Topic: Making my own RHMT CNC plasma (Read 10908 times)

walter · « **on:** January 14, 2013, 07:01:13 PM »

Hi guys..im designing my own plasma cutter cnc , i hope i can make my own flanges whenever..

this is what i made so far, design is still in process, not sure if this will works good so any advice will be appreciate it a lot.

im doing Z axys i will post some shoots in some minutes..

walter · « **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2013, 07:03:02 PM »

motors i will use are 3.1nm Nema23.

motor mounts..

walter · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2013, 07:26:20 PM »

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2013, 08:00:25 PM »

I have been thinking about this myself lately. I have a plasma cutter already. In to see how this turns out

walter · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2013, 08:14:40 PM »

I already hate to have calling everyday to companies for cutting some shit flanges, i dont wanna buy out from Spain, just when i need flanges i'd like to get them in 3-5 days , not more, i hope to get this working in some months once i get everything..

JohnHandcock · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2013, 08:43:46 PM »

Been interested in this for awhile but so much to choose from like servo vs rotatory motors..cutting program..height control..water table vs downdraft..etc.

mandrel-bends · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2013, 04:25:34 PM »

Having retrofit and rebuilt a hydefinition komatsu plasma table, I wouldn't recommend this. It wasn't worth the time or expense. Plasma cut flanges are crap. Nobody wants to pay for them. Everyone requires laser or waterjet, and the amount of "fixing" the parts after processing isn't worth the effort. We have $60k in high-definition plasma equipment mounted to our large format waterjet and we never use it. I show customers the cut quality difference and they always pay more for waterjet.

The cut quality is directly related to the quality of the torch height controller, and a good one will kill your budget, and the operating expenses for running high-pierce counts will tear up nozzles faster then your budget will support. Most machine torches can't handle more then 300 pierces on a set of consumables. My average 4x8 plate has 4000+ pierces. Even for high-definition torch setups designed to withstand 1500+ pierces, I still only got around 800 pierces before I had fried a set of electrodes and shields. That crap adds up.

rawr · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2013, 05:10:07 PM »

Plazmas probably going to be his best bet. I dont think hes going to be able to pull a water jet out of his ass in spain and even with the added consumables cost and the lower cut quality hell still probably come out ahead vs importing. Might even be able to start a decent side business other than flanges.

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2013, 07:12:07 PM »

I know nothing about Spain, but there aren't a couple water jets there?

mandrel-bends · « **Reply #9 on:** January 15, 2013, 09:23:53 PM »

It's still $5k for a reasonably good torch height controller for a plasma system (sensor phc or similar), and about ~$2k for a decent mechanized plasma torch.

Then you got at look at how you are driving your gantry. You are going to have all kinds of problems trying to drive a gantry from just one side, so typically you run a dual drive system with 4 (2Y, 1X, 1Z) servo drives. If you are doing a dual drive system with a servo on each side of the Y axis, then you need something that can handle master/slave servo setups correctly.

From my experience, you have to go to atleast a centroid control to be able to do that. EMC (free), mach2 ($50), hypertherm edge ($5-15k) can't do it correctly. The edge control was probably the biggest fail I've ever seen trying to do that. I ended up spending $18k to get a controller that could do a perfect master/slave axis for the big waterjet.

Far more important then the money was the year I spent wasting my time trying all these controls with different boards and servo configs, and blah blah. And I'm an electrical engineer, so this stuff is second nature to me and it's still a complete nightmare of time wasting. There are so many people who try to build these big elaborate machines (and I am severely guilty of this as well) and for the most part, they spend all their time working on the machine instead of benefiting from the parts the machine makes.

I'm not trying to crap on your project, I'm just trying to give you the perspective of someone who just spend a year and a half doing this.

rawr · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2013, 08:38:18 AM »

Quote from: PhilStubbs on January 15, 2013, 07:12:07 PM

I know nothing about Spain, but there aren't a couple water jets there?

Im sure there are and they probably cost 200k usd. Probably also only high end industrial clients.

Ive seen people build really effective controls for around 2000. Id guess if he worked his ass off on it he could have a somewhat decent plasma set up for 5000. Id still say that its going to be a waste of time vs paying someone else to cut them for you.

