Why high quality air is essential for your Powermax system

If you own a Powermax air plasma system now or are considering purchasing one, keep air quality in mind. Air quality determines the level of productivity and success you can attain, high quality air is critical for peak Powermax performance.

We all know we need dry, clean air. It’s why many invest in a filtering system for their air compressor and may feel confident that their shop air is dry and clean. But what happens to the air after it leaves the compressor?

When air travels around the shop, sometimes through hundreds of meters of pipe, condensation builds up in the lines due to temperature variations. Also, a single line of air might be feeding air to several tools. Since each tool is lubricated at the connection point, that oil can feed back into the air line, passing this contaminant downstream. By the time the air reaches the Powermax system, this build up of moisture and impurities are fed directly into the Powermax system. This significantly decreases consumable life, compromises cut quality, and may even cause harm to the torch and power supply.

For the best performance, it’s important to filter the air yet again at the Powermax gas inlet. Hypertherm offers a special air filter for just this reason. It prevents water and particles from reaching the plasma system. If you already have a filter, great. If not, then I strongly recommend you buy one. This filter will save you money in the long run by extending the life of your consumables, torch, and power supply. It will also improve cut quality.

Installing the air filter

Hooking up the filter is easy. You can either install it on the back of your Powermax, just like you see in the photo above, or mount it on the wall with our custom wall bracket. This way, when you hook your air line up to this filter, you can ensure the air feeding to the Powermax system is dry and clean.

You can order this air filter kit by itself here. The part number is 128647. You can also purchase the filter in a kit with a protective steel guard that protects the filter from getting knocked out of place. You can also purchase this guard separately if you already have the filter. These part numbers can be found on our website.

Lastly, keep in mind that for your filter to work, you’ll need to routinely change out the 1-micron filter element inside it. The sight glass on top of the filter unit will change from green to red, signalling it’s time to do that. Replacing the element is easy. Unscrew the filter bowl, take out the old filter element, and replace it with a new one. Then screw the bowl back into place. The part number for a replacement filter element is 011092 and can be ordered here.

With the addition of this air filter, the potential cost savings cannot be overstated. You will save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over the life of the Powermax system.