4x4 Growth Series - Controller

[Cypress]

So I've had my Torchmate 4x4 growth series for almost two years with no major issues. Last week I went into the shop to do some cutting and my controller would not turn on. I checked the acdc power adapter, no little blue light. Grabbed a volt meter and no output voltage. Ok, so I ordered a new one and plugged it in, plugged it into my accumove 2, started the VMD to cut a small project. Everything is going like it should, torch head moves to the first cut position, fires but only get air and no arc. Okaaaaayyyyy, I look at the controller and it is off. What? I look at the power adapter and the LED light is off. I unplug it and it's kind of warm....hmm. Flip the toggle on the accumove to off. Plug the adapter back in, led is on. Turn on the accumove 2 and vmd. go to cut and same thing happens.

So I'm thinking I have a short to ground. Where though? Machine head? Plasma cutter? I disconnected the machine torch from the plasma cutter and hooked up my handheld and it fired, I didn't try to cut anything though. So is the starter cartridge out on the machine head? Consumables are new, I don't have a spare starter and it's late, so my welding supply house is closed.

My plasma cutter is a thermal dynamics cutmaster 52. Has anyone had this happen before. Basically now what it's doing is when it goes to fire, the fans on the plasma cutter kick on and my ac/dc adapter gets knocked out shutting down the accumove 2. I called TM tech support and they said it sounded like a short to ground. Unable to call TD tech support becasue they were closed.


If anyone has had this issue with this plasma cutter I'd like your input.
Thank you.

 

[LECS-Chad]

So I've had my Torchmate 4x4 growth series for almost two years with no major issues. Last week I went into the shop to do some cutting and my controller would not turn on. I checked the acdc power adapter, no little blue light. Grabbed a volt meter and no output voltage. Ok, so I ordered a new one and plugged it in, plugged it into my accumove 2, started the VMD to cut a small project. Everything is going like it should, torch head moves to the first cut position, fires but only get air and no arc. Okaaaaayyyyy, I look at the controller and it is off. What? I look at the power adapter and the LED light is off. I unplug it and it's kind of warm....hmm. Flip the toggle on the accumove to off. Plug the adapter back in, led is on. Turn on the accumove 2 and vmd. go to cut and same thing happens.

So I'm thinking I have a short to ground. Where though? Machine head? Plasma cutter? I disconnected the machine torch from the plasma cutter and hooked up my handheld and it fired, I didn't try to cut anything though. So is the starter cartridge out on the machine head? Consumables are new, I don't have a spare starter and it's late, so my welding supply house is closed.

My plasma cutter is a thermal dynamics cutmaster 52. Has anyone had this happen before. Basically now what it's doing is when it goes to fire, the fans on the plasma cutter kick on and my ac/dc adapter gets knocked out shutting down the accumove 2. I called TM tech support and they said it sounded like a short to ground. Unable to call TD tech support becasue they were closed.


If anyone has had this issue with this plasma cutter I'd like your input.
Thank you.

Sounds like a short in the torch body or Torch cable.

Take the torch cable out of the cable chain and see if you have any "bumps" and especially look at where the bends are at.

Another thing to look at is the CNC interface cable that goes from the controller to the plasma power supply. Verify that there is no kinks, breaks, or anything else.

Open up the AM box and look for where the short is at and send some photos of where it cooked and we can kinda point you in the right direction.

email to support@torchmate.com

 

[Cypress]

Thanks Chad, I will do that. I'm leaning towards the plasma cutter body since it acted the same way with the machine torch and handheld torch. I'm going to go through all the cables this evening.

Thanks again.


AJ

 

[Cypress]

Update, Sunday morning when I plugged the handheld torch into he plasma cutter and pulled the trigger I heard a loud pop in the accumove2 with smoke pouring out of it....ugh