ESAB EtchArc Plasma Marking System User manual

Brand: ESAB

Model: EtchArc Plasma Marking System

Type: User manual

F14-109

February, 1997

INSTRUCTION MANUAL for the

ETCHARC

PLASMA MARKING SYSTEM

411 South Ebenezer Road

Florence, SC 29501-0545



ESAB Cutting Systems, 1997

This manual is ESAB Part Number F14109

This manual is intended for the convenience and use of the cutting

machine purchaser. It is not a contract or other obligation on the

part of ESAB.

Printed In U.S.A.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Contents

1 Safety....................................................................................................1

1.1 Introduction ...............................................................................1

1.2 General Safety Information........................................................2

1.3 Plasma Marking Precautions.....................................................3

1.3.1 Electrical Shock Prevention ...........................................3

1.3.2 Eye Safety .....................................................................3

1.4 Skin Safety................................................................................4

1.5 Electrical Grounding..................................................................4

2 Introduction...........................................................................................5

2.1 Overview...................................................................................5

2.2 System Description....................................................................6

3 Installation.............................................................................................7

3.1 Interface....................................................................................7

3.2 Requirements............................................................................8

4 Setup ....................................................................................................9

4.1 PCM-500i Setup........................................................................9

4.2 Gas Setup...............................................................................10

4.3 CNC Setup..............................................................................11

5 Process Data ......................................................................................12

6 Maintenance .......................................................................................19

6.1 Routine Maintenance...............................................................19

6.2 System Interface .....................................................................20

6.3 Pressure Switch Adjustment....................................................21

7 Replacement Parts..............................................................................22

7.1 General Information.................................................................22

7.2 Ordering Information ...............................................................23

7.3 Plasma Marker System ...........................................................24

7.4 Marker Power Supply Assembly..............................................26

7.5 Plasma Marking Torch.............................................................28

7.6 Torch Lead Assembly..............................................................30

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Safety Page 1

1 Safety

1.1 Introduction

ESAB arc marking products are designed to

provide both safety and efficiency in operation.

However, sensible attention to operating

procedures, precautions, and safe practices is

necessary to achieve a full measure of safety.

Whether an individual is involved with operation,

servicing, or as an observer, compliance with

established precautions and safe practices must be

accomplished. Failure to observe certain

precautions could result in serious injury to

personnel or severe damage to the equipment.

The following precautions are specific guidelines

applicable to the plasma marking process. More

general precautions are presented in the instruction

literature pertaining to the cutting machine.

Section 1

Page 2 Safety

1.2 General Safety Information

All personnel, materials, and equipment not

involved in the production process must be

kept clear of the entire system area. Only

qualified personnel should be allowed to

operate or service the equipment.

Read entirely through a procedure to become

familiar with the task before operating or

performing maintenance on any part of the

system. Special attention must be given to all

WARNINGS, CAUTIONS, and NOTES which

provide essential information regarding

personnel safety and/or possible damage to

equipment.

All safety precautions relevant to electrical

equipment and the process operations must

be strictly observed by all who have

responsibility or access to the system. DO

NOT touch the plasma marking torch during

operation. Do not operate any part of the

system with any of the protective covers

removed or electrical component boxes open.

Refer to all safety publications made available

by your company.

Fence off the entire work cell to prevent

personnel from passing through the area or

standing within the working envelope of the

equipment. Post appropriate CAUTION signs

at every entrance to the work cell area.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Safety Page 3

1.3 Plasma Marking Precautions

1.3.1 Electrical Shock Prevention

The plasma arc marking process employs high

voltages. High voltage can kill. Do NOT touch the

marking torch, cutting table or cable connections

during the plasma cutting process.

Electrical Shock Can Kill You!

• Always turn off power to the plasma power

supplies before touching or servicing a plasma

marking torch.

• Always turn off power to the plasma power

supplies before opening or servicing the plasma

power supply or interface box.

• Do not touch live electrical parts.

• Keep all panels and covers in place when the

machine is connected to a power source.

• Insulate yourself from the workpiece and

electrical ground: wear insulating gloves, shoes

and clothing.

• Keep gloves, shoes, clothing, work area, and

this equipment dry.

1.3.2 Eye Safety

Arc rays can injure eyes and burn skin.

