Ok I'm really confused and need help

[cnc4me]

I got the 2x2 all setup and jogging no problems there, software is loaded and running fine. Now hooking up my Hypertherm 45 with hand torch. PROBLEM! First thing, I ordered the proper interface cable from Torchmate but I dont understand the connectors to the back of the signal generator. The cable has 4 wires with prong connectors on each wire. How do these hook up the the signal generator? Second- I have read all over the forum and tried to make sense of what has been written, have tried to do the splicing in the powermax with the start signal wires and still nothing. Rewired the powermax back to make sure it works when the trigger is pulled, and it does. Can anyone give me some help here, I'm not an electrician here but I can do the basics if I have a schematic but there is nothing to do what needs to be done here.

Thanks

[97tj500ft]

Yeah, x2 on the above statment. I've got all my stuff hooked up to this point minus connecting my Powermax 45 to the box. I sure could use some help on which wires to splice into. Pics would be really nice.

I've called Torchmate and they say to contact Hypertherm. Hypertherm says they can't tell me because it bypasses a safety.

[JeepsRcool]

Pm Jimcolt here on the board. He may miss this thread as the title lends no hint to what the problem is....
But it should be as simple as hooking the two switch wires to the signal generator, your just making the PC think you pulled the trigger.....

[BLKBOB]

I have a Powemax 45 with a machine torch. I used pins 3 and 4 on the back of the plasma cutter where the remote pendant would hook up. Then run these wires into the back of the signal generator. I was told by tech that these wires are not polarity sensitive so it doesn't matter where you plug them in the signal generator. I don't know if the hand torch for the powermax is the same but hope this helps.

Gord

[cnc4me]

I think the machine torch is a much easier install in that it doesn't have a trigger other than the relay. Thanks for all the replies, I think its sort of lame that TM the seller of this machine cant be more helpful, I understand the liability issue here but you're selling a machine and showing it used with a hand torch, but not being able to help the customer hook it up to enjoy using the machine........ I dont get it. Sometimes I feel like since I'm not using a Thermal Dynamics plasma that TM is less likely to help.

[Torchmate]

Originally Posted by cnc4me

I think the machine torch is a much easier install in that it doesn't have a trigger other than the relay. Thanks for all the replies, I think its sort of lame that TM the seller of this machine cant be more helpful, I understand the liability issue here but you're selling a machine and showing it used with a hand torch, but not being able to help the customer hook it up to enjoy using the machine........ I dont get it. Sometimes I feel like since I'm not using a Thermal Dynamics plasma that TM is less likely to help.

I promise you it is not that. The problem is that we can't buy every plasma available. It is easy for us to write instructions once we actually have experience with the cutters. The last Hypertherm unit we had in our shop was a Powermax 900, which they quit making years ago. Call the guys tomorrow and they will help any way that they can.

I have been working with Hypertherm on getting a few units brought in that will help us support our mutual customers better. Hopefully you know that we help however we can. The problem is that we make CNC tables, not plasma cutters. Without the help of the actual plasma cutter manufacturer, we end up taking shots in the dark. Thermal Dynamics has given us one of every plasma cutter they have offered so that we could keep their customers happy. We will get there with Hypertherm.

I really am sorry that you are running into this hurdle, especially on a weekend. I promise we will not leave you hanging.

Bill

[97tj500ft]

Originally Posted by JeepsRcool

Pm Jimcolt here on the board. He may miss this thread as the title lends no hint to what the problem is....
But it should be as simple as hooking the two switch wires to the signal generator, your just making the PC think you pulled the trigger.....

Actually Jim was the Hypertherm employee that I had previously PM'd about this issue. He said that being an employee there he is not authorized to give out that information. I understand that but it sure does suck for those of us using a PM45 with hand torch.

It's funny because I had several issues while trying to get everything up and running. Once I would clear one hurdle I didn't know the next hurdle was going to be trouble 'till I got there. I finally hit this last wall and just ended up covering my 2x2 up for now. I was really "happy" while hand cutting out 30 brackets the other day all while looking over at my nice new 2x2. But I did at least get to print off the templates I drew up in TMCAD to trace out on the steel.

[cnc4me]

Again thanks for the reply. I had a feeling when I first thought about buying the 2x2 that if I didnt buy the Thermal Dynamics that I might regret it. But a friend told me to get the PowerMax so I listened to him. Might be cutting now if I had gone with my instincts.

I have 2 questions,

1- How do the 4 wires hook up to the signal generator? It sure feels like the interface cable I bought from TM is really meant for a machine torch with AVHC. So I would guess that two of the wires I dont use at all. And my second guess is to cut off the prong clips and just use bare wire in the signal generator's clips.

2- This may be a stupid one, Do I have to edit my G-Code and place in the M50 and M51 M-Codes or is this done behind the scenes of the software? When I open the line test I dont see any M codes there.

Thanks again

[jimcolt]

OK.....I'll stick my neck out a little here!

First....the Hypertherm Powermax units are available with either a hand torch or a machine torch....or both. When using the machine torch the start signal is available on pins 3 and 4 on the rear panel machine interface plug.

When the hand torch is plugged into the Powermax, because it has a trigger swtch with a safety device (to minimize accidental misfiring) the pins on the rear panel plug are automatically disconnected.

