Recommendations for maximum consumable life

Consumables are the parts of the torch that wear as they are used. Consumables that are near end-of-life can have a bad effect on cut quality and performance.

• LongLife® process settings can keep erosion on the emitter surface of the electrodes to a minimum. These steps occur automatically with LongLife electrode protection:
  • An automatic ramp up of the gas and current flow at the start of a cut
  • An automatic ramp down of the gas and current flow at the end of a cut
• To get the full benefits of the Hypertherm® LongLife and Arc Response Technology™, do not fire the torch into the air.
  Note:

  It is permitted to start a cut at the edge of the workpiece. However, when possible, start and stop cuts on the surface of the workpiece.

• Use the pierce settings in the cut chart database.
• When possible, do not cut metal that is magnetic or that can easily become magnetic. For example, do not cut armor plate that has a high nickel content.
• To get the full benefits of the Hypertherm automatic ramp-down error protection, select processes that have cut speeds of 3,560 mm/min (140 in/min) or less. Refer to Automatic ramp-down error protection.
• To keep the risk of catastrophic failure of a consumable part to a minimum when cut speeds are more than 3,560 mm/min (140 in/min), always do these steps when cutting:
  • Decrease the cut speed when the end of the cut is near.
  • Program torch movement into the scrap area of the workpiece.
  Note:

  When possible, use a chain cut so that the path of torch movement goes directly from one cut part to the next. This type of cut decreases the quantity of plasma arc starts and stops for multipart cutting, which can cause damage to electrodes.