To protect your eyes from burns caused by high

intensity ultraviolet light, sparks and hot metal :

• Do not look at the arc.

• Wear correct eye protection. Wear dark safety

glasses or goggles with side shields.

• Replace glasses/goggles when the lenses

become pitted or broken

• Warn other people in the area not to look

Section 1

Page 4 Safety

directly at the arc unless they wear appropriate

safety glasses.

• Prepare the cutting area in a manner that

reduces the reflection and transmission of

ultraviolet light:

• Paint walls and other surfaces with dark colors

to reduce reflections.

• Install protective screens or curtains to reduce

ultraviolet transmission.

1.4 Skin Safety

To protect skin against burns caused by high

intensity ultraviolet light, sparks and hot metal:

• Wear protective clothing:

• Wear gauntlet gloves.

• Wear flame-retardant clothing which covers all

exposed areas.

• Wear cuffless trousers to prevent entry of

sparks and slag.

• Do not touch the torch when it is about to start

or while marking. After marking, allow time for

the front of the torch to cool.

1.5 Electrical Grounding

Electrical grounding is imperative for proper

machine operation as well as for SAFETY.

All ESAB Shape Cutting Machines must have a

good electrical connection to earth ground.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Introduction Page 5

2 Introduction

2.1 Overview

The EtchArc Plasma Marker is a constricted arc

plasma torch marking device. The plasma marker

is a low amperage plasma torch designed for high

accuracy line marking on metal plate. It produces

high quality, durable marks at speeds between 100

and 500 inches per minute. It can greatly enhance

production by performing plate layout and marking

with computer controlled accuracy and speed.

The plasma marking process is similar to the

plasma cutting process. However, rather than

making a cut into the plate, the low amperage

plasma arc merely marks the plate in the pattern

produced by the machine motion. Voltage height

control maintains a constant torch standoff for

consistent marking. This allows for high speed,

highly accurate pattern layout.

When the EtchArc Plasma Marker is used in

conjunction with ESAB’s Vision CNC, Dynamic

Current Control is used to precisely control width

and depth of marks by proportionally ramping

current up and down as the machine accellerates

and decelerates. This minimizes cratering or pitting

on starts, in corners, and at the end of the mark.

The Plasma Marker system is intended to be used

during an automatic cutting cycle. Accurate

positioning of the layout lines and marks depends

on using the automatic marker offsets executed by

the CNC during Automatic Mode. However, the

marker can be used manually for the purpose of

testing and setup.

For automatic operation the control will execute the

necessary steps, according to the part program, to

offset the torch, turn on the Automatic Height

Control, fire the torch, and begin marking.

For manual operation, all of these steps must be

performed by the operator.

Section 2

Page 6 Introduction

2.2 System Description

The Plasma Marking System consists of a modified

PCM-500i plasma power supply, a marker add-on

box, the marking torch, and Argon supply regulator.

The PCM-500i is an inverter power supply capable

of supplying 35 Amps. It is modified to interface

with a CNC, and the manual controls are disabled

to prevent accidental misadjustment.

The marker add-on box interfaces the marking

torch to the power supply, providing the necessary

electrical connections, pilot arc control, and

additional gas control.

The marking torch is designed for simplicity and

long consummable life. There are only three

consummable parts, the electrode, nozzle, and

shield cup. Argon cut gas provides long electrode

and nozzle life.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Installation Page 7

3 Installation

3.1 Interface

The EtchArc Plasma Marker system is designed to

be interfaced with any cutting machine controller via

the standard ESP open interface. This interface

provides an amphenol connector to which the

customer may connect the appropriate control

wiring.

The schematic below shows the standard ESP

open interface, as it must be used with the plasma

marking system. When interfacing with a control

other than the ESAB Vision CNC or Series 2000

CNC, the customer must provide the external

requirements shown below.

ESP Interface

Section 3

Page 8 Installation

3.2 Requirements

Electrical Input Requirements

Rated primary input @ 35A / 120V output: 200/230VAC, 1 Phase 30/25A, 50/60 Hz.

220/380/415 VAC, 3 Phase 14/8/7.5 A, 50/60 Hz.

A fused breaker (either on the cutting machine

gantry or wall mounted) is required to disconnect

power to the PCM-500i power supply.

