Machitech Pipe Cut SL

Small-bore pipe is the territory of the Machitech Pipe Cut SL. It profiles round pipe from 1.6 in (41 mm) to 12 in (305 mm) in diameter over a cutting zone of 21 ft or 42 ft, with a Hypertherm Powermax air plasma or the XPR170.

Machitech describes it as a standalone system, and the word marks the difference from the larger Pipe Cut. Nothing is conveyed in. An operator rolls each pipe on from the front, onto rollers spaced every 18 in (457 mm) along the whole length. The roller support is dual stage: lifting rollers rise for loading, then lower so that rotating wheels carry the pipe while it turns. The chuck is set by hand for height and clamped by hand.

That manual chuck is the main trade against the bigger machine, and for a shop cutting batches of one diameter it costs little. For mixed diameters every change is an adjustment. The rated workpiece weight of 25 lbs/ft also sets a limit; heavy-wall pipe near the top of the diameter range should be checked against it.

Cut quality figures match the large line: 500 ipm (12,700 mm/min) maximum cutting speed, 0.002 in (0.05 mm) positional accuracy and 0.001 in (0.03 mm) repeatability. A manual bevel head is included, so mitres and simple weld preps are possible without the optional 5-axis head. Fume extraction is by zone downdraft and through the chuck, though the dust collector is not included. The gantry runs on the patented inverted rails, torch height is automatic, and a magnetic breakaway protects the torch. PypeServer software and the NX4 control complete it.