Hypertherm: Bye, bye consumables, hello cartridge

Until now, plasma consumables have all worked the same way. You would grab five consumables, put them in the right order and screw them onto your torch. It sounds simple, but in real life it wasn’t. You had to find the right consumables, double check part numbers, assemble your stack and then carefully install onto the torch. Not too loose, not too tight. Everything needed to be just right.

Fortunately, those days are a thing of the past thanks to the introduction of Hypertherm’s cartridge consumable. Instead of five parts, you now have one colour-coded part. Instead of spending several minutes changing out your consumables, you can now do it seconds – less than 10 to be precise.

Hypertherm’s new cartridge
Hypertherm’s new cartridge combines a traditional five- piece stack-up into a single-piece cartridge, making change- outs faster, ordering easier and inventory tracking simpler. It replaces small part numbers with easy-to-see colours so consumable mix-ups don’t occur. It lasts longer than standard handheld cutting consumables and, when paired with Hypertherm’s new SmartSYNC torch, it lets you know when a new cartridge is needed. There is no more guessing.

In addition, cartridges used with the SmartSYNC torch have RFID technology. The system will automatically choose the right amperage and process based on the cartridge type you just installed. If you installed a gouging cartridge, your system will automatically go into gouging mode.

Your SmartSYNC torch will automatically adjust the amperage and choose the right cutting or gouging mode. Your torch will also tell you when the cartridge consumable is worn out and needs to be replaced. You no longer need to check by unscrewing the stack-up and looking at the electrode.

Another first is that the torches have controls right on them. You can adjust the amperage without walking back to the power supply. You can turn everything off and change your cartridge on the spot. Finally, as you’re cutting or gouging, the torch is recording and sending information – starts and stops, arc-on time, etc. – back to your system.

What is Powermax SYNC?
Powermax SYNC is an entirely new air plasma platform from Hypertherm. There are three systems in all – the Powermax65 SYNC, Powermax85 SYNC and Powermax105 SYNC, all with built-in intelligence and a single-piece cartridge consumable.

Easy to use
The one-piece cartridge eliminates consumable confusion and makes inventory management easier. Colour-coding helps you find the consumable cartridge you need.

Minimises operating costs
The simplified operation cuts down on downtime, troubleshooting, waste, and training time. The cartridge provides up to twice the life for handheld cutting and improved, consistent cut quality in mechanised setups. The cartridge data helps you track performance and analyse usage patterns.

Maximises performance
Interchangeable torches and application-specific cartridges allow you to tackle a range of jobs. Time-saving controls directly on the torch allow you to adjust amperage and change the cartridge consumable without returning to the power supply.

How Powermax SYNC will change the way you work
But innovative consumables are only one important element of the new Powermax SYNC series. When Hypertherm started thinking about the future of Powermax plasma, they wanted to completely reimagine their systems in a way that would address common customer pain points. In speaking to their customers, three themes emerged:

• Companies, both large and small, are having a hard time finding workers, let alone skilled workers who know how to cut with plasma
• Companies are under intense pressure to reduce costs and increase productivity.
• Companies need a way to monitor the work that’s happening so they can quickly identify and address problems before they snowball and become expensive to fix

Solutions
Hypertherm’s all-new Powermax SYNC series is designed to address all three of those pain points. The solutions they introduced was to create a plasma cutter so easy to use that training is not required; Create a more efficient plasma cutter that allows operators to complete more work in less time and; Create a plasma cutter that provides helpful data so operators can catch problems early on.

Further reading
Powermax SYNC air plasma will change the way you work (https://www.hypertherm.com/learn/spark-the-blog/powermax-sync-will-change-the-way-you-work/)
Cartridge consumable combines five plasma cutter parts into one piece (https://www.hypertherm.com/learn/spark-the-blog/plasma-cutter-cartridge/)
Powermax SYNC built-in intelligence and single cartridge consumable (https://www.hypertherm.com/learn/spark-the-blog/what-is-powermax-sync/)

For further details contact Tim Sivewright, Distribution Sales Manager South & Sub Sahara Africa Hypertherm Europe B.V. on TEL: 082 889 2780 or email tim.sivewright@hypertherm.com