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IN THIS ISSUE

-Cutting consumable costs with a few simple steps
-Preserving the pilot arc to cut expanded metal

-Ask Jim: hole sizes and metal thickness
-Behind the scenes movie magic with plasma

Join us to celebrate American manufacturing with special "American Built. Building America." articles in this and future issues of SPARK. Just look for the picture like the one at right.



LETTER FROM HYPERTHERM

The recently published March new jobs report for the U.S. was a disappointment to many after a string of more robust reports over the mild winter. Over 8% of the workforce remains unemployed, or more than 14% when you count the underemployed. And yet, a recent report from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute states that American manufacturers have as many as 600,000 current openings they are unable to fill in skilled manufacturing positions like machinists, operators, and technicians.




CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Sarka Conveyors & Automation and parent company, Sarka Sheet Metal & Fab Inc. in Tiffin, Ohio are custom fabricators serving companies in the automotive, manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and HVAC industries. The company designs, builds and automates a broad range of material handling and conveyor systems that transport, count and separate parts or materials for customers like Bridgestone APM, Dana Holding Corporation, Cooper Tire, and Whirlpool Appliance.




TECHNOLOGY TIP

OPERATOR MANUALS
Hypertherm's technical service team gets calls all the time from customers who have lost their owner's manual and would like to download a new one. In response, the team's spring tip explains how to download a replacement manual right from our website. They hope this can potentially save you time (and a phone call) the next time you have a consumable, repair part, or system function question.




LIVE LEARNING

CUTTING EXPANDED METAL
Continuous pilot arc, a mode available on all Powermax systems, is especially useful for cutting expanded metal. See how preserving the pilot arc can significantly speed up cut times and avoid retriggering in this video from the Hypertherm Cutting Institute.

TIPS TO SAVE MONEY ON CONSUMABLES
Hypertherm's Jim Colt presents "Best Practices for the Best Consumable Life and Performance". Learn how to use fewer consumables without sacrificing cut quality or performance in this one hour educational webinar.

For more live learning opportunities, visit the Hypertherm Cutting Institute, a free online community where you can interact with other people who use plasma.
 


SUCCESS STORIES

Movie makers are constantly coming up with new ways to wow the crowd. And while it may look effortless, the effort required to bring the magic of Hollywood to life is exhausting; requiring skill, dedication, and hours upon hours of work. Sixteen and seventeen hour days aren't unusual when working on a movie. Just ask Russell Bobbitt, a property master behind summer blockbusters like Iron Man, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes.




Ask Jim

HOLES WITH LOWER AMP PLASMA
Q.
What is the good rule of thumb when cutting a hole for a bolt to pass through? I have some 1/2" flanges to cut and the holes are supposed to have a diamater near a half inch. I don't want to cut the part only to find out the holes aren't usable.  For this job, I was planning to use a  Powermax65 with a 65 Amp nozzle at 65 Amps. However, I also have a 45 Amp system and FineCut consumables that I can use as well.

A.  I use a one-to-one ratio for good quality hole diameter to plate thickness on steel. The key to good holes is as follows.




Hypertherm Innovations


A major new release of ProNest is now available. ProNest 2012 contains a number of new features and comprehensive improvements to make it even easier for users to increase the cut quality, productivity, and profitability of their cutting operation; whether using plasma, laser, oxyfuel, waterjet, or combination punch.




Special Promotions


Hypertherm is pleased to announce our "American Built. Building America." program. Help us celebrate the products, infrastructure, and institutions that have built this country's greatness for more than 200 years. Enter to win one of 50 limited edition Hypertherm jackets, or receive a special shirt with the purchase of any Powermax30 or Powermax45. Let people know that building America still matters! Learn more.



On the Road

See us in action at one of the many regional shows we attend. It is a great opportunity to learn from our thermal cutting experts and get the answers you need to meet today's cutting challenges. A sampling of shows planned for this spring includes:

-Montreal Manufacturing Technology
-Northern Welding Trade Show
-Skills USA

See our full schedule and start planning your trip.



Product Portfolio

Powermax Plasma
Mechanized Plasma
HyIntensity Fiber Laser
Hypertherm Consumables
Centricut Consumables
Automation Controls
CAM Software



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Hypertherm, Inc
  |  21 Great Hollow Rd  | PO Box 5010  |  Hanover, NH 03755 USA  |  (603) 643-3441

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