I have not worked in sales for about 10 years at Hypertherm...and when I did I was an applications engineer....meaning I helped our customers choose the right cutting process that would be most efficient for their particular application. This often meant that in all honesty (why not be completely ho...

To really understand how much consumable parts cost for a plasma torch.....you have to divide the purchase price by the distance cut. Some plasma cutters have excellent consumable life and will cut 6x to 10x the distance of other models. So if you paid the same price for consumables for two differen...

As a 38 year veteran of plasma cutting (I work for Hypertherm) I can tell you there is a big difference in plasma cutters in terms of purchase price, in terms of operating cost (add these two together and factor in time....and you can calculate the cost of ownership), in performance (cut speed, cut ...

The Powermax600 with a hand torch in good condition is worth between $600 and $1000. Hypertherm built over 60,000 of that unit and all parts are available and will be for a number of years. While both the 600 and the 42 are 40 amp output...the 600 has a higher load voltage rating......cutting power ...

While I cannot speak for other inverter plasma manufacturers....the Hypertherm Powermax units all have a chart that suggests generator sizing, and these inverters were designed and tested on common generator output power. Here is the chart for a Powermax45, which is rated for production cutting thro...

Any authorized Hypertherm dealer can sell the HyAmp consumables for your torch. They are always in stock at Hypertherm....so if a dealer calls in with an order before 3PM (Eastern) they can ship that day. Jim Colt Hypertherm Hello everyone, I just bought a Hypertherm Powermax 105 at work, I upgraded...

I suggest contacting Hypertherm tech support with the exact symptoms before you take it apart! Sounds like a very simple issue to me! Jim Colt Hypertherm Thanks, guys! The problem has to be inside the machine. Airflow to the unit is fine, I did check it as Steve suggested with another air tool; some...

Not sure which LED's you are referring to. Here is a pic of the front panel and description of the LED's. First....install a pressure gauge (hard plumbed) right at the inlet to the Powermax1000. Power up the system, turn the amperage knob fully counterclockwise and set the air pressure LED's so that...

The arc that exits from an air plasma torch nozzle is roughly 25,000 degrees F, the flame from an oxy-fuel torch is usually around 3,200 degrees F. The difference in temp really doesn't matter.....they are both hot enough to quickly burn flesh, wood, pretty much anything they come in contact with! T...

Plasma cut on 1/2" steel with a 45 amp plasma. 1/2" bolt will drop through the holes....no grinding or secondary work, cut at 18 inches per minute.

The Powermax85 plasma cutter that we were using at ChuckE2009's shop uses about 6.7 cfm @ 90 psi when running with the 85 amp consumables. When running with the 45 amp consumables it uses 6.0 cfm @ 90 psi. On the sales brochures, on the website, in the operators manuals....this air flow requirement ...

OK, I will make an attempt to explain the differences in plasma cutters from a major brand as compared to plasma cutters that come from China (and cost a fraction of the price). First though....I am Jim Colt, a 38 year veteran with Hypertherm......as the 11th Hypertherm employee (approaching 1600 to...

Heres how I cut aluminum. Draw the cut file, load the material, nest as many parts as I need, push the start button...then go do something else while the parts cut.

Jim Colt

Every shop that wants to do metal work, mechanic work, etc. needs an oxyfuel torch before it needs a plasma cutter. I work for Hypertherm and am telling you this! After you use the torch for a while and understand its versatility for heating, bending, freeing rusty, stuck parts, brazing and cutting ...

A good quality plasma cutter is an expensive tool to purchase, however it is a long term investment that saves you a lot of money over time. If you calculate the cost of ownership over the years...the plasma cutter is way less expensive as compared to oxy-fuel cutting. Saves you time, improves your ...

Plasma cutters are available from about 20 amps (thin sheetmetal) to 1000 amps (up to 6-1/4" thick SS). Shade 5 will not cover them all. Here is the shade recommendation chart directly from a Hypertherm operators manual. I have never gotten arc flash from plasma cutting in my 38 years of workin...

Just a few points about small plasma cutters as used for home hobby use......from my 38 years experience with plasma cutters from 20 amps to 1000 Amps! - While we are talking about modern, portable air plasma cutters....there are many varieties of industrial plasma cutters that can use a variety of ...

The question about cutting good quality bolt holes comes up often....and in fact just yesterday I received this typical question (below) from a new machine owner. I thought I would share the question and my long answer as it will likely help others improve their processes. Jim Questions: I have rece...

A few more details regarding your needs and your budget would help steer you in the right direction. There are over 25 manufacturers of "entry level" (under $20k, hobby and small shop focused) and "light industrial" (between $20k and $45k, focused on light production and growing ...

The Powermax30 air does not have the same level of cutting power as its brother, the Powermax30XP in the Hypertherm product line. This is because the 30 air has to use some of the wall power to operate a compressor, where the compressorless 30XP (requires a separate compressor) applies all of the wa...

There are a lot of choices in the entry level CNC plasma table market....I count over 25 just from North America. The two biggest players with the most systems installed are Plasmacam and Torchmate. The most popular do it yourself type cnc plasma tables generally use electronics and software from ww...

With all plasma cutters you get a combination of cut duration (avg. time the arc is on per cut cycle) and starts. If you are cutting with long duration cuts you will get more linear feet per consumable set. If you are cutting a lot of small parts with short cut duration you will get more starts, les...

Yes....Since I have worked for one company for 37 years I certainly have more info stored in my brain about the products made there. I do have experience with most brands...however if I posted pictures of the cuts from other brands that certainly could be mis-construed as well. I actually have 3 cnc...

Keep in mind that there are many different technologies with plasma cutters. There are older technology systems that never cut a straight edge, there are some very low cost imports that cut decent with a new set of consumables...but the consumables wear rather rapidly, affecting edge quality. There ...

The District Sales Managers for Hypertherm all have Beta prototype demo units a couple of months before a new product (that will be replacing an existing product) is announced. The prototypes are brought to the weld distributor stores so the sales people and management know what is coming. I am quit...