Metal cutting - oxyfuel cutting, plasma cutting, machining, grinding, and other preparatory work.
Post Reply
Taw Paw
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:10 pm

Hello Team,

I have a Pro Cut 55. I have had it for 15 or so years. Its been a good unit for me, I have replaced the torch once. Lately the fan is not working. When I press trigger the air starts coming, but I have to tap the torch on my hand or something to get it to ignite. Then it seem to be ok for a little while. Then the safety light start to flash and I have to stop and loosen up the cap on the torch. The flashing stops them I rest it with the rest switch and all is good, until I stop cutting and it happens all over again. So just last night I can get the unit to do anything. All lights flash and nothing happens when I press the trigger. I took the cover off the unit, I have attached pictures of two of the boards.

My questions are:
Can it be fixed.
What is wrong with it.
Is it worth repairing.
Attachments
plasma.jpg
plasma.jpg (93.07 KiB) Viewed 8980 times
plasma 1.jpg
plasma 1.jpg (103.63 KiB) Viewed 8980 times
Gdarc21
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:44 am

Must fix fan....
If you have to tap it to start then check shroud, it has a copper ring which touches two pins. This needs to be spotless. Contact cleaner will work if the ring is still intact. Otherwise change shroud.

Other than that it could be the trigger. If you unplug it and pull handpiece apart with care and Clean everything in there with electrical contact cleaner, non residue. If it is in handpiece then it usually is trigger contacts, may need a slight bend, but usually just a clean I find works. It is worth checking earth. As you have said, fan will need fixing if broken and while apart. It is usually something small and simple, if so then it is worth fixing.
Are you catching moisture before it goes through torch?
Hope it helps mate.
Gdarc21
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:44 am

On second note that is quite a dark patch on the board. Does machine still have its magic smoke or some come out?
Hopefully it’s discolouration but that is usually brownish at worst. Any how check the easy stuff first.
tweake
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Dec 18, 2017 4:53 am
  • Location:
    New Zealand

Taw Paw wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 12:16 pm Hello Team,

I have a Pro Cut 55. I have had it for 15 or so years. Its been a good unit for me, I have replaced the torch once. Lately the fan is not working. When I press trigger the air starts coming, but I have to tap the torch on my hand or something to get it to ignite. Then it seem to be ok for a little while. Then the safety light start to flash and I have to stop and loosen up the cap on the torch. The flashing stops them I rest it with the rest switch and all is good, until I stop cutting and it happens all over again. So just last night I can get the unit to do anything. All lights flash and nothing happens when I press the trigger. I took the cover off the unit, I have attached pictures of two of the boards.

My questions are:
Can it be fixed.
What is wrong with it.
Is it worth repairing.
o wow thats really toasted.
throw it in the bin.
the amount of time it would take to repair would be huge. good possibility the actual board it self will be damaged from the heat. at 15 years old i doubt there is any new boards for it.
you might find a 2nd hand machine to get a board out of, but high odds its got the same problem.
hence it time to buy a new one.
tweak it until it breaks
Taw Paw
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:10 pm

Thanks for you'll time on this matter. I will get a new one or look for a slightly used one to replace this on with.
sbaker56
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sat Feb 08, 2020 12:12 am

Jesus, that board is toast, literally. If it could even be fixed it'd cost more than the board is worth unfortunately. I'm doubtful that the huge scorch marks, and melted.. are those resistors? I can't even tell, are just discoloration. Me thinks it let the magic smoke out.

On the bright side, if you can't find a replacement board for cheap, 15 years is a good run for a plasma cutter and plasma cutter technology has improved quite a bit since then.
Taw Paw
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:10 pm

Hey guys,

I changed out both circuit boards and both fans on my unit. Its working good now!!!!!!!!! However during this time before I found a used unit that I could rob parts from I purchased a new Plasma Cutter. Now I have two and don't need them both. I am considering selling the PROCUT 55 now that's it work correctly now. Does anyone know a fair price I should be asking for the unit? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks
tweake
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Dec 18, 2017 4:53 am
  • Location:
    New Zealand

nice job in finding parts for it and fixing it. 8-)
tweak it until it breaks
Post Reply