TR3A
03-03-2009, 02:07 PM
I couldn't take it anymore! I was getting very tired of reading (on several forums)...
Miller makes the components for Hypertherm plasma cutters.
Hypertherm makes the components for Miller plasma cutters.
Hypertherm makes both torches.
Miller makes both torches.
One company makes everything...the other paints it their color.
Hypertherm employees all wear Miller Blue clothing (just kidding).
Seriously, I've read all of the above (except the last one). Jim Colt, one of the earliest employees at Hypertherm and a new member here I see (Welcome, Jim!), mentioned to me the other day that Hypertherm makes the torches for Miller (though to a different spec), but I wondered if that was the end of the story. Do the two companies make components for each other, other than the torches? What about the power supply? Case? PC board? Doesn't seem to matter what forum I read, I still see a great deal of contradictory information out there and I wanted to know the truth. So, I wrote to Jim and asked. Here is his reply (Jim granted me permission to post this, btw).
Michael,
There used to be more back and forth business between Hypertherm and Miller. Here’s the history!
1981 or so….Miller private labels and build two large Power supplies for Hypertherm’s PAC500 (1000 Amp, Water injected plasma systems)….The model H401 and H601. These units were discontinued in the early 1990’s
Mid 1990’s…Miller agrees to use Hypertherm hand held torches on all of its plasma systems. Joint development work is done to ensure a good match between Hypertherm’s torch performance and Miller’s power supply outputs. Torches are slightly different than Hypertherm designs.
Late 1990’s…Miller agrees to work with Hypertherm to jointly design a Hypertherm private labeled power supply. Miller will build the power supply for Hypertherm in Wisconsin…and also offer a similar product with the Miller name….Hypertherm produces the torches for both. The Hypertherm unit is a 25 Amp, 120/240 volt unit called the Powermax350. This unit was later discontinued and replaced with the 27 Amp (Miller built) Powermax380. In 2007 this unit was discontinued. It was replaced by Hypertherm with the Powermax30…..which is built entirely in house at Hypertherm in NH. Miller has never made torches for Hypertherm.
Miller also builds the power supply for the Hypertherm Powermax190….which is a 12 Amp portable plasma (120 volt) that has an internal compressor. This unit is still in Hypertherm’s product line.
So…..today we have the Powermax190 …the power supply is built by Miller, the torch is built by Hypertherm. All of Miller’s torches (as far as I know) are manufactured by Hypertherm. That is all of the joint business that we currently share! All Hypertherm systems except the Powermax190 are produced at Hypertherm’s facilities in Hanover NH. All of the components for all of these systems are designed by our (large for the size of the company) engineering teams in NH…..and are produced in house…or farmed out to local companies as needed….then brought in house for assembly.
In the past it was convenient and cost effective to use Miller built power supplies….and made sense. I cannot say (because I do not know) if this trend will continue in the future or not!
Come to NH…I’ll give you a tour and you can see all of the systems being built, tested and packaged for shipment….as well as seeing the state of the art R&D, Engineering and Reliability labs.
Jim
So there you have it. Thought you guys might find it interesting...I did. And thank you, Jim!
Miller makes the components for Hypertherm plasma cutters.
Hypertherm makes the components for Miller plasma cutters.
Hypertherm makes both torches.
Miller makes both torches.
One company makes everything...the other paints it their color.
Hypertherm employees all wear Miller Blue clothing (just kidding).
Seriously, I've read all of the above (except the last one). Jim Colt, one of the earliest employees at Hypertherm and a new member here I see (Welcome, Jim!), mentioned to me the other day that Hypertherm makes the torches for Miller (though to a different spec), but I wondered if that was the end of the story. Do the two companies make components for each other, other than the torches? What about the power supply? Case? PC board? Doesn't seem to matter what forum I read, I still see a great deal of contradictory information out there and I wanted to know the truth. So, I wrote to Jim and asked. Here is his reply (Jim granted me permission to post this, btw).
Michael,
There used to be more back and forth business between Hypertherm and Miller. Here’s the history!
1981 or so….Miller private labels and build two large Power supplies for Hypertherm’s PAC500 (1000 Amp, Water injected plasma systems)….The model H401 and H601. These units were discontinued in the early 1990’s
Mid 1990’s…Miller agrees to use Hypertherm hand held torches on all of its plasma systems. Joint development work is done to ensure a good match between Hypertherm’s torch performance and Miller’s power supply outputs. Torches are slightly different than Hypertherm designs.
Late 1990’s…Miller agrees to work with Hypertherm to jointly design a Hypertherm private labeled power supply. Miller will build the power supply for Hypertherm in Wisconsin…and also offer a similar product with the Miller name….Hypertherm produces the torches for both. The Hypertherm unit is a 25 Amp, 120/240 volt unit called the Powermax350. This unit was later discontinued and replaced with the 27 Amp (Miller built) Powermax380. In 2007 this unit was discontinued. It was replaced by Hypertherm with the Powermax30…..which is built entirely in house at Hypertherm in NH. Miller has never made torches for Hypertherm.
Miller also builds the power supply for the Hypertherm Powermax190….which is a 12 Amp portable plasma (120 volt) that has an internal compressor. This unit is still in Hypertherm’s product line.
So…..today we have the Powermax190 …the power supply is built by Miller, the torch is built by Hypertherm. All of Miller’s torches (as far as I know) are manufactured by Hypertherm. That is all of the joint business that we currently share! All Hypertherm systems except the Powermax190 are produced at Hypertherm’s facilities in Hanover NH. All of the components for all of these systems are designed by our (large for the size of the company) engineering teams in NH…..and are produced in house…or farmed out to local companies as needed….then brought in house for assembly.
In the past it was convenient and cost effective to use Miller built power supplies….and made sense. I cannot say (because I do not know) if this trend will continue in the future or not!
Come to NH…I’ll give you a tour and you can see all of the systems being built, tested and packaged for shipment….as well as seeing the state of the art R&D, Engineering and Reliability labs.
Jim
So there you have it. Thought you guys might find it interesting...I did. And thank you, Jim!