New Tube Cutting Attachment Video

[Torchmate]

Here is a video of our new Torchmate Tube Cutting Attachment for the Torchmate 2 and 3 Systems. We just released it to production and should be pumping them out ASAP. The video shows us using the plate marker and plasma cutter in 1.75"x.120" wall DOM Tubing. The machine in the video is a Torchmate 2 4x4 Small Shop Machine with a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster A82 Plasma Cutter.

Let me know what you think! We will get some more video's up soon.

YouTube - Torchmate Tube and Pipe Cutting Attachment using Plate Marker

[KacksterK5]

Pretty badass, now if I could get my 2x2 to consistently work I'd consider it

[Torchmate]

Originally Posted by KacksterK5

Pretty badass, now if I could get my 2x2 to consistently work I'd consider it

Shoot me a note and let me know what's happening, or not happening. I can put a dedicated tech with you to work through whatever it is. The complaints on that machine have been few and far between, so if there is an issue then I want to know what it is so we can address it. My direct email address is bill@torchmate.com.

And actually, this new tube cutting attachment won't work on the 2x2.

[MQYJ]

Is there any added features to TM cad or driver with that add on? Is 3d needed or is everything drawn in 2d still? I can see how it would be difficult to layout complex contour cuts in 2d without some sort of an unfold feature for 3d cad.

[RedBullJeep]

Cool...the things you could make with that!

[BigWoodyWag]

Whats it take if you currently have the platemarker and Tube Cutting setup to be able to mark on tube?

[waynehartwig]

VERY cool!

[HardcorewannabeXJ]

Originally Posted by MQYJ

Is there any added features to TM cad or driver with that add on? Is 3d needed or is everything drawn in 2d still? I can see how it would be difficult to layout complex contour cuts in 2d without some sort of an unfold feature for 3d cad.

There is no extra features required, all design work is in 2d with the Torchmate CAD software. There are methods in other 3d cad softwares to roll a tube to a flat to create a profile.

Originally Posted by BigWoodyWag

Whats it take if you currently have the platemarker and Tube Cutting setup to be able to mark on tube?

Unfortunately that unit was designed before plate marking was even an option and it simply wasn't designed to hold tube with the forces plate marking applies on it. If you could retrofit it with a chuck as this unit has, that would be my recommendation.

[BigWoodyWag]

Originally Posted by HardcorewannabeXJ

Unfortunately that unit was designed before plate marking was even an option and it simply wasn't designed to hold tube with the forces plate marking applies on it. If you could retrofit it with a chuck as this unit has, that would be my recommendation.

I recieved my unit about a month ago, and have not even opened a single box and wont be assemblying my Torchmate2 until late August. Can I return it for an upgrade?

[HardcorewannabeXJ]

Originally Posted by BigWoodyWag

I recieved my unit about a month ago, and have not even opened a single box and wont be assemblying my Torchmate2 until late August. Can I return it for an upgrade?

Possibly, I'd give your sales-person a call and speak it over with them.

[85mudblazin]

Lets see a notch

[BigWoodyWag]

Originally Posted by HardcorewannabeXJ

Possibly, I'd give your sales-person a call and speak it over with them.

Just did, checking on it, and I pay the upgrade, this will be a great addition once I get a chance to unbox mine.

[Torchmate]

Originally Posted by 85mudblazin

Lets see a notch

Working on it. Engineer designing up something a little more complex than just a notch to show what the thing can do. Problem is that he has about 20 other projects on his plate. Hoping to have some pic's and video of notches, saddles and other cuts next week.

[MQYJ]

Originally Posted by HardcorewannabeXJ

There is no extra features required, all design work is in 2d with the Torchmate CAD software. There are methods in other 3d cad softwares to roll a tube to a flat to create a profile.

Interesting. I must be missing something. I'm seeing a lot of off screen calculating to make 3d cuts turn out correctly from a 2d drawing. I'm sure you guys will make it seem simple regardless. I look forward to seeing the next bunch of vids.

[carslut]

pretty cool ......

[HardcorewannabeXJ]

Originally Posted by MQYJ

Interesting. I must be missing something. I'm seeing a lot of off screen calculating to make 3d cuts turn out correctly from a 2d drawing. I'm sure you guys will make it seem simple regardless. I look forward to seeing the next bunch of vids.

