Powermax30 cut pictures

[jimcolt]

I have 3 plasmas in my home shop.....a Powermax45 that I leave connected to a PlasmaCam CNC....I use this to cut from thin gauge to 5/8".....I have posted the great cut quality from this machine. I also have a Powermax1000 with a hand torch....for heavy (to about 1-1/4" cutting jobs.....and I have a Powermax30 that stays on my welding cart with a Hobart Handler210. I use the Powermax mostly for quick cut off jobs, working on cars, etc.....but I really have not cut much plate with it as it is slow compared to the 45 and the 1000. I thought I would put some pieces of scrap plate on the table just to see what the little fella (about the size of a toaster) could do.

The 30 is rated by Hypertherm at a maximum thickness of 3/8", and a severance (for quick cuts and bolts, etc) of 1/2".....it runs on 120 or 240.....and comes with an adapter plug so you can plug it into either. On 120.....when you are cutting the thickest materials it can draw close to 30 Amps.....and will trip a 20 Amp breaker pretty quickly.....you can either turn the power knob on the front panel down a bit.....or plug into a 30 Amp 120 outlet or a 15 amp 220 outlet. The pics I'm posting were cut with the unit plugged into 120 volts, 30 Amp outlet.

1st picture....shows torch and 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 5/8" steel pieces before cut.
2nd pic...5/8" cut
3rd....1/2" cut
4th..3/8" cut
5th...1/4" cut

Cuts all have dross except the 1/4".....which I would expect. The dross knocks off easily...and the cuts are great.

Not bad for a machine that runs on 120/240, weighs about 25 pounds, has a pilot arc and no high frequency...is made in USA by employees that own the company...and can be purchased for around $1000! If I was cutting a lot of these materials I would use my 45 or 1000...as they would cut dross free and much faster.....but if you nee portability and low price....thi thing can do it. Anything else you want to see cut with this?

Jim

[jimcolt]

Oh yeah.....I cut a piece of 18 gauge as well....

[dstevens]

I still need some practice...

All cuts Powermax 30 @220vac and 90psi

20ga @ 15 amps

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4275977020_0f439b3e26.jpg

1/8" mild steel @ 20 amps

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4275219145_50519a4d59.jpg

1/8" AL @ 30 amps

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4275972646_5d544de0a9.jpg

3/8" mild steel @ 30 amps

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4275222585_90c973ecfc.jpg

I'm sure my shop is a bit warmer than Jim's shop...:waving:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4275227781_cdc621e28a.jpg

Dave

[jimcolt]

DStevens,

Your 3/8" cut looks better than mine! It was about 15 degrees in my shop when I cut those parts.....It probably affected my motion control due to the shivering. To be perfectly honest, I suck with a hand torch unless its got a lot of power.....I'll redo those cuts on the same material later today with my Powermax45......they should all be dross free except maybe the 5/8". If you look closely at the 3/8" piece in my pictures...you will see the as cut edges from using the 45 on my PlasmaCam cnc machine....it has far better speed and height control than my hand does. That being said....I intentionally left the dross on all of my hand cuts.....it knocks off very easily, and the cuts will look much better without it!

Regardless......if you told me just a few years ago that you could sever 5/8" steel with a 30 Amp plasma....I would have laughed. These pictures prove it can be done....in fact I have no doubt that I could sever 3/4"......painfully slow, but it could do it. And in 15 degree weather....I'll bet the duty cycle rating on the Powermax30 is pretty good!

Jim

[500HpSilverado]

Jim,

As you stated your cuts were done on a 120V 30A outlet, I think I will just add that when the little PM30 is plugged into a 240V outlet it gets remarkably better cuts when it's cranked. I have cut ~80" of 1/2" steel with mine with only minimal breaks in cutting. Maybe cut 18" then wait 2-3 mins. I ran the machine so hard I burnt up my compressor, the Hypertherm still runs like a top. Don't tell the warranty guys though just in case!

[Tony D]

Jim,

As you stated your cuts were done on a 120V 30A outlet, I think I will just add that when the little PM30 is plugged into a 240V outlet it gets remarkably better cuts when it's cranked. I have cut ~80" of 1/2" steel with mine with only minimal breaks in cutting. Maybe cut 18" then wait 2-3 mins. I ran the machine so hard I burnt up my compressor, the Hypertherm still runs like a top. Don't tell the warranty guys though just in case!

Ha Ha YA that's what i'm talkin about it just shuts off when it has to have a break !!!!LOL is good to go shortly though SHHHHH ....The cooling fan even kicks in periodically in the Oklahoma heat so she stays in the shade whenever possible LOL

Had to get a 60 Gal IR comp now the plasma needs a breather every now and then LOL

[slagmatic]

Regardless......if you told me just a few years ago that you could sever 5/8" steel with a 30 Amp plasma....I would have laughed. These pictures prove it can be done....in fact I have no doubt that I could sever 3/4"......painfully slow, but it could do it.
Jim

Actually Jim I've cut through some heavy C-channel with my PM30 and after the cut the thickest part measured a little over an inch. It was not a pretty cut and took a long time, but it did work.

Normally I would use my oxy/acc torch but the PM30 was brand new and I wanted to see what it could do. Pretty cool little machine, amazing size and portability.

My PM30 paid for itself the first week I owned it.

BTW I finally got my air filter system figured out and have been on the same set of consumables for a while now. Funny thing is while at the LWS to buy more consumables one of the employees told me I don't need to run any filter and that the PM30 could actually handle strait up water in the line without effecting consumables. I just smiled and nodded. ;)