Plasma Torch Height Control
June 1, 2022
CENTROID continues to expand its Made in the USA DIY CNC capabilities with a new Plasma CNC controller based on the Acorn CNC platform.
The new THC option closes the loop between the plasma arc voltage and the Z-axis position via isolated high-speed fiber optic communication. Centroid's THC reads the arc voltage to precisely control the plasma torch height above any metal, even if the surface is not flat. The THC works in real time, even maintaining appropriate torch height when cutting sheet metal that is warping due to heating while being cut.
Centroid's Plasma THC uses Centroid's PID loop technology to update torch height 4,000 times per second. Position data is sent through a fiber optic cable to help ensure total electrical isolation between the torch voltage and the Acorn motion control. The Acorn controller then instantly reacts to adjust the torch height to hold the arc voltage at the commanded value for the best possible cuts in a wide variety of material and thicknesses.
CENTROID's Acorn Plasma CNC software features a Material Profile Manager. Profiles of common metals, thicknesses, voltages and speeds are provided. The operator selects the type and thickness of the material to be cut from the menus and then related plasma settings are automatically applied. Users can easily edit and/or create their own new Material Profiles and even share them with other users and machines. Acorn Plasma CNC Software supports custom THC values such as velocity and voltage based THC threshold settings. These THC settings can be fine-tuned for special plasma projects or applications.
The Acorn CNC controller is a 4-axis step and direction CNC control board with built-in motion control CPU, PLC, torch voltage and THC PID closed loop feedback.
The Acorn CNC control hardware is designed, made and supported in the USA by Centroid. The CNC hardware and software are designed to work with the most popular plasma torch systems to eliminate hardware/software incompatibility issues.
The Acorn Plasma CNC connects to a Windows 10/11 PC via Ethernet for a familiar user interface. The Acorn controller can command many popular stepper and servo motor drives with industry standard step and direction (pulse and direction) drive command signals.
For more information contact:
Centroid Performance Racing
159 Gates Rd.
Howard, PA 16841
814-353-9256
diysales@centroidcnc.com
www.centroidcnc.com
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