Hypertherm Manufacturer Section

[specter]

Gee Jim once you get that setup fully functional I would be interested in more details including price. I know some folks online say both good and bad things about the Plasma Cam versus a Torch Mate. I have been doing a lot of side jobs at my farm shop and Have been thinking of also getting a 4'x4" table.

We have that Big Torch Mate X 10' x 40" for our Hypertherm HPR 260 and love that table.

[jimcolt]

If my first PlasmaCam is any indication....I'll like this one even more. They are a low cost machine that comes complete....except for a PC, a plasma, and some method of fume extraction. I bought a new PC for $300 from Tiger Direct, The Powermax45 is around $1500, The Torit fume extractor is around $3500, and I made sheet metal panels to close in under the machine. Add the PlasmaCam for around $9800, shipping was $350......so, for a grand total of $15,450 I'll have a complete cnc cutting machine that will do a great job up to 1/2".....and occasionally thicker. The PlasmaCam has an incredibly easy to learn drawing package.....even if you've never done any CAD drawing you can figure this out very quickly.

I should be firing it sometime tomorrow....just got the fume extractor connected and wired up the interface connections on the plasma....next...plug the computer into the PlasmaCam box, plug the plasma interface cable into the box....and fire it up.

Jim

[specter]

Wow!! Say Jim you planning to do odd jobs out of your shop or is this another toy for the collection. I may have to give something like that some thought for my farm shop. That makes the PowerMax 45 even more valuable to be able to use as an affordable cnc.

[jimcolt]

I'll do just enough work to pay for the machine...then its a toy! I paid for the last one in a couple of months just cutting out architectural brackets (steel brackets for timber frame construction) for a friends business. I also used to make leveling plates for a steel erector.....about 12" square with 4 bolt holes...pretty simple.

Jim

[specter]

Hi ya Jim that's a nice idea! Make it pay for itself.

My partner wants to get away from making antique parts for tractors. He claims it ties up our Torch Mate X 10'x40' table with our HPR260 too much in lower paying jobs. He wants to stay with only locomotive and aircraft.

I been thinking I might want to expand my farm shop! This might be the way depending on how it works for you.

and you said it comes with the software too. I was going to give my Phoenix 7.5 software a try

Tom

[Tony D]

Jim Finally I have my POWERMAX in my possession, damn air gas online no tracking numbers again today so I canceled that order.

I went to the Local Air gas and in 5 MINUTES i was out the door with my POWERMAX 30

1000.00 even good deal tax and everything so I'm happy now. (THE LOCAL ECONOMY NEEDS IT ANYHOW) This is where I should of went in the first place duuu LOL.

I was amazed at the Manual very informative and it's a spiral bound book, wow I almost want to laminate it LOL "every page" well the English parts guess it's gotta be user friendly though so the rest is necessary for others.

Now I have never cut with a plasma cutter before these cuts and the cap trim will cover them anyhow so no laughing at me i"m figuring this thing out!

First thing I checked out the adapter plugs the Generator type a 220 the old tombstones plug well he don't come out often anyhow,now I'll have to run one for the POWERMAX one of these days soon LOL.
choice at clients house was 110VAC readily available the bigger unit wouldn't have done.

this feature alone is priceless to switch back and fourth and not have to make a bunch of jumpers for plug ins as you guys supply them all WOW too cool.

Alright it was not inline with the compressor and clean air then we were off to cutting tin on 20 AMPS.
Jeez did it burn the paint a little bit but down to 15 and then 16 AMPS oh man it cut without any visible burn really considering what it did at 20 amps.

And I am satisfied with my choice on the purchase of this unit as I wanted the best now I know Definitely the right choice ,most of the others don't go down to 15 only down to 20 and the visibility at the torch and workpiece is great,
on the powermax torch so they wouldn't have worked for me. and the best torch consumables (don't want to carry a can of nozzles and electrodes and change them all the time either) like the imports appear to be so.

I was looking at some other 40 amp units even Thermal dynamics 1 BIG HUGE TORCH LOL."they wouldn't have cut the cheese nope" not for me as I do lot of finish work during off season everything has to be perfect for me,
and the best so no crapper materials ...a good job starts there and you did it with this machine as it has impressed me since it came out of the box so woot woot .

so a big hand for HYPERTHERM to the workers that haven't been laid off (feeling good helping the American economy and your company) by purchasing AMERICAN PRODUCTS MADE IN USA.

Biggest thing I got my hands on today was a bed frame it will clean them up nice with practice shh and I'll save lot of drill bits and sharpening poking holes in stuff LOL.
when I get around to find something thicker for that lil thing I'll chew it up and post it too!











