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CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT | ||||
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Sasker Manufacturing, in Onamia, Minnesota, makes parts for bucket elevator legs and conveyers which are used by the agricultural industry to transport and manage food supplies, such as grain, or ancillary items, like fertilizer. The elevator legs, made with a combination of mild and stainless steel, enclose the bucket elevator systems with walls that range from 12 to 7 gauges thick. Sasker uses plasma to cut pressure relief vents into the leg walls.
The company has been using Hypertherm plasma for nearly 25 years, beginning with a Hypertherm MAX40, considered the “cat’s meow” when it replaced their shears back in 1988. A fleet of Hypertherm systems now grace Sasker’s facility. Recently though, the company ran into issues with an old mechanized MAX200 system. Because the repair costs would have exceeded the system’s value, their service technician recommended Sasker buy a new plasma system. Since their applications only required cutting up to 3/8” metal, the old MAX200 was really more machine then Sasker needed. Their distributor felt Hypertherm’s new Powermax105, which had recently replaced the Powermax1650, was a better match for Sasker’s cutting needs. Sasker took their distributor’s advice and couldn’t be happier. The system cuts metal within their thickness range and because it’s a newer and more efficient system, Sasker is seeing lower operating costs. Sasker Foreman Dennis Goplen notes “The Powermax105 is far more compact and weighs less. We’ve had it a month and it already appears better on consumable life. Moreover, the torch is air cooled, which is cheaper than liquid cooling, and plasma is the fastest and cleanest way to cut a hole or odd contour.” Used in both hand-held and mechanized set-ups, the Powermax105 uses Hypertherm’s new Duramax torch technology. This technology features seven different torch designs so users can choose the best torch for their job. The designs include torches for hand cutting, gouging, portable automation, X-Y table cutting, and robotic cutting and gouging. Duramax torches work on older Hypertherm air plasma systems as well, such as the Powermax1000, Powermax1250, Powermax1650, MAX42 and more helping companies with multiple systems consolidate the number and type of consumables needed. When compared to the T60, T80, and T100 torches, Duramax torches deliver up to 55 percent longer consumable life, and up to six times the life compared to the PAC121, PAC123, and PAC125 style torches. Owner John Sasker says, “This machine is really overkill for what we need, but it is better to have the capability and not need it, then wish you had it. Our business has changed over the years; the metal we are now cutting is thicker and heavier. If that trend continues, I’ll be prepared with the Powermax105.” |