Recommended sizes for input conductors and

line fuses:

Rated Input Input & Gnd

Conductor

Fuse Size

Volts Amps Phase CU/AWG Amps

200 30 1 No. 10 40

230 25 1 No. 10 40

220 14 3 No. 12 20

380 8 3 No. 12 15

415 7.5 3 No. 12 15

Gas Supply Requirements

Argon 150 PSI (1/4 NPT)

99.999% Pure

Service Air 100 PSI (1/4 NPT)

Clean, Dry, Free of oil

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Setup Page 9

4 Setup

4.1 PCM-500i Setup

The control panel of the PCM-500i should be set

properly prior to marking operation. Check the

following items:

AIR TEST

- Place this switch in the OPERATE

position for normal operation.

TRIGGER LOCK

- This switch is disconnected,

and has no effect.

CURRENT CONTROL

- The Current Control knob

can be left in any position. Plasma Marking current

is controlled by the cutting machine CNC.

POWER

- The Power On lamp should be on.

FAULT

- The Fault lamp should be off.

Section 4

Page 10 Setup

4.2 Gas Setup

The Plasma Marking System uses two compressed

gases for operation. Compressed air is used for

electrode cooling and shield gas, Argon is used as

the plasma gas. The plasma gas constricts the arc

as it exits through the nozzle orifice. The shield gas

creates a secondary shield around the arc, and

improves torch cooling.

Before operating the system, be sure to check the

gas pressure settings for both compressed gases.

The TEST/OPERATE switch on the front panel of

the PCM-500i allows the operator to preset the

pressure for both gases. Set this switch to the

TEST position to energize the solenoid valves for

both compressed air and Argon.

At the PCM-500i, adjust the Air Pressure Regulator

on the rear of the unit while observing the pressure

gauge on the front of the unit. Set the pressure to

90 PSI while the air is flowing.

The Argon pressure is adjusted at the separate

regulator panel mounted to the cutting machine.

While the Argon is flowing, set the pressure to 75

PSI.

When finished adjusting the gas pressures, set the

TEST/OPERATE switch back to the OPERATE

position.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Setup Page 11

4.3 CNC Setup

The EtchArc plasma marker may be interfaced to

any cutting machine CNC. The following

parameters may or may not be supported by your

interface. Prior to plasma marking, check these

parameters, or their equivalents, at the machine

control:

Standoff

On the Vision CNC, this parameter adjusts the

actual cutting height (or arc voltage) that the torch

will maintain, after the arc has started.

Initial Height

Sets the distance to raise the torch after sensing

the plate. When VHC is turned on, the torch will

lower to the plate, then retract this distance before

starting the arc.

Marker Remote

Current

On the Vision CNC, this parameter sets the marking

current in Amperes.

Refer to Section 5 of this manual for the appropriate

values for each of these parameters.

Refer to the machine manual for detailed

instructions on how to change process parameter

settings.

Section 5

Page 12 Process Data

5 Process Data

The Etcharc Plasma Marker can produce marked

lines in a wide range of widths and depths, ranging

from poor to excellent quality. It can also operate

over a wide range of speeds. The operator must

balance these two factors based on the

requirements for a specific job.

The following pages provide process data for the

six different amperage settings. Each page shows

the setup parameters for that amperage, and a

chart with marking speed range. From the chart,

the operator should select the speed setting based

on the quality of mark that can be accepted.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Process Data Page 13

10 Amp Marking

CURRENT:

10 Amps

NOZZLE:

.030” PN: 56996876

MATERIAL:

CARBON STEEL

PLASMA GAS:

ARGON @ 75 PSI (5 bar)

SHIELD GAS:

AIR @ 90 PSI (6 bar)

PIERCE HEIGHT:

.125” (3 mm)

ARC VOLTAGE:

Travel Plasma

Speed Mark

inch/min mm/min Width Depth Quality

100 2540 .040”-.050” .0013 FAIR

200 5080 .040"-.050" .0005 GOOD

300 7620 .040"-.050" .0004 GOOD

400 10160 .040"-.050" .0004 EXCELLENT

500 12700 .040"-.050" .0003 EXCELLENT

Notes

1. Corner current set for 5 Amps in machine MIP.

2. Slow travel speeds usually have top spatter on mark edges.

3. Width and depth of mark will vary slightly depending on measuring methods. This information is for

estimated results.

