Hypertherm 30xp vs 45 decision?

[dragoneggs]

Good question, she knows me too well, she's usually pretty good about things, but that might be tricky

Okay some advice. I'm not gonna tell you exactly how to do it but you have to come in from an angle that she doesn't expect. This is why you need help... cuz she probably knows you enough if at this point such that... you are even considering a road trip a welding machine manufacturing company! Now if you come up with a good idea let me know. Ha ha.

My plan was a fall trip through the deciduous forests of the NE. But not sure I can wait until next year? Oh the agony of the pursuit of happiness... I mean... new tools.

 

[blueriver]

How much money do you think I have in my shop? CNC Plasma Cutters by Tracker CNC

Yep .. It adds up!!

 

[yomax4]

Lovely... I started this thread thinking I just need to decide between the 39XP and 45. Now I'm in the hunt for a new large compressor and I'm leaning towards the more expensive 45 so I can buy a CNC plasma cutting table. Thanks guys.

There is new technology in the plasma world that many are unaware of. Thermal Dynamics Cut Master 42 is 40 amps 115v/230v cuts 1/2" on 230 3/8 on 115v 4yr warranty.. The technology part is it uses a new technology called Vent to Shield technology that lets it run on just under 3 CFM air while every other plasma cutter in the plasma world uses just under 8 CFM. With vent to shield you can use a roofing air compressor for the most part as cuts are generally less than 8". If you want to put it on a CNC table you add a 180 degree torch that would not offer VTS technology. Not a sales pitch just info on newer technology out there. Under $1000 and worth a look. Find any junk plasma and TD will take it in on trade for $400.00 making the unit around $600 with the 4yr bumper to bumper warranty. It's what I did when my Hyp 45 blew up right out of warranty ( only 3 yr warranty on Hyp )and Hypertherm offered no help. Just an FYI that's all.

 

[ThomasH]

Thanks for the info, it is always interesting to read about new technology. I googled it and found out that it was invented and patented by a couple of Chinese guys, and the rights in the US bought by Thermal Dynamics. Hypertherm also has the rights to a torch head claiming about the same thing, but I have no idea about how each actually performs. It would be great to use less air, especially in smaller units which need to be more portable, but at the same time it needs to have enough air to clear the slag from the torch head and penetrate the material. I wonder if torches that use these parts will be available as a replacement part for common use.

Then again I only use my plasma cutter once or twice a month or so, for an hour or less typically, so it's not a large issue one way or another to me.

 

[jimcolt]

First.....if anyone wants a tour of Hypertherm in Hanover and Lebanon NH, simply contact me at jim.colt@hypertherm.com. We are in 13 different buildings in Hanover and Lebanon (all pretty close) but the Powermax air plasma units are all designed, engineered built and shipped from one location, all by employee owners.

In regards to compressor sizing for any plasma cutter.....all the cutter requires is that a certain pressure is supplied to the inlet. The Hypertherm 30, 30XP and 45 all need anywhere between 90 and 125 psi at the inlet. This means that the plasma will operate on any air compressor that can supply at least 90 psi. If the flow rating of your compressor is the same as that of the plasma...then the compressor will run pretty much 100% of the time. If the compressor has a lower cfm rating....the plasma will run until the air pressure drops below 90 psi.....then the plasma will shut off the arc to protect the torch and consumables...and you can resume cutting when the pressure rises past 90 psi again. (actual shutoff is between about 80-85 psi). I often use my Powermax45 on a small Porter Cable compressor (designed for nail guns) that only flows about 3.2 cfm. I can cut continuously for about 40 seconds......which is close to 20 feet of cut on galvanized roofing, perhaps about 1 foot of cut on 3/8" steel. Most metal art will consist of short cuts with off time in between, which allows the compressor to build pressure. So...unless you are cutting long cuts, or a lot of cutting on the thickest materials....you can often use a compressor with a lower rating with perfectly fine results. Now my shop compressor flows 21 cfm.....often my cnc plasma cutter is running, unattended, and I may be using other air operated tools at the same time.

In comparison to the Cutmaster 42i.....no new technology there. Rather, it was Thermal Dynamics closing down production at a US plant, laying off many long term workers...then they started buying the 42i from a Chinese company. Jobs lost, revenue gained. No new technology...rather they buy the units from China and install their own torch (from Mexico). It's not a bad little unit, power wise it has similar cut speeds to the Powerma30XP, and a lot less power than the Powermax45. The advantages that you will notice very quickly with the Hypertherm units is with ease of use.....they are designed to drag right on the material with no effect on consumable (tip) life, you can guide them along a straightedge or template for accurate repetitive cuts, and the consumable life is far superior to any other plasma cutter brand. During a plant tour we can walk by the "wall of Patents".....there are over 130 of them, with the majority being related to increasing consumable life in plasma torches between 15 and 1000 amps of cutting power.

So, a tour is available for the Hypertherm plant, heck, I'll even show you the empty Thermal Dynamics plant which is only 8 miles away!

