Re: intro and a few questions

["Pete Cook" <kf2qd-at-terraworld.net>]

The 150 IPM value for actual tracing is probably for accurate tracing.
Having been in that industry (just got laid off...) the speeds and
performance tend to be exagerated. The brag about heir high speed but if you
try to approach it the motion goes to pieces. Rapid moves at 250 but actual
profiling prabably has a limit of 150 or less. Those shops where they are
involved on artsy type stuff don't need the accuracy that is needed for
manufacturing and thus they often push a machine's capabilities more that a
production shop can. Lower power motors may have a decent top end, but they
take a while to get there. I have seen machines that are advertised as
having a max speed of 1000IPM but they actually are slower that a machine
running a max of 600IPM because of accel/decel  times.

Pete


>
> As an actual datapoint, a friend of mine has a C&G Systems Navigator
plasma cutter which will do line-tracing at 150 IPM.  It uses 96 watt motors
with a rack and pinion.  C&G's website says it will do 250 IPM with a CNC
drive package, but that may use different motors.
>
> Jim
>
>
>