Hypertherm Accepts Educational Grant Applications

Hypertherm Inc. (Hanover, NH), a U.S.-based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, is now accepting applications for their Spark Something Great educational grant program, now in its fourth year, which will award a Powermax45® XP plasma system to ten schools in the United States and Canada. In addition, grant recipients will receive the full Plasma Cutting Technology: Theory and Practice curriculum kit and several hours of in-person training from a plasma expert.

This program is meant to support the next generation of welders and metal fabricators by making the newest generation of plasma cutting equipment and standardized instruction available to schools. To date, the company has awarded systems for 30 schools. Applications for 2018 are due on or before April 2, with grant decisions communicated by May 1. More information, including instructions for submitting an application, is available by clicking here.

“We’re committed to providing a variety of educational resources for metal fabrication students and their instructors,” said Betsy Van Duyne, who manages Hypertherm’s educational program. “Proper training on the latest cutting technologies is critical for today’s students, who need to know more than just oxyfuel cutting when they graduate. The Powermax45 XP is a perfect system for this purpose since it gives teachers the flexibility to teach both handheld and mechanized cutting, as well as applications such as gouging, flush cutting and marking with air plasma.”

In addition to the grant program, the company will continue to make all ten hours of their AWS SENSE-approved Plasma Cutting Technology: Theory and Practice curriculum available for free download to teachers. This curriculum covers the plasma cutting process, common industrial uses for plasma systems, the differences between various cutting methods, safety procedures, as well as proper setup and operation. Electronic versions of each lesson, a facilitator’s guide, student workbook, and supporting reference material are all available by clicking here. To date, teachers from more than 1,000 schools have taken advantage of the free download helping standardize the teaching of plasma cutting to thousands of students.

www.hypertherm.com