Jim Colt

 

[dragoneggs]

First.....if anyone wants a tour of Hypertherm in Hanover and Lebanon NH, simply contact me at jim.colt@hypertherm.com. We are in 13 different buildings in Hanover and Lebanon (all pretty close) but the Powermax air plasma units are all designed, engineered built and shipped from one location, all by employee owners. In regards to compressor sizing for any plasma cutter.....all the cutter requires is that a certain pressure is supplied to the inlet. The Hypertherm 30, 30XP and 45 all need anywhere between 90 and 125 psi at the inlet. This means that the plasma will operate on any air compressor that can supply at least 90 psi. If the flow rating of your compressor is the same as that of the plasma...then the compressor will run pretty much 100% of the time. If the compressor has a lower cfm rating....the plasma will run until the air pressure drops below 90 psi.....then the plasma will shut off the arc to protect the torch and consumables...and you can resume cutting when the pressure rises past 90 psi again. (actual shutoff is between about 80-85 psi). I often use my Powermax45 on a small Porter Cable compressor (designed for nail guns) that only flows about 3.2 cfm. I can cut continuously for about 40 seconds......which is close to 20 feet of cut on galvanized roofing, perhaps about 1 foot of cut on 3/8" steel. Most metal art will consist of short cuts with off time in between, which allows the compressor to build pressure. So...unless you are cutting long cuts, or a lot of cutting on the thickest materials....you can often use a compressor with a lower rating with perfectly fine results. Now my shop compressor flows 21 cfm.....often my cnc plasma cutter is running, unattended, and I may be using other air operated tools at the same time. In comparison to the Cutmaster 42i.....no new technology there. Rather, it was Thermal Dynamics closing down production at a US plant, laying off many long term workers...then they started buying the 42i from a Chinese company. Jobs lost, revenue gained. No new technology...rather they buy the units from China and install their own torch (from Mexico). It's not a bad little unit, power wise it has similar cut speeds to the Powerma30XP, and a lot less power than the Powermax45. So, a tour is available for the Hypertherm plant, heck, I'll even show you the empty Thermal Dynamics plant which is only 8 miles away! Jim Colt

Thanks Jim. Good info and if I get the chance I will take up in the tour offer!

 

[yomax4]

Hypertherm finally came up with a tip you can drag on the work? Wait to play catch up. Hopefully you can ditch those expensive crown looking cap things. I would probably buy another 45 if it was actually made in USA. I think the only thing of my 45 made in USA is the decal. I had the cover off after it blew up right after warranty. I could look past all of the over seas parts in the 45 if I believed that 3 year warranty was enough.

 

[jimcolt]

Yomax,

Sorry again for the issues you had with your Powermax45. We offered (I offered) to re-evaluate it for warranty coverage....I asked you on a couple of occasions for the serial number so I could look up the warranty file (every system has a file based on its serial number) and that if it looked like it may be a warranty issue we would bring it in and take a look.....you were not interested. That was a number of months ago....and I'll still honor that. You need to contact me at jim.colt@hypertherm.com.

As far as drag cutting goes, Hypertherm invented and patented shield technology for drag cutting back in 1986. Our torches can drag at up to 200 amps without double arcing the nozzle. Touching an exposed nozzle to the workpiece with any plasma operating above 30 amps dramatically shortens nozzle (tip) life. Today those patents are expired...and many other manufacturers have copied the shield technology.

Best regards, Jim Colt

Hypertherm finally came up with a tip you can drag on the work? Wait to play catch up. Hopefully you can ditch those expensive crown looking cap things. I would probably buy another 45 if it was actually made in USA. I think the only thing of my 45 made in USA is the decal. I had the cover off after it blew up right after warranty. I could look past all of the over seas parts in the 45 if I believed that 3 year warranty was enough.

 

[dragoneggs]

Well an update to this thread. Merry Christmas! ...and I am the proud new owner of a Hypertherm 45XP. I last posted in January of this year and was weighing 30xp vs. 45. Still had Miller 625xtreme on the list because of the dual voltage. In November, I visited Fabtech with tickets courtesy of yomax! Thank you. I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Colt of Hypertherm and also tried out the brand new 45XP. Decided then that this is the one. Really appreciated the time that Jim and Vince Tucker spent with me at the show.

Well this afternoon, I got a chance to unbox my new toy. Shop temp is 38degF so I am reading the manuals next to the Christmas tree. Will fire it up and cut some scraps this week hopefully but dang it's cold. Snowing tonight and a chilling breeze. Bought the unit with CPC so I can migrate to the CNC table when I expand the shop.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Well an update to this thread. Merry Christmas! ...and I am the proud new owner of a Hypertherm 45XP. I last posted in January of this year and was weighing 30xp vs. 45. Still had Miller 625xtreme on the list because of the dual voltage. In November, I visited Fabtech with tickets courtesy of yomax! Thank you. I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Colt of Hypertherm and also tried out the brand new 45XP. Decided then that this is the one. Really appreciated the time that Jim and Vince Tucker spent with me at the show.

Well this afternoon, I got a chance to unbox my new toy. Shop temp is 38degF so I am reading the manuals next to the Christmas tree. Will fire it up and cut some scraps this week hopefully but dang it's cold. Snowing tonight and a chilling breeze. Bought the unit with CPC so I can migrate to the CNC table when I expand the shop.

Awesome, keep us posted with pics.