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HyperTherm plasma

Colten Edwards

Colten Edwards

Fabricator
I won a couple of hypertherm plasma cutter power supplies in an auction recently. A powermax 900 and 800. Neither comes with a torch. The price of the torch is scary as hell so I'll need to find a used one.
Another option is the 1torch from Thermal Dynamics actually has an adapter kit for the PM900. Has anyone ever used one of these adapter's before? They seem to have one for many differant plasma machines. Including some cheap chinese. My thought was I could get an adapter, a cheap plasma torch from china and then when I finally get tired of the crap from china, purchase a real torch :)
This is all going onto the 4x4 cnc plasma table I'm in the process of building.
 
My first plasma cutter was a Thermal Dynamics, about 20 yrs. ago I think. Great unit. Since then I've had a couple of different units, but settled on Hypertherm. Never tried an adaptor kit. Is it for the manual torch or the machine torch?
 
umm it adapts the hypertherm to a thermal dynamics 1torch system. The connector on the hypertherm is 8 pin with a center connector for air. The adapter from the looks of it, connects to the hypertherm power supply, and then allows the connection of the 1torch along with two pigtails for the torch switch.
 
I have always been under the belief that the hand torch would cut deeper than the machine torch I have both but have never used the machine one under the theory of one day I'll have a plasma table.
 
Tom O said:
I have always been under the belief that the hand torch would cut deeper than the machine torch...
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Humm. I've never heard that. Maybe it stems from the fact that the manual torch is usually dragged, whereas the machine isn't? I've used both, manually and on CNC tables (Torchmate and PlasmaCam). I'd never use a manual torch on a CNC again. They are just too awkward to adjust and the cord either impedes or catchs on tip ups. I think the swirl cup and electrode on a machine version is designed to optimize the arc at the correct height, pushing it outward more than on a manual torch. I recall swapping manual parts into a machine torch once and the results weren't as nice. Without AVHC (which is difficult to do well with a manual torch), you just can't expect good results. And good luck cutting thin sheet or corrugated, which is dirt easy with a machine torch and AVHC.
 
I don't know if this is the case with the hypertherm 600 or 800, but the duramax 45 for the hypertherm 45xp needs to be rewired by swapping pins 6 an 8 on the torches plug, and the trigger kept shut in order to be used as a machine torch. I just got a brand new hypertherm 45xp from kijiji for $2300 as a major improvement for my plasma table. The hand torch cuts far better than the everlast power plasma 50s, the consumables tast far longer, and they're available to purchase locally. I figured it would probably be worth it to purchase the powermax 45 machine torch for the long run and to give me the ability to easily cut by hand as well.
 
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Chris Cramer said:
I don't know if this is the case with the hypertherm 600 or 800, but the duramax 45 for the hypertherm 45xp needs to be rewired by swapping pins 6 an 8 on the torches plug, and the trigger kept shut in order to be used as a machine torch. I just got a brand new hypertherm 45xp from kijiji for $2300 as a major improvement for my plasma table. The hand torch cuts far better than the everlast power plasma 50s, the consumables tast far longer, and they're available to purchase locally. I figured it would probably be worth it to purchase the powermax 45 machine torch for the long run and to give me the ability to easily cut by hand as well.
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Can't speak for the newer 45xp, but that's not the case with the older 45 if I recall...at least as configured for the Torchmate. It's been 5+ years now for me with no CNC but I think the plug on the machine torch handles the swapping of the pins internally. Plus, you also need to run a two wire jumper from inside the older PowerMax 45 to most controllers. I cannot recall which command it controls, but it may be the "Arc/OK to Proceed" signal to the controller. My PowerMax 45 still has the jumper I wired 10 years ago trailing out the back. I left it wired up because Torchmate removed all of these tips when they sold out to Lincoln and I thought someone here may someday need the pinout.

You're dead right Chris about the wiring, no matter which torch and machine. You need to read up on this as most older machines require some mods. I think the newer machines have interfaces for machine torches/CNC/AHVC, right?
 
Be careful about which model number you purchase, because some models of the 45xp don't initially have a cnc interface. That was the case with the one I got off kijiji and I had to order a kit with the cnc board and port from the states to use it with my machine, but that only has to do with the interface, nothing more is needed to connect the duramax machine torch in the same place as the hand torch.
 
got my machine torch on Friday. it's not a hypertherm torch, but seems pretty nice. Also got my 8 gauge silicon wire for use with the ground clamp. Wired up a MesaNet THCAD-300 with 5v power supply, torch on/off and simulated arc-ok (reed switch wrapped up in ground cable). Need a couple of clamps which I modeled up in Fusion360 for holding the machine torch to the Z plate. Also ordered my water pan from a local metal fab shop. I could have made it, but I would have 4 extra welds to worry about instead of 4 4" welds on the corners since they have a metal bender. Things are moving along on my cnc plasma table build.
 
Despite the fact that you usually have a floating Z axis, if your table uses a torch height controller, if you set the correct settings, and you use the correct consumables the machine torch can cut just as deep as the manual torch. for thicker metal the manual torch uses the drag shield, where the machine torch uses the mechanized shield. I tried the machine torch first with the drag shield and the correct nozzle, but it did not turn out as well as it did with the mechanized shield; and For different applications, like thinner sheet metal, the fine cut consumables are recommended which are available for both the manual and the machine torch.
 
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