Initial situation for the iPlasma 2000 x 6000 project:

Our customer deals with steel construction and needs a powerful cutting system that can also cope with material thicknesses significantly greater than 25 mm. After a needs analysis, we recommended a plasma oxyfuel cutting system from MVD, which was configured according to the customer's individual requirements. A large cutting area was also particularly important, which is why the MVD iPlasma 2000 x 6000 plasma cutting system was chosen.

Plant configuration of the iPlasma oxyfuel and plasma cutting system from MVD:

With a cutting area of 2000 x 6000 mm, the MVD iPlasma cutting system was perfectly suited for the customer. The plasma source is the proven Hypertherm XPR300 , whose high power is perfectly applied to the materials to be processed with the matching Hypertherm torch head. This configuration exactly meets the requirements of the customer, who wanted a marking function in addition to the cutting function. Due to the sometimes very thick materials, a plasma cutting system was the first choice, as material thicknesses of up to 80 mm can be easily handled with an iPlasma from MVD. In conjunction with the optional oxyfuel process, even materials up to 200 mm thick can be cut.

The customer uses an automatic suction system for the extraction of welding or cutting gases and corresponding pollutants, which we equipped with a filter unit including suction fan of the SNK 6000 type. The MVD iPlasma 2000 x 6000 also offers high working speed, precision and stability during processing. This is made possible in part by a bridge driven on both sides by Mitsubishi A/C precision servo motors. These high-performance components guarantee a very high level of precision that does not significantly diminish even after years of use under difficult conditions.

Control of MVD iPlasma by means of EDGE CONNECT CNC system

The MVD plasma cutting system with Hypertherm components is controlled by the industry standard EDGE CONNECT CNC. This control system represents the latest generation of Hypertherm development and provides a very fast introduction to the operation of the iPlasma. The patented CutPro Wizard enables even new operators to achieve their first cutting results within minutes. The fully automatic control system is based on integrated communication between the main components of the plasma cutting system for height control of the torch. Expert cut charts are supplied ex works, but can of course also be individually adapted to the customer's specifications.

Efficient nesting through Hypertherm ProNest nesting software

The term nesting refers to the stacking or nesting of products or processes. Efficient nesting can increase part quality and productivity while reducing operating costs. ProNest helps customers save material and supports both automatic and manual nesting of parts.

Higher cutting quality through the use of the Hypertherm OPTIMIX console:

When cutting stainless steel and aluminum, the use of shielding gas is common. Alternatively, with the right equipment, the shielding gas can also be replaced by water, which significantly increases the cutting quality for aluminum and stainless steel. When cutting mild steel, on the other hand, lower precision is sufficient, which is why inert gas is the more economical solution here. To remain flexible, we integrated a Hypertherm OPTIMIX console into the MVD iPlasma cutting system for the customer. It uses both the so-called F5 HDi process and Vented Water Injection (VWI), thus enabling hybrid operation. The customer can now switch between using inert gas and water. The Hypertherm OPTIMIX is currently considered the world's most flexible gas console unit on the market. When mixing the shielding gas, the customer also has the option of working with different gas mixtures (Ar, H2 and N2), whereby the hydrogen gas can be fed in separately. Thus, various options are available for all common materials, which the customer can adapt according to the desired degree of precision.

The Hypertherm TRUE HOLE technology of the MVD iPlasma

When machining structural steel, the insertion of holes is useful for a variety of reasons. Whether to pass cables, bolts and piping, or to reduce dead weight, precise holes are essential in structural steel. Hypertherm's TrueHole technology produces high-quality holes up to 25 mm thick in mild steel. Hole quality is significantly better than previous plasma solutions for processing mild steel. TrueHole technology enables automatic adjustments without additional parameter entry or other operator adjustments.

Highlights of the MVD iPlasma 2000 x 6000 project:

  • Hypertherm XPR300 plasma source with Hypertherm torch head for material thicknesses up to 80mm

  • Oxyfuel torch head for up to 200mm material thickness

  • 2000x6000mm cutting area

  • Double sided drive bridge with Mitsubishi servo motors

  • Locally running automatic suction system incl. filter unit

  • EDGE CONNECT CNC control system

  • OPTIMIX gas console (Ar, H2 and N2)

  • True Hole®, part of Hypertherm's SureCut ™ technology

  • Pronest® LT nesting software CAD / CAM

Project gallery: Get a visual impression of the complete plasma cutting system