CNC Stomp Pad 6 - Plasma Cutting - CNC Video Tutorial - CNC Videos

CNC Stomp Pad 6 - Plasma Cutting - CNC Video Tutorial - CNC Videos

Video Info:
Last video we checked our g-code to make sure our program was correct. Now we go out to the shop and do some work. We zero out the cnc plasma cutter and start cutting our aluminum stomp pad. Once we are done, we look it over and note the slag or dross we will have to grind off next.

Video Transcript:

Hello, this is Ivan Irons and we’re just getting into a new section; the actual plasma cutting of the Stomp Pad. You see this first set is really just setting up the machine and zeroing out. Now if you remember when we were back in Mach we kind of checked into the G-Code and found out that you go through and you do your interior cuts first. So that's what we are doing to start. You saw that was a short little plasma cut and this will be a short cut as well. When it gets back around and makes its loop, it will sop and move on to the next cut. You saw there was a little delay between those and I built that into my G-Code as a part of my post processor. I like to do that really because of tip ups. And what a tip up is is sometimes when you have those bigger interior cuts, that’s a piece all on its own, and so you get done cutting and it actually tips up and part of that metal is sticking up the air. Then your plasma cutter could possibly go across it and rip of all sorts of stuff. Here we go with our interior cuts. Lets have a closer look at the plasma cutter working. This is aluminum, and my experience is again whatever your plasma cutter can do really depends on the power source, the actual plasma cutter, how big of material it can cut, and also for how fast they can cut. Overall my plasma cutter isn’t that powerful and it doesn't need to be because usually the thickest material that I've had is an eighth inch, like a twelve gage. However, it can be up to a quarter of an inch but I really have to slow it down to 15 inches per minute. When I cut aluminum, I guess I've noticed over time that I usually need to turn up more. This is a thinner material here that we are working with, but it seems like I need to turn it up and use more energy to punch through. Aluminum cuts will bit different too in that it almost melts out of the way versus when you plasma cuts mild steel for example, is just absolutely disintegrates and material flows out on the backside. When we get done with this cut, I will turn it over and you can see that it has melted stalactite and we will have to grind off. You’ll see it's going around and doing the perimeter cuts. Its just about finished up. It's done and we will take a look closer look. In your G-Code programming you can also have it return to zero zero once it is done. Usually I just stop it. Here is a top down look at what we just finished cutting. We will move the plasma cutter head out of the way and we will pop it out. Sometimes when you're popping out parts, its quite a bit of work as they can really get jammed in there depending on the edges. You can see the slag or dross on the backside. Go to www.cncinformation.com for questions or more information.