Section 5

Page 14 Process Data

15 Amp Marking

CURRENT:

15 Amps

NOZZLE:

.030” PN: 56996876

MATERIAL:

CARBON STEEL

PLASMA GAS:

ARGON @ 75 PSI (5 bar)

SHIELD GAS:

AIR @ 90 PSI (6 bar)

PIERCE HEIGHT:

.125” (3 mm)

ARC VOLTAGE:

Travel Plasma

Speed Mark

inch/min mm/min Width Depth Quality

100 2540 .040”-.050” .0043 POOR

200 5080 .040"-.050" .0021 FAIR

300 7620 .040"-.050" .0013 GOOD

400 10160 .040"-.050" .0003 EXCELLENT

500 12700 .040"-.050" .0002 EXCELLENT

Notes

1. Corner current set for 5 Amps in machine MIP.

2. Slow travel speeds usually have top spatter on mark edges.

3. Width and depth of mark will vary slightly depending on measuring methods. This information is for

estimated results.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Process Data Page 15

20 Amp Marking

CURRENT:

20 Amps

NOZZLE:

.030” PN: 56996876

MATERIAL:

CARBON STEEL

PLASMA GAS:

ARGON @ 75 PSI (5 bar)

SHIELD GAS:

AIR @ 90 PSI (6 bar)

PIERCE HEIGHT:

.125” (3 mm)

ARC VOLTAGE:

Travel Plasma

Speed Mark

inch/min mm/min Width Depth Quality

200 5080 .040"-.050" .0028 POOR

300 7620 .040"-.050" .0011 FAIR

400 10160 .040"-.050" .0008 GOOD

500 12700 .040"-.050" .0002 GOOD

Notes

1. Corner current set for 5 Amps in machine MIP.

2. Slow travel speeds usually have top spatter on mark edges.

3. Width and depth of mark will vary slightly depending on measuring methods. This information is for

estimated results.

4. 100 inch per minute unusable.

Section 5

Page 16 Process Data

25 Amp Marking

CURRENT:

25 Amps

NOZZLE:

.040” PN: 2237858

MATERIAL:

CARBON STEEL

PLASMA GAS:

ARGON @ 75 PSI (5 bar)

SHIELD GAS:

AIR @ 90 PSI (6 bar)

PIERCE HEIGHT:

.125” (3 mm)

ARC VOLTAGE:

Travel Plasma

Speed Mark

inch/min mm/min Width Depth Quality

200 5080 .050"-.060" .0051 POOR

300 7620 .050"-.060" .0034 FAIR

400 10160 .050"-.060" .0032 GOOD

500 12700 .050"-.060" .0014 GOOD

Notes

1. Corner current set for 5 Amps in machine MIP.

2. Slow travel speeds usually have top spatter on mark edges.

3. Width and depth of mark will vary slightly depending on measuring methods. This information is for

estimated results.

4. 100 inch per minute unusable.

EtchArc Plasma Marker

Process Data Page 17

30 Amp Marking

CURRENT:

30 Amps

NOZZLE:

.040” PN: 2237858

MATERIAL:

CARBON STEEL

PLASMA GAS:

ARGON @ 75 PSI (5 bar)

SHIELD GAS:

AIR @ 90 PSI (6 bar)

PIERCE HEIGHT:

.125” (3 mm)

ARC VOLTAGE:

Travel Plasma

Speed Mark

inch/min mm/min Width Depth Quality

200 5080 .050"-.060" .0033 POOR

300 7620 .050"-.060" .0030 FAIR

400 10160 .050"-.060" .0023 FAIR

500 12700 .050"-.060" .0029 GOOD

Notes

1. Corner current set for 5 Amps in machine MIP.

2. Slow travel speeds usually have top spatter on mark edges.

3. Width and depth of mark will vary slightly depending on measuring methods. This information is for

estimated results.

4. 100 inch per minute unusable.

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ESAB EtchArc Plasma Marking System User manual

ESAB EtchArc Plasma Marking System User manual

ESAB EtchArc Plasma Marking System User manual

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