True Hole technology expands product line

Company overview: T & J Manufacturing

T & J Manufacturing is a second-generation full-service welding, machining, and fabrication shop specializing in burial vault lowering devices, thin gauge hydraulic tanks, shroud work, and fenders. Founded in 1982, T & J has nine employees in the shop and four in the office. All plasma cutting and production is completed in one shift. Driven by regular customers with weekly orders that dictate the production cycle, the company advanced from oxyfuel cutting to plasma cutting a few years ago.

Challenge: Drive for continuous improvement focuses on bolt hole quality

T & J is focused on continually improving the quality of its products to generate happier customers and drive business growth through referrals and word-of-mouth. “We make the best products we can to make customers as happy as they can be,” said Production Manager Jeremy Gilmore.

The company realized significant benefits from upgrading their metal cutting processes from oxyfuel to Hypertherm plasma, CNC, and THC, but they were still utilizing punching and drilling. T & J decided it was time to learn more about the next level of cutting precision. They wanted to evaluate if plasma-cut bolt hole quality could be improved and enable them to reduce material handling and secondary operations.

Solution: True Hole technology improves the quality of plasma cut holes

After learning about True Hole technology for mild steel during a visit to the Hypertherm booth at the FabTech trade show, T & J asked their table manufacturer what investment the XD upgrade and True Hole^® technology would require (in terms of time, money, and training) and how the upgrade would benefit their cutting process and finished products. Most importantly, they wanted to understand how True Hole technology could improve the quality of their plasma cut holes.

It took a few months to make the decision to invest in the technology upgrade. To upgrade, T & J had to purchase and install the XD upgrade kit – with a new torch and leads – and update their software to ProNest^®. Working with their table manufacturer, they determined that installing the upgrade would be most cost-effective if performed during a previously scheduled preventative maintenance visit.

Gilmore noted, “The upgrade looked like something we could do ourselves, but it made sense to us to have our OEM do it during their yearly PM visit so they could check everything on the table and then train us on the changes.”

HyPerformance plasma systems

HyPerformance plasma systems deliver superior productivity in X-Y, bevel, marking, and robotic cutting applications on metal ranging up to 160 mm (6.25 inches) thick. The combination of faster cutting speeds, rapid process cycling, quick changeovers, and high reliability dramatically lowers operating costs while boosting overall performance, productivity, and profitability. HyPerformance plasma systems deliver the ultimate in HyPerformance mild steel cutting, plus aluminum capability and unmatched stainless steel cut quality.

Benefits of using HyPerformance HPRXD plasma include:

• HyPerformance plasma cuts fine-feature parts with superior quality and consistency.

• The HPRXD cuts, bevels, and marks carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and other metals with HyDefinition precision.

• Faster cutting speeds deliver more parts per hour.

• Higher quality cutting virtually eliminates the cost of secondary operations.

• Patented PowerPierce technology can pierce thicker materials than ever before and replaces slower-cutting oxyfuel technology.

True Hole technology

True Hole technology produces significantly better hole quality than what was previously possible using plasma. Historically, machine operators had difficulty achieving good hole quality directly off the plasma cutting table. Holes required secondary processes like drilling to fix divots and bumps and improve hole roundness. True Hole embeds process expertise and parameters to cut perfect, bolt-ready holes, narrowing the gap with laser hole quality and making plasma suitable for many jobs previously cut with laser.

True Hole can be used on mild steel to produce holes where the diameter-to-material thickness ranges from 2:1 to 1:1. It's designed to improve hole quality by reducing taper and increasing roundness, and can be used on holes up to one inch in diameter. True Hole can also be used on stainless steel and aluminum, and can provide other benefits such as faster cut speeds, increased piercing capability, and longer consumable life. 

True Hole technology benefits include:

• Bolt hole quality is delivered automatically, without operator intervention.

• True Hole technology reduces the need for secondary processes, completing jobs in fewer steps and increasing productivity.

• It virtually eliminates hole taper and improves roundness.

• Ding/divot is reduced and biased to the outside of the hole.

• True Hole delivers true bolt-ready holes.

Business impact: Significant improvement in bolt hole quality helps business grow

The first benefit T & J realized from their investment was a significant improvement in bolt hole quality.

In addition to the bolt-ready holes, Gilmore has also seen an improvement in slots. “It wasn’t something we were expecting when we chose to upgrade, but the better slots have led us to other uses, like cutting 3-inch-tall letters in ¼ inch plate, something new for us and it did a nice job.”

The new True Hole capability has increased business with customers drawn to the quality, and Gilmore anticipates that the technology upgrade, including ProNest, will pay for itself in as little as three or four months. “True Hole improves the look and quality of our products, and ProNest makes it easy.”

Learn how Hypertherm’s TrueHole technology delivers true bolt-ready holes. Click the button below, fill out the form, and a Hypertherm product expert will contact you.