Piranha B Series
4×8 Plasma Cutting Table

Hypertherm ProNest® LT Smart Start is a powerful CAD/CAM nesting software designed for light industrial, mechanized cutting in production environments. It provides a single software solution for all of your conventional plasma cutting machines. ProNest® LT Smart Start helps fabricators and manufacturers increase material savings, boost productivity, reduce operating costs, and improve part quality by offering the right level of cutting expertise for your needs. It also supports Hypertherm SureCut™ technology, including easy setup, optimized process parameters, and easy trouble shooting. In addition, ProNestLT® Smart Start is backed by Hypertherm’s global network of professionals, meaning you’ll always have access to the service and support you need.

Part design and development

• Integrated 2D CAD program to create and edit CAD files
• Variable Shape Parts feature to develop common parts from templates

CAD/CAM import and conversion

• Import CAD files (industry-standard file formats)
• Raster to vector converts static images to CAD
• Automatic CAD file correction and error notification
• Automatic spline/ellipse smoothing and reduction
• Separate multiple parts from a single CAD file
• Automatic mapping of CAD layers to processes (cut, mark)

Job Set-Up

• Material database (with grade and gauge)
• Custom remnant creation (define irregular shapes
• for nesting)
• Grain constraint
• Safe zones for plate clamping applications

SureCut™ technology and built-in process expertise

• Material type, thickness, grade and class-based process parameters:
  • Separations for part, plate, and pierce spacing
  • Kerf compensation and feed rate
  • Lead-in/out style optimized for part geometry and quality
  • Cutting techniques
• Cut sequencing – automatic or manual

Interactive manual nesting

• Group parts into clusters for nesting
• Color parts according to part property
• Drag, drop, bump, and auto-bump parts on the nest
• Move, mirror, and drag to rotate parts
• Click and drag to automatically array parts
• Prohibit/permit nesting inside of a part
• Part interference detection
• Edit lead-in/out position and properties within the nest
• Animated cutting sequence simulation
• Control cut direction and cut sequencing on part-by-part basis
• Plate cropping

Detailed reporting

• Management and shop reports
• Export reports directly to PDF, Excel spreadsheet, CSV, or webpage

Automatic Nesting – nest with the click of a button. Choose a preferred nesting strategy to control the balance between nesting speed and material utilization or select “IntelliChoice” and ProNest will determine a strategy and nest. Parts are nested for maximum cutting efficiency and material utilization, without any operator intervention required.

Automatic Nesting – nest with the click of a button. Choose a preferred nesting strategy to control the balance between nesting speed and material utilization or select “IntelliChoice” and ProNest will determine a strategy and nest. Parts are nested for maximum cutting efficiency and material utilization, without any operator intervention required.

Common Line Cutting – share the common edges of adjacent parts. This feature can be applied automatically to similar parts or manually for dissimilar part profiles. Kerf compensation is applied automatically. Fewer pierces and reduced cutting distance will maximize productivity and consumable life. It also can save material by eliminating the separation between parts that otherwise becomes scrap.

Chain and Bridge Cutting – link multiple part profiles into one continuous cut. The chain can be created manually, after parts have been nested, or automatically as an array of parts. Use Bridge Cutting to create a thin web of material between parts, which helps prevent tip‑ups on small parts. This forms a single exterior profile, which can stabilize parts during separation from the plate, making them less prone to the effects of thermal movement. Both techniques result in fewer pierces and greater consumable life.

Skeleton Cut-Up – makes dedicated cuts to a sheet, making it easier to remove skeleton material from the table. Skeleton cuts are added automatically; and can be edited to meet your needs. Skeleton lines may be cut before or after the parts are cut.

Design2Fab sheet metal layout software makes it easy to create HVAC duct, mechanical, kitchen, industrial, roofing, and other specialty fitting layouts. Engineered to dramatically reduce the time it takes to develop and lay out flat patterns, Design2Fab provides sheet metal fabricators, HVAC shops, and MEP contractors with the ability to create complex custom fitting layouts in minutes, rather than hours. Design2Fab also helps ensure perfect fit-up when installing parts in the field, contributing to increased productivity and lower operating costs to accomplish more, while increasing profitability.

Starting with the parametric fittings library, you will have access to a complete range of templates including all core shapes and sizes which can be customized to virtually any design. You can apply SMACNA or DIN based shop standards to any fitting in the job, including pressure class, metal gauge, seam styles, joints, stiffeners, wrap, acoustic liner, and sealant. Once the design is complete, it can export patterns to DXF for automated cutting. You can also export patterns for manual cutting using HPGL print files, printed to a plotter, or laid out manually using XY or triangulation points.

• Comprehensive fittings library with unlimited customization
• 3D view verification of fittings
• 2D layout view of pattern fitting
• Job manager for multi-level zones
• Copy fitting or zone
• Fully customizable shop standards
• Based on SMACNA and DIN standards
• DXF export for nesting and automated cutting
• HPGL export for printing and manual cutting
• Custom seam and joint types
• Custom list of liners, wrap, sealant, stiffeners, vanes, and hangers
• Shear list – blank sizes calculated
• Fitting list – quick list of fittings in job
• Detail list – shop ticket format shows fitting, details, and dimensions
• Shear list – blank sizes calculated
• Multiple reports