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A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 10:41 am
by TAS99
I am in the process of upgrading my old DIY plasma cutter with an Acorn board, Centroid THC, Hypertherm Powermax 45 plasma cutter with a Hypertherm Mechanized Duramax 180 deg Lock Torch but I have a few questions.

1- I understand the concept of ohmic sensor touch-off but I don’t understand how it’s incorporated in my torch. I can see several pins at the plug end of the torch (6 to be exact) and I assume some are used for the torch cutting voltage but what are the others and how are they accessed? Is this how the connection is made to the torch tip for ohmic touch-off?

2- I see in the 45 consumables list a reference to an Ohmic retaining ring (part# 220719). How does that work in conjunction with ohmic touch-off and if so, how is the connection made?

3- There is a small spring-loaded plunger near the tip of the torch, what is it’s purpose?

4- There is a note in the 45 user manual that says, when cutting thin metal (10Ga or thinner) better results may be achieved by using the Powermax 30 consumables. Why is this suggested and are the results better?

5- What is meant by shielded and unshielded consumables?

Any help in understanding would be appreciated.

Tom

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 11:05 pm
by ShawnM
Hi Tom and welcome. I would first recommend reading through the Powermax manual. It will answer many of your questions. I'll touch on your questions lightly.

1 - the ohmic sensor wiring makes a connection from the torch tip with the ohmic sensor through the work lead on the material through the plasma cutter back to the TX board. Have a look at some of the plasma wiring diagram and maybe it'll make more sense. The pin out for the CPC connector is in the Hypertherm manual.

2 - If you want to use ohmic sensing of the material you need the ohmic sensing retaining cap on your torch. As for wiring, again look at the plasma wiring diagrams. All plasma docs are here: https://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=7521

3 - are you referring to the electrode inside the torch tip? You have a picture?

4 - You want to use the least amount of power when cutting material for the best cut quality. You don't use 85A on material that can be cut with 40A.

5 - Again, this is covered in the Hypertherm manual and all over the internet, shielded is the way to go and offers many advantages such as better speeds, better cuts and longer consumable life.

I suggest taking some time and read through your Hypertherm manual and review all the Acorn plasma docs and manuals. Reading them will give you a better understanding of how the plasma works with the Acorn.

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:40 pm
by Joey
1. Like Shawn said the connect for the conductive touch is from the torch tip to the TX boards "T in" input. The other side runs from the TX boards and input from Hypertherms pin 6 which is a negative voltage and has a straight connection to the ground clamp . When the torch touches the material it completes the connecting between the gnd input on the TX board for the negative side of the Divided voltage and the Tin input on the TX board

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 9:51 am
by TAS99
Hi, and thanks for giving me some information but it doesn’t answer all my questions.

1 – I understand the principal of the ohmic sensor and I have seen the schematic and how the signal comes from the tip, through the relay board then to the THC-TX board but how does the signal physically get there? Is there an external wire from the ohmic sensing retaining cap to the Centroid circuitry? The manual describing the pin out for the CPC connector shows the Voltage Divider, Torch Start and Transfer but says nothing about ohmic touch off.

2- I’ve attached a picture (Plunger) where the arrow points to the spring loaded plunger I referred to earlier. I am curious what it’s function might be. The second picture (Connector) shows the 6 pins inside the torch cable, again, what is their function. I suspect it might be torch voltage but I’m not sure.

3- As for shielding, that was something I missed when I went through the manual but it does raise a question. The 45 manual states “With shielded consumables, you drag the torch tip along the metal to cut. With unshielded consumables, you must keep the torch a small distance, about 2 mm (0.08 inch), away from the metal.” But, in the T45 shielded consumables data it calls for a torch to work distance of 0.06” which is very close to the unshielded distance of 0.08” called for in the manual. I don’t understand if that makes a real difference.

4- I understand reducing the amperage when cutting thinner material but the question I had concerned the switch to Powermax 30 consumables. What advantage does switching to those consumables have over the standard Powermax 45 consumables?

Other than that I’m pretty happy with the progress of converting to Centroid. Both pre-install test have been completed successfully and I’m in the process of completing the wiring in the final chassis configuration.


Again, Thanks for the help.

Tom

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 10:21 am
by Joey
1. There is a wire that runs from the torch retaining cap to the TX "T in" input. This wire is the only wire that is specific for the torch touch. The rest of the circuitry is already in place if the TX and RX is correctly hooked up to the Hypertherm.

2. The spring in your image is just a switch that Hypertherm uses to indicate that the consumables are installed.

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 10:27 am
by Joey
I suspect the other pins on the Hypertherm torch cable are also indicator switches to indicate that the consumables are in place.

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 12:18 pm
by TAS99
Thanks for the continuing input. I appreciate it.

Regarding the touch off question. I understand the circuitry but I'm trying to understand the physical connections. I found an image online that I think answers my question. The attached image shows a wire - outside of any existing wiring in the torch or torch cable - that connects to the ohmic sense retaining ring and terminates on the relay board. Is my assumption correct? It's a wire that I have to add and not a wire in the torch cable.

Thanks,

Tom

Re: A few questions on Duramax 180 torch

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 12:37 pm
by ShawnM
Yes, you clip a wire right on the ohmic cap. Do not mess with any wires/wiring in the torch cable. This is in the Centroid diagrams and manual. There are several pics of the ohmic cap with the touch off wire attached in the Centroid plasma manual.