How Doppelmayr gains efficiency with the Hypertherm HPR cartridge

Company overview: Doppelmayr Group

Since 1893, the Doppelmayr Group has provided the best mountain experiences, beginning with a ride on a surface lift and expanding into chairlifts, gondolas, and tramways. Doppelmayr notably represents quality, technology, and market leadership in constructing ropeways for passenger and material transport, as well as high-tech intralogistics solutions. The company looks back on 130 years of corporate history and a century of experience in planning, development, design, production, and construction of ropeways. This proven technology and the reliability achieved with it have helped make ropeways a popular and high-performance mobility solution in skiing and recreation regions, as well as in cities worldwide.

Challenge: Doppelmayr needed to increase manufacturing uptime when cutting metal parts

Doppelmayr has constructed over 15,000 ropeways in 96 countries, and demand for its reliable, high-performance mobility solutions for skiing and recreation regions continues to grow. They needed a more efficient way to cut quality metal parts for their lift towers. High-quality products that ensure customer safety and comfort are top priorities for Doppelmayr.

Solution: An HPRXD plasma system with an HPR cartridge increases manufacturing uptime

Doppelmayr had been cutting with a Hypertherm HyPerformance HPRXD plasma system using the standard five-piece consumable stack-up. When Hypertherm Associates launched the HPR cartridge, a single-piece consumable, Doppelmayr became an early adopter and saw immediate benefits, including longer life, faster changeovers, lower operating costs, and improved productivity. The HPR cartridge speeds up consumable management and assembly and eliminates errors caused by incorrect parts or installation.

HPR cartridge for HPRXD systems – consumable management made easy

The Hypertherm HPR cartridge represents a revolutionary change to traditional mechanized plasma consumables. The cartridge replaces a five-piece consumable stack-up with one easy-to-install cartridge, making consumable management significantly more straightforward and increasing productivity through faster consumable changeovers.

The HPR cartridge lasts longer than a traditional stack-up. On average, the HPR cartridge lasts twice as long as a standard stack-up, resulting in fewer consumables used and lower costs.

Because each new cartridge has all new consumables that are perfectly aligned and designed to wear consistently, each cartridge delivers enhanced cut quality extended through the component's life. 

Replacing traditional consumables requires carefully examining multiple consumables to determine which parts are worn. Since consumables do not wear evenly, the operator needs to replace the worn parts and reinstall the still usable parts. The operator must carefully use the right consumables for the current job and in the correct order and orientation.     

Replacing the cartridge takes under 10 seconds. It also requires no tools and can be done without removing the torch. Faster consumable changeovers reduce downtime, enabling companies like Doppelmayr to gain efficiency.

Since operators do not have to keep track of five different consumables that wear at varying rates, the costs associated with purchasing, inventory, managing, and storing consumables are reduced.

HPR cartridge simplifies operator training

Finding and keeping skilled labor is a challenge for our industry. Working with plasma consumables takes expertise. The HPR cartridge removes the guesswork around consumable assembly and inspection.

HPR cartridges are marked, eliminating costly stack-up errors resulting in expensive rework, plate damage, torch and consumable failures, and downtime. Marked cartridges also enable faster consumable changeovers.

Business impact: Faster changeovers increase efficiency and uptime

Doppelmayr was able to simplify its cutting processes and increase manufacturing uptime with the HPR cartridge. The HPR cartridge delivers effortless consumable changeovers, increasing productivity. 

To review the benefits of  Hypertherm single-piece cartridge for HPRXD systems, click the button below, fill out the form, and a Hypertherm product expert will contact you.