Powermax 45 cutting 1" plate

[JiffyPark]

I know this is the extreme end of what this machine is capable of but can anybody with actual experience chime in on how it handles 1" plate? I have a need to cut a bunch of caps for some 3" x 3" square tubes and this is the tool I'm leaning towards trying to use. I don't have the cutter yet so I can't test it out myself. If it will handle the task with some clean up that is fine but if it won't we'll look at possibly going with a 65 down the road or maybe just go with a different process to cut these caps out. The 45 was on our list of tools to acquire somewhat soon but the 65 is out of budget right now. This will likely turn into an ongoing job so I'd like to make it an efficient process and not half-assed like things seem to fall into when we need to get a single project/task done.

[mechanic416]

I wouldn't over load the 45 trying to do 1".

I would use my 4x6 horizontal band saw for that task.

[JiffyPark]

I'd rather use our band saw too but the plates we get to cut down are usually too large for it. Say in the 12" x 14" range most of the time, sometimes larger. I've cut plate like this often with a Makita 4031 circ saw which works fine but I don't think it's the most efficient way of doing it.

[Brand X]

Cutting torch..O/A-O/P It will cut at the same speed as a Hypertherm 85,Victor 102 and have a excellent cut face

[CEP]

This 1-inch thick plate was cut with oxygen & propane.

[Gamble]

Bandsaw. Or 65 amps.
Lots of us here have CNC plasma tables. Maybe someone can cut them for you if anyone has 1" steel laying around.

[matt1morton]

It won't cut it. It's as simple as that. Torch it or have it done. I've got the 65 on my CNC Plasma...I think it would struggle trying to cleanly cut 1". And by cleanly, I mean cutting it so it didn't look like you used a chisel.

[Brand X]

The Hypertherm 65 will do a excellent job on 1 inch edge start plasma cutting. You will be pushing that machine in the area of duty-cycle if you cut very much of it.. There was a guy cutting 1.250 MS with a 65 (On Plasma spider) and it came out awesome. I have no doubt the edge quality, and bevel will be at least equal or superior to the 85 amp consumables, when used in a Powermax 85.. Does not really make it the correct machine to use for 1 inch though.. The O/A or O/P will be the best overall cut consistently if the parameters are correct. No duty-cycle-machine issues to deal with, and all the other things that go wrong with general air plasma cutting..

Plus why stop at 1 inch?

[jimcolt]

If you edge start and cut at about 2 " per minute.....the Powermax45 will gnaw away at 1". You will quickly exceed the duty cycle, the cuts will not be very nice. The Powermax45 is factory spec'd as a 1/2" production plasma cutter, with the ability to occasionally sever 3/4". Definitely not recommended for 1" production cutting. The production rating is where you will stay at the advertised duty cycle and you can pierce (using proper techniques).

If you said you had to cut one 4" by 4" piece of 1" plate with an edge start....I'd say go for it. When you say you need to cut a "bunch" of them...then I recommend against doing so with the Powermax45.

The Powermax65 is production rated at 5/8", severance at 1".

The Powermax85 is production rated at 3/4", severance of 1-1/4"

The Powermax105 is production rated at 7/8" and severance of 1-1/2"

The Powermax 125 is production rated at 1", severance of 1-3/4"

Best regards, Jim Colt Hypertherm

[Jess]

I think you just need to torch it.

[mad welder 4]

The thickest I ever cut with my old 40 amp Miller was 7/8 and it really didn't like it. I was only cutting strips of 7/8 thick steel that were only 3 or 4 inches wide. I would say it took well over 2 minute for each cut. I would have to offer say 7/8 is on the ragged edge of what my 40 amp machine could cut.