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2013, 09:08:06 AM »

I meant just pay someone to waterjet the stuff he needs locally

rawr · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2013, 10:22:14 AM »

He might be able to but yurop is a little strange with their industrial regulations so maybe not. Just leave spain and fuck off right to america. Problems solved.

PhilStubbs · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2013, 10:54:13 AM »

Its not often I agree with something like that, but Walter is a solid nog, I'm sure he would be welcomed by all

walter · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2013, 06:36:22 PM »

Quote from: mandrel-bends on January 15, 2013, 04:25:34 PM

Having retrofit and rebuilt a hydefinition komatsu plasma table, I wouldn't recommend this. It wasn't worth the time or expense. Plasma cut flanges are crap. Nobody wants to pay for them. Everyone requires laser or waterjet, and the amount of "fixing" the parts after processing isn't worth the effort. We have $60k in high-definition plasma equipment mounted to our large format waterjet and we never use it. I show customers the cut quality difference and they always pay more for waterjet.

The cut quality is directly related to the quality of the torch height controller, and a good one will kill your budget, and the operating expenses for running high-pierce counts will tear up nozzles faster then your budget will support. Most machine torches can't handle more then 300 pierces on a set of consumables. My average 4x8 plate has 4000+ pierces. Even for high-definition torch setups designed to withstand 1500+ pierces, I still only got around 800 pierces before I had fried a set of electrodes and shields. That crap adds up.

Well, i dont wanna this for sell flanges, just i wanna to make my own flanges, i know for getting expensive machines will get better results but there are people making 300hp with low budget and HT people making 250hp with a lot of money

There are waterjets, lasercuts,etc here yes, problem is when i need to cut about 5-6 flanges one week, they

and only deal with big companies , i have to call everyday and ask if they can do that this week, that really sucks in Spain, i hate it! Laws in Spain sucks a lot, and people working even more.. that's why i love another countries like USA, UK,etc but im here and i will do any shit for this crap changes..

i hope to get this done as first plasma build and after to learn and practice about drivers, match3 or linuxcnc, how machine works, parts used,etc im pretty sure after that i can build a very decent cnc plasma like this guy:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/shop-tools/658793-project-cnc-plasma-table.html

walter · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2013, 06:37:49 PM »

btw, this will be the finish design

i will begin buying some parts next month..

any advice will be appreciate it a lot.

P.S. I will use finally THC yes.

92CXyD · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2013, 01:02:20 PM »

Walter when you say THC, you are not referring Cannabis, are ya?

bigdaddyvtec · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2013, 01:30:43 PM »

This is HMT fuck your Waterjet nigger

walter · « **Reply #18 on:** January 18, 2013, 09:23:17 AM »

Quote from: 92CXyD on January 17, 2013, 01:02:20 PM

Walter when you say THC, you are not referring Cannabis, are ya?

sure sir

NoPistons! · « **Reply #19 on:** January 24, 2013, 06:23:34 PM »

Lmao.

Well this looks cool. I'll keep an eye on it. I've been wanting to do a rhmt mill for a while. I'm sure i'll find time for it eventually. Hardest part is getting a cutting head/chock setup that isn't going to break from side stress. Angular roller bearings are epic for such things. My ass wants to get into aluminum work bad. It's so sexy and clean.....well can be anyway.

I hated using our torch cutter in school. It was fucking huge though. Think 15x20 table if memory serves. Esab. gangster as fuck. Plasma tips would burn up and the oxy we could never get the cutting speed just right and had to bust out the old manual plasma to release parts from the heavy as fuck metal sheets we used.

All that plasma/torch sucking dildo because of finish work aside i can't wait to see the end result of your efforts. Pretty trick stuff.

walter · « **Reply #20 on:** February 24, 2013, 12:41:28 PM »

Hi, after to thinks alot of the design finally i did this, just needs to make ballscrews.. i will study right now about electronic parts ..

DSharp · « **Reply #21 on:** April 14, 2013, 03:28:18 PM »

we have a plasma cam in the shop. Its better than making tabs and stuff by hand. the height control is terrible and its a pain in the ass just to make it not crash into the metal. The cut quality is shit, the kerf on small holes makes them look terrible.

but... I can still make a lot of cool things with it.

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Author Topic: Making my own RHMT CNC plasma (Read 10908 times)