Yup that lil thing will be cutting when I hit the junk pile it's so portable I can get on top of the pile at the scrap yard with it only 20# sucks roofs are combustible

Well anyone thinking about purchasing this unit DO IT and you will be happy with it's performance I AM FOR SURE that's my thoughts so far 1st day OWNED .

have a good day, Tony

[Tony D]

Here is a job I done last year and there was a lot of cutting so this powermax 30 will be saving alot of sawing and snipping for sure.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r...4ofaddons1.jpg

[LarryO]

Got my PowerMax 45 on Thusday.
I e mailed Hypertherm in USA and they put me on to Melbourne distributer. Rang distributer and the put me on to Melbourne agent( he rang me ). Melbourne agent ( Migwell ) asked where i was and what i wanted. Ended up fitting plug for 20amp 3 phase and put Hypertherm air/water filter to the back and delivered to my work as he was on the other side of town. Everyone from start to finish has been so helpful, just as expected.
He also gave me some spare consumables and is going to send a hat and stuff in the mail as he forgot to throw it in the car when he left.
Would recomend anyone to deal with Hypertherm ( anywhere in the world )

Anyways i get the unit home and realise that the outlet was a 10 amp, so i went and brought the right outlet and an elec. friend of mine is going to fit tommorow.
Cant wait to use the unit. Have put 2 jobs on hold just so i have something productive to cut after some experimenting. I watched the DVD enclosed. Instructions were great.

Stay Tuned...........................

[Tony D]

Got my PowerMax 45 on Thusday.
I e mailed Hypertherm in USA and they put me on to Melbourne distributer. Rang distributer and the put me on to Melbourne agent( he rang me ). Melbourne agent ( Migwell ) asked where i was and what i wanted. Ended up fitting plug for 20amp 3 phase and put Hypertherm air/water filter to the back and delivered to my work as he was on the other side of town. Everyone from start to finish has been so helpful, just as expected.
He also gave me some spare consumables and is going to send a hat and stuff in the mail as he forgot to throw it in the car when he left.
Would recomend anyone to deal with Hypertherm ( anywhere in the world )

Anyways i get the unit home and realise that the outlet was a 10 amp, so i went and brought the right outlet and an elec. friend of mine is going to fit tommorow.
Cant wait to use the unit. Have put 2 jobs on hold just so i have something productive to cut after some experimenting. I watched the DVD enclosed. Instructions were great.

Stay Tuned...........................

Good luck with your plug there and happy cutting and a big to the land down under have a good day

[specter]

Glad to hear that you got it Tony. That some name cut into that piece of roofing. As you can see it makes a very clean cut with little burning of any paint along the kerf cut.

I see we also have a happy new PowerMax 45 owner.

[Tony D]

ya I never tried writing with a plasma cutter ya I'm happy with what I've seen and glad I got this new unit instead of the 600 I was eyballing it was a liquidation item good price but too much this is fine for me

[specter]

Yeah I see how well it wrote in the roofing material without bouring the paint off. certainly did a fine line kerf on that cut.

[specter]

Say Jim did you get that PowerMax 45 intterfaced on the PlasmaCam table? Would love to see some pictures of the interface hookup.

[jimcolt]

Yes....it's all connected. I just have to connect a few things....the Torit fume extractor needs a switch wired up and an air line (it uses compressed air to reverse flow the filters for cleaning)....then I'll fire it up...probably today. The computer I was connecting ( a refurbished unit from Tiger Direct) had a bad DVD drive....so I had a hard time loading the PlasmaCam software.....I am not a computer nerd so it took me a while to figure that out! I like to get everything 100% connected before I even do my first test cut!

Jim

[specter]

Sounds like its WinXP driven. Your going to have your laptop solely for the computer interface with that PlasmaCam software? Certainly would like to know how it compares to the Phoenix software for axis control.

[jimcolt]

It is Windows driven....connects directly from the machine computer to the PlasmaCam control box via a parallel cable...just like a printer. I load the software on the machine computer...and also on my office computer. If you draw something in the office you want to cut...you just save it on a USB mini drive and load it on the machine computer. I have wireless here at home so I will try sending the files to the machine computer vie email....that should alsowork well. You can also draw parts right on the machine computer as well...the drawing package that comes with PlasmaCam is incredibly easy to learn and use.

Jim

[jimcolt]

OK...I finally made my first cuts with a Powermax45 on a new PlasmaCam DHC2 cutting machine....you can see pics of it being assembled in a post from last week. I did four cuts....one on a piece of 1/8" aluminum tread plate...just a rectangle about 4 x 2 with 4 5/16 diameter holes....then I cut a small version of a sign that I CAD drew in Autocad last year for my wifes fitness center...this signe was designed to be 4 feet wide but I scaled it down to 12" just to see how the PlasmaCam torch height control would deal with all the little bumps....it rapidly adjusted up and down and maintained the torch height perfectly. Then I cut a simple square out of 1/2"steel.....this tested the piercing capability of the Powermax45 (its rated to pierce 3/8"), as well as the height controls ability to pierce at .2"...then rapidly index down to the cut height of .08". Everything worked well. Last, I drew a part in the PlasmaCam software to make a 2" x 4" rectangle with 6 holes, 3/16", 1/4", 3/8". 1/2". 3/4" and 1"....out of 1/4" steel.....just to see how round the holes were. They are pretty close to perfect....although they are about .012" smaller on the bottom as compared to the top....very little dross on this 1/4" material. I also cut a piece of rusty 20 gauge steel.

