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Special 6/22/99

1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0  GENERAL

INFORMATION

1.1  Notes, Cautions, Warnings

Throughout this manual, notes, cautions, and warnings are used to
highlight important information. These highlights are categorized as
follows:

NOTE

An operation, procedure, or background information which
requires additional emphasis or is helpful in efficient opera-
tion of the system.

CAUTION

A procedure which, if not properly followed, may cause dam-
age to the equipment.

WARNING

A procedure which, if not properly followed, may cause in-
jury  to the operator or others in the operating area.

1.2  Important Safety Precautions

WARNING

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PLASMA ARC
EQUIPMENT CAN BE DANGEROUS AND HAZARD-
OUS TO YOUR HEALTH.

Plasma arc cutting produces intense electric and magnetic
emissions that may interfere with the proper function of car-
diac pacemakers, hearing aids, or other electronic health equip-
ment.  Persons who work near plasma arc cutting applica-
tions should consult their medical health professional and the
manufacturer of the health equipment to determine whether a
hazard exists.

To prevent possible injury, read, understand and follow all
warnings, safety precautions and instructions before using
the equipment.  Call 1-603-298-5711 or your local distribu-
tor if you have any questions.

GASES AND FUMES

Gases and fumes produced during the plasma cutting process can be
dangerous and hazardous to your health.

•  Keep all fumes and gases from the breathing area.  Keep your

head out of the welding fume plume.

•  Use an air-supplied respirator if ventilation is not adequate to

remove all fumes and gases.

• The kinds of fumes and gases from the plasma arc depend on

the kind of metal being used, coatings on the metal, and the
different processes. You must be very careful when cutting or
welding any metals which may contain one or more of the fol-
lowing:

Antimony

Chromium

Mercury

Arsenic

Cobalt

 Nickel

Barium

Copper

Selenium

Beryllium

Lead

Silver

Cadmium

Manganese

Vanadium

• Always read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that should

be supplied with the material you are using.  These MSDSs
will give you the information regarding the kind and amount
of fumes and gases that may be dangerous to your health.

• For information on how to test for fumes and gases in your work-

place, refer to item 1 in Subsection 1.3, Publications in this
manual.

• Use special equipment, such as water or down draft cutting

tables, to capture fumes and gases.

• Do not use the plasma torch in an area where combustible or

explosive gases or materials are located.

• Phosgene, a toxic gas, is generated from the vapors of chlori-

nated solvents and cleansers.  Remove all sources of these va-
pors.

ELECTRIC SHOCK

Electric Shock can injure or kill.  The plasma arc process uses and
produces high voltage electrical energy.  This electric energy can cause
severe or fatal shock to the operator or others in the workplace.

• Never touch any parts that are electrically “live” or “hot”.

• Wear dry gloves and clothing.  Insulate yourself from the work

piece or other parts of the welding circuit.

• Repair or replace all worn or damaged parts.

• Extra care must be taken when the workplace is moist or damp.

• Install and maintain equipment according to NEC code, refer to

item 9 in Subsection 1.3, Publications.

• Disconnect power source before performing any service or re-

pairs.

• Read and follow all the instructions in the Operating Manual.

FIRE AND EXPLOSION

Fire and explosion can be caused by hot slag, sparks, or the plasma
arc.

• Be sure there is no combustible or flammable material in the

workplace.  Any material that cannot be removed must be pro-
tected.

• Ventilate all flammable or explosive vapors from the workplace.

• Do not cut or weld on containers that may have held combus-

tibles.

•  Provide a fire watch when working in an area where fire haz-

ards may exist.

• Hydrogen gas may be formed and trapped under aluminum

workpieces when they are cut underwater or while using a
water table.  DO NOT cut aluminum alloys underwater or on

Summary of Contents for FP-18

Page 1: ...Manual No 0 2692 April 26 2000 Service Manual A 02032 Includes 12 Amp Power Supply PCH 10 Torch with Leads Work Cable with Clamp Input Power Cable For Model 120VAC 60Hz ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...rial Park No 2 West Lebanon New Hampshire USA 03784 603 298 5711 Copyright 1999 by Thermal Dynamics Corporation All rights reserved Reproduction of this work in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited The publisher does not assume and hereby disclaims any liabil ity to any party for any loss or damage caused by any error or omission in the Firepower FP 18 Plasma ...

