you can use that setting for that type material.

NOTE: You cannot short cycle a torch on the first torch fire. the purge air has to be flowing. The peck marking is done by FIRST raising the otrhc above the material , firing it in the air for 1 sec then while purge air is still flowing drop it to the defined pierce height and short fire it. Those are built into the SheetCAM Post for that tool. As long as you get to the next point before purge air cuts off you can continue to short fire .

[caretech]

NOTE: You cannot short cycle a torch on the first torch fire. the purge air has to be flowing. The peck marking is done by FIRST raising the otrhc above the material , firing it in the air for 1 sec then while purge air is still flowing drop it to the defined pierce height and short fire it. Those are built into the SheetCAM Post for that tool. As long as you get to the next point before purge air cuts off you can continue to short fire .

I can't speak for all brands of plasma cutters, but I know this is not the case for Hypertherm. I routinely spot here with my PM 85. It needs no preflow going before it makes its first spot.

Controlling with QtPlasmac here. Judging from acourtjester's videos shared here, I think my torch fires for less time than his. I end up with a sweet little dimple in the material, nothing more.

I could go to the fuss of uploading a video if that proves anything.

[acourtjester]

Thanks for posting, Good to hear from another using the dimple function, to me it is a time saver.
The old "different strokes for different folks"