Plasma First Cuts: Torch & Material Setup¶

Use the steps below to confirm that your torch and material are ready for the cutting operation.

Step 1: Inspect Consumables
Step 2: Reinstall Torch
Step 3: Reattach Ohmic Probe
Step 4: Load Material
Step 5: Verify Material Dimensions
Step 6: Attach Grounding Clamp

Step 1: Inspect Consumables¶

• Before beginning a cutting operation, it is vital that you examine your torch consumables.
• Depending on the type of torch you have, the visual cues for wear might be different.
• Make sure to review your Hypertherm user manual CAREFULLY for further details on what signs to look for in your consumables.

Step 2: Reinstall Torch ¶

• Reinstall the parts onto the torch head and tighten fully. If the parts are loose, you may experience torch errors.

Step 3: Reattach Ohmic Probe¶

• Make sure to reattach the ohmic probe once you are done tightening the torch.

Step 4: Load Material¶

• Before loading your material, confirm that it is relatively clean and rust-free. Excess debris will interfere with your cut quality.
• After you have checked your material, place it on the machine bed.
• Make sure you don't have any large changes in material surface height that might get in the way of the torch or the gantry.

Step 5: Verify Your Material Dimensions¶

• Confirm that the material dimensions you programmed into SheetCam accurately reflect the size of your material.
• We highly recommend attaching a gauge to your machine to allow for a quick thickness check.

Step 6: Attach Grounding Clamp¶

• Check that your grounding clamp is relatively clean and rust-free. Excess debris will impact the clamp's connectivity.
• Touch the grounding clamp to the torch tip and confirm that the Ohmic Probe signal in Mach4 flashes ACTIVE.

• After you've checked the grounding clamp, attach it to your cut material.
• We recommend attaching the clamp directly to the material. Attaching the clamp to the water table or the material support slats will result in an inconsistent grounding.

Before moving on to the next steps, refer back to your checklist:

Step 1: Inspect Consumables
Step 2: Reinstall Torch
Step 3: Reattach Ohmic Probe
Step 4: Load Material
Step 5: Verify Material Dimensions
Step 6: Attach Grounding Clamp