In the world of oxyfuel welding and cutting, the gas regulator often does not get the attention or the respect that it deserves. Needing to operate across the entire range of cylinder pressures, this piece of equipment is the workhorse of the oxy-process. Over the course of a day, as all professionals know, the regulator plays a critical role not only in the quality of the weld or cut, but in the safety of those performing the operation.
There had not been any significant improvements in the regulator industry since the early 1900s. The road to recent innovation, however, began when Thermadyne Industries (www.thermadyne.com) conducted research with end users and distributors to determine problems common to traditional regulators. We also asked: What new capabilities can we provide to bring even greater value to our customers?
The safety of regulators was of utmost concern to all parties and is an area where Thermadyne has always been an industry leader. Its Victor brand was founded in 1913 by L.W. Stettner, a welder who, after suffering the loss of an eye from a welding accident, set out to design and build better, safer welding products. Other potential areas for improvement were identified, such as how to make the gauges on regulators less vulnerable to damage and more user-friendly.
Once we had feedback, our engineers went to work. After 11 rounds of product design accompanied by lengthy testing, Thermadyne launched the Victor Professional Edge Series regulators in 2009.
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