Kjellberg i-CUT 200

HiFocus is Kjellberg's plasma arc constriction technology that focuses the plasma arc more tightly than conventional plasma torches. By injecting a secondary gas or using a specially designed nozzle geometry, the plasma arc is constricted to a smaller diameter — resulting in a narrower kerf (less material wasted), less angular taper on the cut wall, and higher energy density at the cut point. HiFocus technology provides cut quality approaching laser quality on material up to 20–25 mm thick, and maintains better edge quality than conventional plasma on thick material (25–60 mm). Kjellberg was one of the first plasma manufacturers to commercialize precision plasma, predating Hypertherm's High Definition and X-Definition systems.

Material-specific gas recommendations: Mild steel (air or oxygen plasma with air shield — fastest cutting, lowest consumable cost); Stainless steel (nitrogen plasma with nitrogen shield for clean oxidation-free edges, or H35 argon-hydrogen for finest edge quality); Aluminum (nitrogen or H35 for brightest cut finish; air plasma produces a rough, oxidized edge). H35 (35% hydrogen, 65% argon) provides the finest cut quality on stainless and aluminum but is the most expensive gas option. Oxygen plasma on mild steel provides 20–30% faster cutting than air at the cost of slightly higher consumable wear. The i-CUT 200 supports all these gas combinations — specify the gas supply requirements when ordering.

The Hypertherm XPR300 (300A) has 50% more power than the i-CUT 200 (200A) — providing substantially more cutting capacity on material over 50 mm. For the 25–60 mm range, both systems compete directly. Hypertherm's X-Definition technology (XPR series) provides excellent cut quality on stainless and aluminum with proprietary Vented Water Injection technology. Kjellberg's HiFocus has comparable cut quality for the applications Kjellberg targets. Hypertherm has a significantly stronger North American service network; Kjellberg has stronger European shipbuilding market presence. For European buyers, Kjellberg is often preferred; for North American buyers, Hypertherm's XPR is the dominant choice.

The i-CUT 200 provides standard CNC interface signals (arc start relay contact, arc voltage analog output for THC, arc transfer contact) compatible with virtually all CNC plasma table controllers: Burny, Proma, Kjellberg's own KM3 CNC, Siemens-based controls, and all major gantry table OEM controls. The machine's rear panel provides connection points with standard industrial connector types. Kjellberg publishes CNC interface documentation (available from Kjellberg's technical sales team) showing pinout, signal levels, and timing diagrams for integration with any controller. For custom integration, Kjellberg application engineers can provide support.

Kjellberg i-CUT 200 consumable life is material and process dependent. On mild steel with oxygen plasma: electrodes typically last 800–1,500 arc starts; nozzles 600–1,200 arc starts (nozzle wears faster than electrode on oxygen plasma). On stainless with nitrogen plasma: electrodes last 1,500–3,000 starts; nozzles 1,000–2,000 starts. Consumable life is significantly reduced by poor cut height (torch too low), excessive dross, improper gas pressure, or arc starts in contact with metal. Kjellberg genuine consumables are optimized for rated performance — third-party consumables are available but quality and life vary. Track consumable starts with the controller's arc counter for predictive replacement before quality degrades.