Torch Diving or Rising During a Cut

Issue: Torch dives too low or raises too high during cut

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1. Air Pressure to Hypertherm Low

• Verify air pressure to the plasma unit is stable between 110 – 130 PSI.

• Check filters — clogged filters will choke air supply.

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2. Preset Volts Too Low

• For 45–125 amps, preset volts should be at least 120.

• For fine cut, volts should be no more than 84.

• If it shows 30 volts, the RS485 hub may not be connected to the PC.

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3. Check Consumables

• Tip (nozzle) amp rating must match your selected amperage.

  • Example: Don’t use a 65A tip while cutting at 45A.

• For 105A, Powermax systems require a different swirl ring, shield, and nozzle than 85/65/45A setups.

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4. Hypertherm Amperage Setting Must Match

• The front panel amperage setting must match the cartridge installed.

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5. Amperage Display Only

• Hypertherm front display must show Amps only.

• If BAR/air pressure is displayed, the unit is in manual mode — this breaks THC feedback.

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6. Correct SheetCam Tool

• Always select the correct tool preset in SheetCam.

• SheetCam overrides THC values — do not manually adjust THC in CommandCNC.

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7. Material Settings

• Material type, amperage, and nozzle must all match the selected SheetCam tool.

• ⚠️ If you change speed in SheetCam, you must also update voltage accordingly.

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8. Procedure: Checking Actual Tip Volts vs. Preset

This procedure helps verify whether the preset voltage in your tool matches the actual cutting voltage.

1. Load a simple part in SheetCam/CommandCNC (a straight line or small square).

2. Disable THC:

   • In CommandCNC, turn THC to Manual/Off so it will not auto-adjust.

3. Start the cut and let it run at steady state (not during pierce or slowdown).

4. Observe Tip Volts on the screen:

   • The actual tip voltage should be close to the preset value from your SheetCam tool.

   • Example: If preset is 124V, you should see actual volts in the 122–126V range.

5. Compare & Adjust:

   • If actual is consistently higher/lower, update the SheetCam tool voltage to match the measured steady-state tip volts.

   • ⚠️ Always make this change in SheetCam, not in CommandCNC.

6. Re-enable THC and run the program again.