Reasoning? There was an incident a few years back where a customer had both hand and machine torches with a Powermax. The machine torch was mounted on a track burner, and was used for cutting plate to length, it could be activated by pushing a button on the track burner as it was interfaced directly to the start circuit in the Hypertherm unit. The hand torch was used for hand cutting. The operator liked to store the hand torch by wrapping it around the acetylene cylinder on his oxy-fuel torch set. One morning the machine operater decided to use the track burner....turned on the plasma, set up the machine....and pushed the start button on the track burner, expecting the machine torch to fire and cut some plate. The hand torch however was plugged into the plasma power supply, and it was wrapped around the acetylene cyclinder and it fired, punching a hole throught the cylinder. The shop burned to the ground...fortunately no one was injured, but you can guess who paid for the damages. If you guessed Hypertherm you would be correct!

All Powermax sytems since that issue have the start input interlocked when using a hand torch. If you need to use the hand torch for machine use...you need to either splice in a couple of wires inside the torch handle (to the same connections that go to the trigger switch in the torch handle) and run these back to the start output from your Torchmate machine.

This effectively bypasses the safety trigger circuit in the Hypertherm system, so as a Hypertherm employee (and I like my job!) I can not provide exact details of how to do this, howeve it is easy and thousands of hand torch owners have done it!

I hope you understand! Anyone that has succesfully connected the 45...could you post your method with some pics....it would be helpful. There is a way the start signal connections can be made inside the power supply as well for a cleaner installation.

Jim Colt

[ron678]

Why didn't Hypertherm sue his mother for giving birth to such a dummy, now everyone has to have child proof torch.

[jimcolt]

geez.....some lawyer is going to get his hands on this thread and probably will do just that! Although it is possible that no one in his family actually lives long....they may have all recieved their Darwin awards at an early age.

[97tj500ft]

Thanks Jim. I appreciate your input and definatly dont want you to get in trouble at work. I'm obviously a Noob at this but I need to start somewhere.

Also, I wanted to say that the Torchmate staff has been helpful anytime I've called them. I just wanted to try and figure this last step out before bugging them anymore. I will take a look at the hand torch and get an idea of the wires in the handle and how they lay out.

[Dnmeistr]

Once you open up the handle to see what color the two wires are, you can open up the cabinet and see where they come in from the front of the machine and connect your two wires there.

[HardcorewannabeXJ]

Originally Posted by Dnmeistr

Once you open up the handle to see what color the two wires are, you can open up the cabinet and see where they come in from the front of the machine and connect your two wires there.

This is exactly correct and what I recommend to everyone. Keeps you from having to run wires from your hand torch that you will have to deal with.

I've seen for myself once or twice an accidental firing of the hand torch from the cnc machine, luckily it wasn't wrapped around an acetylene bottle!

[97tj500ft]

I was really busy yesterday but did take a moment to open the handle to look at the wires. I will try and identify the colors and find the same ones inside the box. Problem is.....I'm color blind. Which always makes things like this even more interesting.

I didn't pull anything out of the handle but did notice more than 2 wires hooked up to the trigger?

[Dnmeistr]

There will be two wires for the trigger and possible more than one wire for the safety switch.

[97tj500ft]

Originally Posted by BLKBOB

I was told by tech that these wires are not polarity sensitive so it doesn't matter where you plug them in the signal generator.

Gord

Is this true?


I looked closer today and found only 2 wires to the trigger. I found the same wires inside the plasma and spliced into those there and ran the wire outisde of the box. Now just plug the two wires into either port on the TM box?

Thanks all for your help! (sorry to hijack cnc4me)

[TorchmateSupport]

Originally Posted by 97tj500ft

Is this true?


I looked closer today and found only 2 wires to the trigger. I found the same wires inside the plasma and spliced into those there and ran the wire outisde of the box. Now just plug the two wires into either port on the TM box?

Thanks all for your help! (sorry to hijack cnc4me)

It is a contact closure so polarity does not matter.
-Jack

[SoundManCO]

I tapped into the torch trigger leads the same way but I ran them to a plug like this one http://www.guitarcenter.com/DiMarzio...ELAID=29472435 so I can unplug it when not in use and to prevent a false firing of the torch. I had to use a 3 conductor TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) as the sleeve is grounded to the jack exterior and that causes a fault with my machine. I am just using the tip and ring of the jack and a TRS 1/4" plug back to the control box.

[roscoe1]

I am not sure how the Hypertherm is compared to my TD but I just strapped the trigger closed, without the cutter being plugged in of course, and checked the polarity at the four pins at the end of the cable where it plugs into the cutter. I found both set of pins were closed looped at that point. I then had to release the trigger to find the loop that opened. I then found the wires the two pins would connect to inside of the cutter and spliced into them.

[tulsaturbo]

Just wanted to share with pictures on how I connected my Powermax45 to my cnc by defeating its internal machine torch lockout without having to do anything internally to the plasma cutting machine itself.

Disclaimer: This method works for me. If you decide to go this route, do so at your own risk...

[Speed_Freak_039A]

Where u guys getting this cable to connect to the 2x2 controller? This is the back of the machine right?

The jumper wire on the front were the hand torch hooks up then the cable in the back.

[beartj]

After doing the safety bypass jumper as above, I just took a phone cord and cut the ends off. Soldered two pins onto the end and pushed them into points 3 and 4 in the back of the machine (the cnc connector). The other end of the cable goes to the relay connector at the back of the usb controller. I soldered pins onto that end too just to get a more positive connection at the relay connector.

The jumper on the front in my case is a little ghetto as I occasionally have to give it a wiggle after moving the machine but it does work.

[Speed_Freak_039A]

Gotcha, Thankx. A homemade cord will work. I was looking for the Hypertherm one.

[gzm.pepe]

I have a Powermax65 and y having problems with the bypass conection of the safety switch, looks like its diferent of the powermax45, any one here with a powermax 65 runing in a CNC machine?