Page 4: ...Troubleshooting Guide 9 3 6 Torch Leads Troubleshooting 12 4 0 REPAIRS REPLACEMENT PROCEDURES 12 4 1 General Information 12 4 2 Removing Cover Handle 13 4 3 Torch Head Assembly Replacement 13 4 4 Torch Switch Only Replacement 14 4 5 Air Compressor Replacement 15 4 6 Capacitor Replacement 15 4 7 Control PC Board Replacement 16 4 8 Power Relay Replacement 16 4 9 ON OFF Power Switch Replacement 17 4 ...

Page 5: ...nic Cobalt Nickel Barium Copper Selenium Beryllium Lead Silver Cadmium Manganese Vanadium Always read the Material Safety Data Sheets MSDS that should be supplied with the material you are using These MSDSs will give you the information regarding the kind and amount of fumes and gases that may be dangerous to your health For information on how to test for fumes and gases in your work place refer t...

Page 6: ... Stan dards Institute 1430 Broadway New York NY 10018 6 ANSI Standard Z49 2 FIRE PREVENTION IN THE USE OF CUTTING AND WELDING PROCESSES obtainable from American National Standards Institute 1430 Broadway New York NY 10018 7 AWS Standard A6 0 WELDING AND CUTTING CONTAIN ERS WHICH HAVE HELD COMBUSTIBLES obtainable from American Welding Society 550 N W LeJeune Rd Miami FL 33126 8 NFPAStandard 51 OXYG...

Page 7: ... nettoyage chlorés Eliminez toute source de telle fumée CHOC ELECTRIQUE Les chocs électriques peuvent blesser ou même tuer Le procédé au jet de plasma requiert et produit de l énergie électrique haute tension Cette énergie électrique peut produire des chocs graves voire mortels pour l opérateur et les autres personnes sur le lieu de travail Ne touchez jamais une pièce sous tension ou vive portez d...

Page 8: ...ROTECTRICES disponible auprès de l American National Standards Institute 1430 Broadway New York NY 10018 6 Norme ANSI Z49 2 PRÉVENTION DES INCENDIES LORS DE L EMPLOI DE PROCÉDÉS DE COUPE ET DE SOUDAGE disponible auprès de l American National Standards Institute 1430 Broadway New York NY 10018 7 Norme A6 0 de l Association Américaine du Soudage AWS LE SOUDAGE ET LA COUPE DE CONTENEURS AYANT RENFERM...

Page 9: ...A Canadian StandardsAssociation standard C22 2 number 60 forArc welding equipment UL Underwriters Laboratory rating 94VO flammability testing for all printed circuit boards used ISO IEC 60974 1 BS 638 PT10 EN 60 974 1 applicable to welding equipment and associated accessories Extensive product design verification is conducted at the manufacturing facility as part of the routine design and manufact...

Page 10: ...y goods covered by or furnished by Firepower whether arising out of contract negligence strict tort or under any warranty or otherwise shall not except as expressly provided herein exceed the price of the goods upon which such liability is based THIS WARRANTY BECOMES INVALID IF REPLACEMENT PARTS OR ACCESSORIES ARE USED WHICH MAY IMPAIR THE SAFETY OR PERFORMANCE OF ANY FIREPOWER PRODUCT THIS WARRAN...

Page 11: ...on in this edition is particularly applicable to the Troubleshooting and Repair of the equipment and is intended for use by properly trained Service Technicians familiar with this equipment Read this manual and the Firepower FP 18 Plasma Cut ter Operating Manual 0 2691 thoroughly A complete understanding of the capabilities and functions of the equipment will assure obtaining the performance for w...

