A question about the Electrode and the Tip.

[eSCHEn]

Cripes - I'm glad I've got a crummy cut50 with no pilot arc then!

Ditto man. I was wanting a pilot arc unit but ended up with one that doesn't. Pretty glad now!

 

[Jim Davey]

What's the problem with pilot arc? It helps to see the start of the cut when you've got your visor down. Just keep your mitts clear like you do when using a grinder or a saw.

 

[skotl]

What's the problem with pilot arc? It helps to see the start of the cut when you've got your visor down. Just keep your mitts clear like you do when using a grinder or a saw.

I suspect pilot arc with a decent torch would be relatively safe if treated with respect, but my cheapie cutter has a hair-trigger with that sellotaped-on switch on top of the torch, so I'm always accidentally firing it when picking it up or putting down. Combine that with a pilot arc and I'd have no fingers left.

 

[HughF]

Chinese torches with no trigger safety + pilot arc = recipe for accident.

Look at most/all trafimet pilot arc torches, safety triggers.

I've got a cut50, wish I had something with pilot arc though... Powermax45 for my birthday perhaps.

 

[Jim Davey]

I tried the GYS Plasma 85 today, what a nice piece of kit that was. All the usual features, mesh cut mode, gouge etc but this had trigger latch so you could initiate a cut then take your finger off the trigger and carry on (that felt weird at first) and then tap again to stop. A TFT monitor with electronically controlled air pressure regulation and automatic air flow compensation for tip wear, plus a manual override, and it cut beautifully.
Clean cut on mild up to 30mm, I forget the severance but it was decent.
New model do release prices aren't set yet but it's expected to undercut the Hypertherm (no pun intended) by a decent margin and provide a genuine quality alternative. It even has the option of s CNC interface for a plasma table application, I was suitably impressed.

 

[HughF]

Do they do a competitor to the powermax45 Jim? I was looking at the Hypertherm but was wondering what alternatives there were?

 

[Davek0974]

The tips do melt if the arc is not transferred to the metal to be cut, there is a fantastic amount on energy in that tiny plasma stream.

If anyone's interested I am selling my Hypertherm 30XP system as I want to get the 45 model with a cnc torch.

Its 1 year old, lots of consumables with it, plastic carry chest, mint condition.

Brand new they run £1500, am trying to get around £1200