Frequently asked questions

That depends on several factors. You have to take several things into consideration: the air quality, the material and the number of piercings. Is your machine set up correctly and are you using clean materials? Then consumables will last up to 1 to 3 hours.

An exception is the MaxPro 200 plasma source for the Swift-Cut XP. This source increases the lifespan of consumables (and therefore reduces costs) thanks to various technologies such as LongLife, CoolFlow™ and TrueFlow™.

The Pro and XP series machines are accurate to +/- 0.4 mm.

1. CAM software → select sheet material and thickness
2. CAM software → nesting
3. CAM software → nesten
4. CAM software → create CNC
5. Machine → import CNC
6. Machine → use the correct parts on the plasma source
7. Machine → cut piece

You upload your DXF/DWG drawings into the SwiftCAM software from your own folders, network or USB stick. Uploading is very simple: you select the file and then click ‘import’. JPEG images are imported in the same way. After importing the images, you can then use the advanced image import function to clean up, scale or delete the drawing.

Once you have imported everything, follow the step-by-step process to nest your parts.

• Turn off the plasma source using the main switch.
• Unscrew the cartridge from the torch.
• Check and, if necessary, replace the cartridge with a new one.
• Turn the plasma source back on with the main switch.

There are many variables to take in consideration. You have to take in account the costs for power, compressed air, gases, cutting parts, the operator and routine maintenance. These variables make it difficult to put an exact rate on how much it costs to plasma cut.
Plasma cutting, compared to waterjet cutting, is cheaper, though.

The cost of plasma cutting compared to laser cutting depends on the thickness of the material. The thickness determines the cutting speed of your laser. With thinner materials, laser cutting is usually cheaper than plasma cutting.

Swift-Cut software is extremely user-friendly. Step by step, the software helps you nest your drawing or parametric shape and generate your CNC code. There are even different screen layouts to choose from depending on your knowledge and experience. This allows both beginners and experienced users to get started.

When you purchase a Swift-Cut cutting machine, you will always receive professional training on site.

Of course you can! You can see a demonstration of different cutting technologies and cutting machines at our site.

You can use any CAD programme on the Swift machines. As long as you can save the files in a DXF/DWG format, you can open them in the SwiftCAM software without any problems.

Swift-Cut plasma machines integrate seamlessly with Hypertherm plasma sources and torches. If you already have a Hypertherm plasma source, depending on its age, we can advise which parts are needed to connect it to one of our machines.

Yes. If you want to cut by hand, you need to disconnect the machine torch and CNC. Afterwards you can connect your hand torch. In addition, you need to put the material on the cutting bed of the Swift-Cut to make use of the mass. You can also connect a separate ground cable if you want to work without the Swift-Cut.

Have you finished cutting manually? Then you reconnect the machine torch and CNC.

No problem at all. We have many customers who cut profiles on our plasma cutting machines. The maximum height allowed on the machine is 100 mm for the Pro and 150 mm for the XP.

• When you cut very thin sheets, they will not be pressed down during the plate detection. This ensures the correct ignition and piercing height.
• When there’s a foil or primer on the plate, or when the plate is very dirty, correct plate detection can still be done.

When cutting holes with a standard single gas air plasma cutter, you can follow the 2xD rule. This means that your smallest hole should have a diameter twice the size of the material thickness. This way, you maintain good cutting quality and tolerance.

For example: when you have a sheet that’s 5 mm thick, the minimum diameter for cutting a hole will be 10 mm.

All our machines automatically calculate the best starting point, cutting height and cutting speed. This results in perfectly cut holes.

In the case of CNC plasma power sources, it’s best to look at its piercing capacity first. This is the maximum thickness you can cut with the plasma source. After that, you look at your own production. Which materials do I cut the most and need to be cut smoothly? 80% of the cutting power of your plasma power source should be large enough to cut those materials smoothly and qualitatively.

For example: you usually cut sheets with a thickness of 40 mm. In that case, you need a cutting power of 50 mm.

This ensures that your parts wear out less quickly and that your cuts are of a higher quality.

The power supply of your plasma cutter is determined by the maximum power of your chosen plasma source. Depending on how you configure your machine, we will be happy to advise you on the needed power supply.

Plasma is used only for conductive materials. The three most popular ones are mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium. But you can also cut copper, brass, titanium, Hardox, Inconel and cast iron with plasma.

All consumables can be purchased at WCW.