A tube is barely a 3d surface when the machine is looking at it. Instead of the torch moving across the gantry it's rotating the tube. You do have to make a gear ratio adjustment to make the machine know how far one rotation is though.

[jduck]

Originally Posted by MQYJ

Interesting. I must be missing something. I'm seeing a lot of off screen calculating to make 3d cuts turn out correctly from a 2d drawing. I'm sure you guys will make it seem simple regardless. I look forward to seeing the next bunch of vids.

It is simple the X axis rotates the tube and the Y stays the same as the head moves back and forth over the center of the tube. So instead of the head moving side to side the tube rotates.

[MQYJ]

Originally Posted by jduck

It is simple the X axis rotates the tube and the Y stays the same as the head moves back and forth over the center of the tube. So instead of the head moving side to side the tube rotates.

Yes, I see and fully understand how the machine functions. Where my disconnect comes is in the cad and g-code side of it. To notch a pipe for a 90 degree T joint the torch only moves up and down the x axis the depth of the notch but it does it twice. Drawing that and making a tool path for it is what I'm not visualizing. Now that is a fairly simple example that isn't very hard to figure out but start moving into odd angle joints and things get complicated in a hurry. Or maybe wrapping a text file around the pipe in a downward spiral. It's probably more simple than I'm making it out to be.

I saw in the other thread in shop and tools that Bill stated there would be a spreadsheet with calculations already done for different sizes of pipe and tube. Like I said in my other post, I'm sure the guys at TM will have it figured out and well spelled out before sending it out to customers.

[PAToyota]

If I understand you correctly, MQYJ, you understand that the mechanics of making the cut is fairly simple - that the cutter doesn't have to know it is 3D and it is just acting like rotation is moving along the y-axis.

But you're talking about on the design end. A simple notch with a hole saw through a tube gets complicated when you have to "unwrap" it into 2D to draw it out so that the cutter can get an x-y picture of it.

[jduck]

The tube cutter comes with software to help layout the cuts, you input the angles/sizes of tubes and you get the path.

[MQYJ]

Originally Posted by PAToyota

If I understand you correctly, MQYJ, you understand that the mechanics of making the cut is fairly simple - that the cutter doesn't have to know it is 3D and it is just acting like rotation is moving along the y-axis.

But you're talking about on the design end. A simple notch with a hole saw through a tube gets complicated when you have to "unwrap" it into 2D to draw it out so that the cutter can get an x-y picture of it.

Bingo, I probably wouldn't have even thought of it except I just quoted building a decorative range hood with an o-gee curve. I planned to lay it all out in 2-d, cut the parts out flat and have them formed to the proper radii. To create the corners (essentially a large miter cut) it isn't as simple as laying out a circle to get a circle after the material is formed. The actual cut is an ellipse in 2-d.

Originally Posted by jduck

The tube cutter comes with software to help layout the cuts, you input the angles/sizes of tubes and you get the path.

That isn't how I understood the following statement from one of the TM techs. I already have TMcad software and use it on an almost daily basis.

Originally Posted by HardcorewannabeXJ

There is no extra features required, all design work is in 2d with the Torchmate CAD software. There are methods in other 3d cad softwares to roll a tube to a flat to create a profile.

[Torchmate]

The tube cutting attachment comes with a spreadsheet program that allows you to input the specifications for what you are trying to do. In other words, angle of joint, ID, OD, wall thickness, etc. It then creates the curve that it will take to create a .dxf file (2d) to perform your cut in the tube. It goes beyond just Torchmate CAD. Jduck is correct.

[MQYJ]

That makes perfect sense then. Should be a really sweet setup. How would you suggest would be the best way to modify a TM3 with a water table to be able to run the tube setup?

[Torchmate]

Originally Posted by MQYJ

That makes perfect sense then. Should be a really sweet setup. How would you suggest would be the best way to modify a TM3 with a water table to be able to run the tube setup?

I don't know. Let me hit up the engineer working on the project. I don't know that we have taken into account anything other than modifying the stuff we make here. Not sure what the clearances are, but I will find out.

Here are some pictures of some tube notching. I will follow with video once I have a chance to upload it.

[Tuffjarhed]

That. Bad. Ass.