Here are some pics:

[specter]

Very Impressive work for that table and the PowerMax 45. I like the sign work and the hole cutting.

[Tony D]

Wow JIM, that is awesome the precision that cuts with and the bumps in the diamond plate was no challenge for that thing apparently. that is why I wanted a 45 but would be a few years before a table for sure you guys there at Hypertherm may have a newer model by then.

and the panels you added to close it in really set it off they all look cheezy without the panels now LOL , for the cost they should just throw them in.

And thank you for your worker there getting that package to me today!!! WOW that was fast service and I will be posting some projects and things when I get some going.

OH ya I have HYPERTHERM stickers on the dump truck in the shop and even the daily driver. so I'm advertising for you guys down here in the hills and valleys of S/E Oklahoma and have had a few people blown away at what this little PMX 30 can do it's amazing.

Also the client I'm working for run automated plasma tables and was the welder boss for the military for 40 years and He's very impressed with the new technology and wanting to get a 45 NOW!!!! Woo Hooo

[specter]

OOOOooooooooooooooooooooo Decals.

I got a large Powermax 45 tee shirt brand new but it wouldn't fit me. Too many years of lifting and martial arts. Nnnnnnnnnnooooo I don't drink so its not the beer belly excuse for not fitting. I gave it to Brian the guy that supplied all the aluminum and steel for the test. But It wouldn't fit him either I am going to see if Hypertherm wants it back and I'll just get another one. Or maybe we'll have a show your best PowerMax 45 photo of a PowerMax 45 cut you have done! Best cut gets the Large PowerMax 45 tee shirt. With free postage.

Hey if the Chinese can have a contest so can we. Best of all no registration, no advertising signature! Just submit your best PowerMax 45 cutting picture. Hint I know my 50% above recommended max severance cut would have been a winner but I am not competing.

[Tony D]

My hat fits and I got a 30 not a 45 I want a T-shirt boo hoo maybe I can demo a 45 and abuse it and take that free shirt as I'm on spending restrictions for a while,, can't blame the wife I bought a Polaris 4-wheeler in Feb. and a husky log splitter in Mar. and my April purchase was the Powermax 30 so I'm lucky to get lunch money or a sandwich these days LOL.

[specter]

Well folks Tony is out in the lead

[Tony D]

HI, Jim

Well I told you I would post some pics when I done some cutting with my POWERMAX 30, and here is a few breaking it in at more than DOUBBLE it's Severance rating on the old 1" -1-1/4" torsion bar one side on 110v and the other side 220v WOW, I had to turn it though.

A Piece of 1/2"x5" angle cut, gouged and pierced it WOW!!!! That's a lot of piercing power.

The dross knocked right off clean, and the garage door track has a dripping side that was cut with the old Lincoln arc welder, the POWERMAX does a lot better job for sure.
The wife's unicorn came out half way decent freehand cutting for my first delicate piece WOW I'm an artist now woo hoo.

Well I'm very happy with the performance of this machine and I will no longer be snipping all that roofing tin or burning through abrasive blades cutting other stuff I will save lots of $$$$$ not buying buckets of blades or eating the cancer causing abrasive dust!!!!

(WHICH CONCERNED ME A LOT AS I've SEEN LOT OF CLOSE PEOPLE LATELY COME DOWN WITH THE CANCER!!!! THE BROTHER IN LAW,THE WIFE'S AUNT AND UNCLE MY DAUGHTER'S OLD TEACHER AND MY 2 OF MY NEIGHBORS)
ALL WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS THIS SUCKS BIG TIME AND SCARES ME.


BE CAREFUL ALL THE GARBAGE DUST YOU EAT IF YOU DON'T GET ONE OF THESE UNITS.

I do believe this will prolong my life !!!! Not eating that stuff for sure and the only way I found to keep it out of your lungs, is with a full paint/pesticide respirator as the throw away masks don't do it hardly at all and when it's summer down here you wont catch me wearing a respirator for very long that's for sure.

So health wise anyone considering plasma it is the way to go hands down HEALTH WISE (let alone saving money down the road on blades and gas alright I'm done now

Take care and don't eat the dust from them blades TONY,














NOW I'M DONE HOGGING THE THREAD BACK TO YOU GUYS

[LarryO]

here is the new addition to the family
PowerMax 45 3 phase 20 amp plug with Hypertherm air/water filter attached

first cut pics are in the Hypertherm tee shirt thread

[specter]

Hi LarryO glad to see the new addition to your family.