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Plasma Cutter Air

The Snowman

Member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
391
Messages
88
Loc
Hillsdale, IN
Upgraded from an old Everlast plasma cutter to this big ass Hypertherm. Do I need more dryer than what the previous owner has on the back of the machine?

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Any recommendations on which filter to get? I’ve never had this nice of a machine and want to make sure I don’t mess it up.
 
I have been running the air dryer from harbor freight. Haven't had any problems with it.
 
I second get a air drier and install it by your compressor. All your air tools will enjoy the water free air. Besides the air drier I have a big desiccant filter right before my cutter .

The cleaner the air the longer your consumables will last. At $15-20 a set you want them to last as long as possible.
 
HF has deal for compressed air dryer that are always 400$
first time i saw it at 299 $
my plasma doesnt cut w/o dryer
 
I have a large dryer at my compressor and a dessicant dryer on the plasma cutter, have had 0 problems with this setup over 15 years.
 
I'm setting up my Powermax 65 on a cart. What dedicated desiccant filters are you guys using? I already have a motor guard for the final filter
 
The one on the plasma is some generic name, plastic bowl style inline that I picked up at a local industrial supply house for about $50.
It is just extra protection in case something gets past the big dryer and oil filter system at the compressor.
:beer:
 
I've got a large aftercooler before my tank that strips most of the water. My kit is mobile and don't really want to haul a dryer around, a desiccant filter will be needed. Filter size/prices cover a pretty big spread, Have you been happy with your generic filter?
 
allot of people go over kill with air dryers etc. to the point they can cause problems. if your running dryers be sure to put a gauge on the machine and know that its running in the 100-130 psi range.

i'm in the PNW and run my pm65 everyday on the cnc. without any airdryer. i have a water drop about 50 of line from the tank, then another 50' to the cutter. i have have less issue since removing the air dryer and motorgaurd filter.

also its worth saying that a hypertherm plasma is going to be way better than the everlast when it comes to dealing with moisture int he air.
 
I am a very light user of my Powermax45. It just has a motorguard filter at the machine, no drying at all. I'm sure I'd see more difference if I used the thing more, but as it is, my consumables last me just fine. I'm confident I'm doing it wrong, but if I can't tell the difference, I don't care.
 
I am a very light user of my Powermax45. It just has a motorguard filter at the machine, no drying at all. I'm sure I'd see more difference if I used the thing more, but as it is, my consumables last me just fine. I'm confident I'm doing it wrong, but if I can't tell the difference, I don't care.

the motorguard filter is most definitely filtering and drying. matter of fact the biggest issue i see is people using a motorguard filters and not replacing them enough. if its damp at all it needs repalced and i believe by mfg supposed to be changed weekly.

if you have a motorguard filter and it is not obviously wet or restricting air, i can 100% gaurentee there isn't any issue with air quality.

put in a couple extra feet of line off the compressor tank that allow the air to cool, moisture to condensate and fall back to the tank and your fine. air pressure at the machine is a far more important and overlooked issue.
 
I've got a large aftercooler before my tank that strips most of the water. My kit is mobile and don't really want to haul a dryer around, a desiccant filter will be needed. Filter size/prices cover a pretty big spread, Have you been happy with your generic filter?

Yeah, Its been working fine for a lot of years.
I have hooked up to other peoples compressors with nothing else and not had a problem with moisture getting by
 
Cutting by hand you may not notice a problem without a dryer. On a CNC table, you really need a dryer, or else the consumables will wear out super fast.
 
I've got a large aftercooler before my tank that strips most of the water. My kit is mobile and don't really want to haul a dryer around, a desiccant filter will be needed. Filter size/prices cover a pretty big spread, Have you been happy with your generic filter?

Any details on the aftercooler? I'd love to do the whole "wall of copper tubing" to cool the air down, but I don't have room for that.
 
IMG_5262.JPG I bought a 7.5hp slow speed Gardner Denver VRV7-8 in the middle of January this year. I only had a couple weeks before the end of the job so, I'm not 100% finished.

I only took 2 pictures during the build but it's simple. I used a Hayden 1299 dual pass oil cooler with a 230 volt muffin fan (Grainger 3VU67), the shroud is set up for a second fan if needed. No finished pics but the outside of the cooler is shrouded for protection with the air exiting from the top. All hoses are high temp -12 ss braided teflon.

I left the factory check valve on the tank and plugged the pressure drain port. I installed a pressure relieving valve on the cooler inlet from McMaster (2697N14). Currently I have a 3/4" self draining water separator before the tank. If it doesn't drain well I'll add a valve that dumps the pressure from the cooler thru the separator every time the compressor cycles off (McMaster 4919K13). On the tank outlet I have a regulated 3/4 filter/separator feeding 10 quick connects and a tank pressure Chicago fitting.

It's a little overkill for the current compressor but, if my needs change I can step up to a 15hp motor and still be covered. I think...


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I went low tech many years ago. 15 gal oil barrel with a copper coil in it, bottom outlet with a water trap, filled the barrel with water. When I was running a plas table a lot I would add some ice to the barrel to keep the water cool, it worked great. For normal hand use, the air where I am is normally dry enough not to be a problem.
 
This is the aftercooler setup I have on my air compressor. Really like the auto moisture filter/drain after the aftercooler, before the tank. Prevents any discernable water from entering the tank. No fan required, just mount the aftercooler in front of the compressor pulley/fan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Ssyx6k3Cw
 
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