Every new technology, from automobiles to televisions, goes through an evolutionary period where the design develops from the early, rudimentary concept to modern, refined, and user-focused. If you think back to your first computer or cell phone, it bore little resemblance to the advanced tablets and smart phones of today.

The torches found on today's plasma cutting systems are no different. The first torches were squared-off, clunky hunks of plastic that looked more like a child's toy hammer than high-tech cutting equipment. These torches did the trick when plasma cutting was in its infancy, but as plasma cutting and gouging evolved, it became clear the torches needed to change to withstand harsher conditions and meet a wider variety of needs.

Many people think that the torch is only important as a holder for the consumables. After all, it is the consumables in the torch that make a plasma system work: the electrode carries the charge necessary to create the plasma from the power supply; the swirl ring forces the flow of the resulting plasma into a vortex; and a nozzle constricts and directs the plasma until it is focused enough for cutting. Indeed, most of the early technology development centered around improving consumable design for increased ease of use and efficiency. For example, in the late 1980s, the introduction of blowback torch technology eliminated the need for high-frequency starts and the advent of shielded nozzles enabled the operator to drag the torch directly on the metal being cut (now commonly called drag-cutting).

Operators saw immediate benefits from these technological improvements. Contact-start systems eliminated interference with other shop equipment, while drag-cutting resulted in smoother, easier cuts that allowed users to follow a straight edge or template. Other improvements focused on safety, like the addition of a safety trigger to eliminate accidental torch firing and a "parts-in-place" circuit to ensure consumables were properly installed before firing the torch. The addition of quick-disconnects, like Hypertherm's one-button FastConnect