The ABCs of PAC
For the history of the Plasma cutting technology, it started from the simple air plasma cutting machine. The air was been produced as plasma status by the high voltage electricity inside the torch body and blow out from the nozzle like a oliver shape to the inductive metal (base material) and melt it. So you will understand that how to design and produce a swirl air (or gas) under controls is very important. -- So that why the plasma torch is very important and as one of key factor to affect the cutting performance.
From this technical path, we have the PROCUT (POWERCUT), HD, MAX, XD PRO as you knew.
Even it's a simple air plasma system, it still made a very good cutting performance, because of the true high arc voltage and true good torch structures.
The arc could be concentrated by the built-in air swirling system and the consumables (electrode especially) were well cooled.
But, due to the physical reasons, as an air-cooling torch system, to keep in a best condition (lifetime of consumables & cutting performance) the max power would be up to 130 Amps. (We also have the POWERCUT 160HD with air cooling torch but we do not promote it officially for the same reason).
Besides, as a simple air plasma system, the arc performance would be limited by the torch system.
So, for this series of the plasma cutting systems, it's suitable for the cutting capacity up to aroud 16mm steels (for CNC quality cutting purpose).
To satisfy the requirements of cutting thicker steels and continually large size cutting jobs, we have the HD200/300/400 series.
The torch body was fully water-cooled till the end of consumable, it's not only significantly extends the lifetime of the consumables, but also makes the arc additionally concentraded. Plus the dual air system designs, the cutting capacity is dramatically increased, with a better cutting performance.
The max power could be up to 400 Amps or even more (depends on the torch capacity).
If compare with the PROCUT series in the same thickness (for example, 12mm), by the HD series, it's more faster, cleaner, and much better cut angle (more vertical taper). Also as it's water cooled torch system, it suitable for large cutting jobs continually. -- The HD was designed for serious heavy industrial plasma cutting applications.
But, the HD is only a conventional duall gas system. What if the customers require a high definition cutting performance?
It's not only suitable for a better cutting of steels by Oxygen gas, but also very suitable for Stainless steels (alloys) by H35/N2/F5 gas etc.
We name it as MAX is because, compare with the HD series, for same thickness, it make a better cutting quality, more faster cutting speed, longer lifetime of the consumables... it's the MAX productivity.
So if you are wondering why the HD with reference specification of max cutting capacity up to 70-100mm, but in the table you could not find such specification for MAX series, that's the reason: nobody care about it as everybody want this MAX series for High-definition cutting jobs, nobody use this expensive torch system to do such toughly max cut-off job which is too waste of the costs (lifetime for such torch is never considered for max thickness over 50 mm).
XD Pro: it's a full digital plasma system that comes with an integrated plasma control system and nesting software to the CNC machine. It's not suitable for individual clients to buy (we only supply to the CNC manufactures within a total solution package).