Re: plasma torch water table or dust collector

I'll attempt to answer what I can.

Water table: I like the idea of the sloped bottem. This would make
it easier to clean. The slope would not need to be very steep
either.The high side could contain the air baffel to change the water
level. The mechanical scraper system sounds interesting but might be
a maintenence headache. It would need to operate submersed in water
loaded with metal particals. Your slats need to be easy to flip or
change and made out of a commen stock size so that replacements are
easy to fabricate (just cut to length).

Vented table: Get ahold of a company like Torit and tell them your
application and see what they offer. The biggest problem we ever had
was a customer who bought the wrong filtration system (even after the
Torit sales rep told them it was the wrong type) because it saved him
a few grand up front. He was then too cheap to replace the filters
as needed and had the gall to pitch a bitch because it didn't work
right.

Both: Ask the manufacturer of your plasma cutting power supply and
torch about what they would reccomend.

BTW: Yes cutting on a water table or under water is accepted
practice, be wary of those who say otherwise. Some of the Thermal
Dynamics units could use water mist as a 'secondary gas' when cutting
stainless steel. This was great for the sheetmetal shops who cut
some stainless too.

I briefly checked out the HyperTherm 1650. It looks liek a nice
compact 100amp unit. Has a built in CNC interface port with Start,
Transfer signals brought out. It says it has a Arc voltage tap for a
THC but that the signal is not brought out to the connector. Please
note the difference between reeomeded cutting capacity 1 1/4" and
pierce capacity 1/2". I'm still looking for a set of plans for a
samll downdraft table that I used to have. If I find it I'll let you
know.

Jeff Birt

> We are intending to cut steel plate most of the time but aluminum

could be a

> possibility.

> We'd planned on sloping bottom in the tank and be able to circulate

water from

> the high to the low point so that the slag and crud would migrate

with the

> current to the low point, and then possibly use a continuous chain

with

> scrapers to drag the settled out gritty stuff to a location where

we could

> scoop it out. What do you think?

> Planned on using the Hypertherm 1650, guess we should check with

them huh.

> > In contrast to the other advise you recieved some contries require
> > plasma cutting to be done underwater to shiled the operators from

the

> > UV created while cutting.
> So, it must be an accepted practice then for certain applications.
> > For a ventilated table you need to make sure your drawing enough

air

> > through the table (draw from table bottom) to prevent smoking the
> > room out. Some places just vent the exaust outside but your

locality

> > might require a filtering system. When choosing a filtering

system

> > by one for the intended purpose or it will not work properly.
> The city would never let us discharge outdoors. I agree the thing

must be

> designed properly, I'm a HVAC mechanic, would you know where i can

get the

> design guidelines?
> Seasons Greeting,
> Denis Casserly