Hypertherm is pursuing legal action against four manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit product in China. This action is the result of four separate raids, the arrest of five executives, and the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars of fake Hypertherm consumables. Hypertherm is concerned about the impact and safety risks of counterfeit product for its customers and their businesses. That is why the company is committed to disrupting the illegal manufacture of products that adversely impact the performance of its systems.
The action, conducted late last year in China’s Changshou province, involved two of the world’s largest manufacturers of counterfeit product and their principle distributors making this the biggest anti-counterfeiting operation in Hypertherm’s history. The raids followed more than a year of investigative work and the involvement of law enforcement from two Chinese provinces. In addition, police were able to seize a list of companies conducting business with the illegal manufacturers.
“Like nearly all companies, Hypertherm is concerned about the impact and safety risks of counterfeit product on our business and customers and is committed to disrupting the illegal manufacture of products that adversely impact the performance of our systems,” said Brett Hansen, Hypertherm’s Intellectual Property Manager. “Our consumables are manufactured to strict specifications and often contain patented technologies that are difficult to correctly replicate. As a result, customers who unknowingly purchase these counterfeit products will not achieve the same consumable life or performance as the genuine product and are at risk.”
To ensure you do not fall victim to counterfeiting, Hypertherm recommends customers only buy product from approved and authorised distributors, and exercise caution when coming across abnormally low prices for “genuine” consumables and software especially when purchasing online. In addition, carefully check the appearance of consumables and packaging for discrepancies. Though counterfeiters are often very good at mimicking the exact appearance of original products, mistakes are sometimes made. Another warning sign is poor or inconsistent consumable performance compared to what you are used to.
Protect your investment!
Choose genuine torches and consumables for your Hypertherm plasma cutting system and keep your system running at peak performance. Here’s why:
Patented technologies – Every day, Hypertherm engineers are working on new ways to improve the plasma cutting process. Thousands of hours of engineering time focused solely on plasma consumable technology guarantees the best possible cutting performance from your system.
Synergistic design – Hypertherm systems and consumables are designed to work together. System features and consumable designs are matched to optimise performance and reliability – to give you the best possible cut, over the longest service life.
Critical to function engineering – Hypertherm engineers identify the critical features of each consumable part that will have an impact on cutting performance, and design accordingly. The specifications for these features are held to tolerance ranges that exceed even Six-Sigma quality standards.
Highest quality – Investments in the most current quality systems, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and intensive machine operator training ensure that every consumable part that you receive from Hypertherm will perform to your highest expectations.
A list of the authorised distribution partners is available on Hypertherm’s website at www.hypertherm.com/where-to-buy/. If you suspect you are a victim and need help verifying whether your consumables are genuine, please visit www.hypertherm.com/customer-support/getting-the-most- from-your-products/counterfeit-consumables/?region=EMEA to submit a report or learn more.
For more information contact Craig Sterly of Hypertherm on email craig.sterly@hypertherm.com or visit www.hypertherm.com