Page 12: ...the inspection and maintenance procedures which should be performed at periodic intervals Routine Maintenance ensures optimum performance of equipment and can pre vent the user from encountering problems with this equip ment Refer to that manual for instructions on power supply and torch maintenance 3 3 Common Cutting Faults Poor or lackluster performance can often be improved by slight modificati...

Page 13: ...oting One of the features of this plasma cutter is the con stant DC pilot This means the plasma arc is always on either as a pilot arc or a cutting arc resulting in a very smooth forgiving system This also means that the torch tip will wear fairly rapidly if you pilot for an extended time or cut with too great a standoff es sentially switching from a transferred cutting arc back to the constant DC...

Page 14: ...uit breaker or fuse opens after the power switch is switched on go to step D2 If the circuit breaker or fuse is okay replace Fan 2 Faulty Transformer Assembly or Capacitor a With the Fan still disconnected disconnect two leads from the transformer that are connected to the Capacitor then apply power If the circuit breaker or fuse opens after power is applied the Capacitor is shorted Replace Capaci...

Page 15: ... the Relay actuates If hum or buzzing noise exists replace Bridge Rectifier replace lower Bridge Rectifier clos est to Chassis H Power OK fan runs compressor runs no pilot or cutting arc with the torch switch pressed 1 Worn contaminated or incorrect torch parts a Check that all torch parts are in good condition and designed for use in the PCH 10 torch Re place worn parts as necessary 2 Parts not a...

Page 16: ...between the electrode seat negative and the brass threads of the torch assembly Infinite resis tance no continuity should be found If there is con tinuity between the two remove the torch head from the lead and check the torch head separately B Checking Torch Lead If the torch head assembly is okay check the torch lead by measuring the resistance between the positive pilot lead connector and the n...

Page 17: ... light cutting gloves when changing torch parts just after operating the FP 18 System To Remove Torch Head Assembly NOTE Refer to Figure 4 1 for parts identification 1 Remove consumable parts from front end of torch 2 Remove six screws from torch handle assembly A 3 Remove both torch handle halves from the torch and leads assembly then complete the following a Disconnect positive pilot lead connec...

Page 18: ...nstalling Torch Head Assembly 4 4 Torch Switch Only Replacement NOTE This procedure requires the following tools or equivalent screwdriver soldering iron Nokorde Flux WARNING Disconnect primary power to the system before dis assembling the torch leads or power supply 1 Remove consumable parts from front end of torch 2 Remove the six screws from the torch handle as sembly and remove torch and leads...

Page 19: ...n nut completely as there are small parts inside that could fall out 10 Connect the following as it pertains to your unit Rev C units or earlier Connect black wire from Compressor to faston splice wire 21 Connect red wire from Compressor to upper diode piggyback terminal Rev D units or earlier Connect black wire from Compressor to faston splice wire 29 Connect red wire from Compressor to upper dio...

Page 20: ...ting holes a Remove two 2 fastener plastic push ons from key slotted holes in corners of PC Board b Slide PC Board up or down to disengage then remove from unit B To Install Replacement PC Board 1 Install replacement key slotted PC Board by plac ing PC Board over standoffs and sliding Board down into position 2 Push a white fastener plastic push on into each keyhole just above standoffs to secure ...

Page 21: ...ay use screws instead of rivets 5 Install replacement Fan Refer to Figure 5 1 for proper Fan orientation or refer to the arrows marked on the Fan chassis NOTE Proper fan orientation is essential to ensure proper cooling of power supply parts 6 Install Compressor by reversing steps 1 3 keeping in mind the following a Position wire connector L4 so that it runs along side the Transformer NOT across t...

Page 22: ... Remove two Ferrite Core Assembly screws which hold the Transformer Ferrite Core Assembly in position Remove Transformer Ferrite Core As sembly from unit 5 Install replacement Transformer Ferrite Core As sembly by reversing steps 1 4 keeping in mind the following a Pull L4 through loose tie wrap if available b Position wire connector L4 so that it runs along side the Transformer NOT across the top...

