Patent ID: 8853588

Claim:
A portable plasma arc cutting system comprising: a power supply; a plasma torch attachable to the power supply and generating a plasma arc for cutting a workpiece; a gas valve disposed in the portable plasma arc cutting system or the plasma torch, the gas valve establishing a gas flow rate or a gas pressure in the plasma torch; a controller within the portable plasma arc cutting system and in communication with the power supply, the controller capable of automatically manipulating the gas valve to establish the gas flow rate or the gas pressure based upon a predetermined operating condition; and a user activated switch in communication with the controller, the switch having a first setting which causes the controller to automatically establish the gas flow rate or the gas pressure based upon the predetermined operating condition, and a second setting which causes the controller to establish one of a user-determined gas flow rate or a user-determined gas pressure by increasing or decreasing the gas flow rate or the gas pressure by manipulating the gas valve based on information that has been input into the plasma arc cutting system by a user.