Page 23: ... your unit Description Catalog A Complete Systems Includes Power Supply PCH 10 70 Torch with Leads Spare Consumable Parts Input Power Cord and Work Cable FIREPOWER 120V 60Hz PCH 10 1445 0047 B Torch Leads Only Includes Torch Leads 90 Nylon Air Compressor Fitting Torch Leads alone are not replaceable PCH 10 70 w 20 ft 6 m Leads 2 1020 ...

Page 24: ... 1 Fan 120V 60Hz Fan 115V 50 60Hz 95 115CFM 8 3209 8 1 Compressor Air 12VDC 0 5 CFM 9 0010 9 1 Resistor 0 5ohm 55 watt 10 3 16 Faston 9 0011 10 1 Resistor 1Kohm 55 watt 5 3 16 Faston 9 0012 11 1 Work Cable 15 ft 4 57 m w Red Handles 9 0013 12 1 Input Power Cable 6 5 ft min 2 m 16 3 w molded plug 9 0014 13 1 ON OFF Switch ON OFF Switch DPST 125V 15A RED NEON 5 Prongs 9 0015 ON OFF Switch DPST 125V ...

Page 25: ...Torch Leads A Screw 6 32 x 3 3 4 Lg Phil Pan Hd Zinc B 6 32 Regular Nylon Lock Nut Zinc Plated C 5 16 18 x 1 3 4 Unc Cap Socket Head Bolt D 10 32 x 5 Pph Swageform Stl Zn Parker Kalon E Screw Black 6 32 x 1 2 Pph Swageform Steel F 10 32 Kepnut w Star Washer Mild Steel Air Flow Direction HARDWARE QTY 2 2 2 4 2 2 NOTE Replacement hardware can be purchased locally F F E E B B D D D C C A A 11 12 To r...

Page 26: ...arts Item Qty Description Catalog 1 1 PCH 10 70 Torch HeadAssembly 9 0016 2 1 Torch Handle Only 9 0019 3 1 Torch Switch 9 1058 4 1 Standard Electrode 1445 0016 5 1 PCH 10 Tip 1445 0031 6 1 Gas Distributor 1445 0017 7 1 Shield Cup 1445 0018 8 1 Torch Head Split Holders PCH 10 70 9 6259 9 1 PIP Parts In Place WireAssembly 9 6290 10 1 O Ring 8 0533 11 1 Torch Switch Button 8 4256 12 2 Torch Switch Bu...

Page 27: ...1 Clearance Strain Relief Torch Lead Faston Connector Red Connect to Bottom Resistor 2 Pin Connectors Torch Lead Faston Connector to CD Coil 90 White Nylon Fitting Brass Torch Lead Fitting A 02009 Nylon Nut Front Panel Hole Location Note Do not remove strain relief from torch lead APPENDIX I LEADS CONNECTIONS ...

Page 28: ...LK CD PRIMARY CD PWR CIRCUIT E6 E5 E1 E2 SPK1 350V Spark Gap LOGIC CIRCUIT 0 5 55 watt 1K 55 watt 22 3 watt W O R K T O R C H PILOT RED Sleeved 1 4 7 10 11 12 13 16 17 14 15 18 PIP Pin TORCH SWITCH CD PCB Shield Cup 1 4 7 10 11 12 13 16 17 14 15 18 21 22 5 6 20 19 20 19 11 29 8 7 7A 3 4 1 10 26 24 150µƒ 450v 50 5 watt 2 L1 27 43 L4 1A 1 23 4700µƒ 120 VAC 120 µƒ 180 VAC A 02345 NOTE Use this diagra...

Page 29: ...Service Manual 0 2692 25 Firepower FP 18 Plasma Cutter ...

Page 30: ...Firepower FP 18 Plasma Cutter 26 Service Manual 0 2692 APPENDIX III INTERCONNECTING DIAGRAM A 02361 ...

Page 31: ...Service Manual 0 2692 27 Firepower FP 18 Plasma Cutter NOTE Use this diagram for all rev D or later units Check the data tag on the unit for rev level A 02361 ...

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