Plasma Cutters
To get a better idea of just how far plasma cutting has Co, let’s take a look at where it started and where it’s headed.
It wasn’t that long ago that plasma cutting was the domain of seasoned metal fabrication veterans who knew just how to tweak gas settings and adjust torch height to get the best cut on a plasma cutting table. Today many of the highly trained technicians have left the shop floor.
What is left is the plasma cutting system, which in many cases still provides a quality cut but without the expertise needed to guide the machine. For many fabricators, this type of plasma cutting is the only type of plasma cutting they use.
Plasma cutting with the right gas and torch setup makes life easier for the welder
Time spent on extensive weld prep easily can eliminate any gains made from faster plasma cutting. Put another way, it doesn’t matter how fast a plasma cuts if the resulting cut face can’t be welded efficiently.
A lot happens in a plasma arc from its generation at the electrode surface to the work piece. Among numerous other factors, the plasma forming gas and its surrounding shield material, be it gas or liquid, play a major role in the final cut quality
A high-quality cut is characterized by a low bevel angle (ideally between 0 and 1 degree), absence of bottom dross, no top edge rounding, minimal heat-affected zone (HAZ), and a smooth cut face. The cut edge smoothness can be affected by the stability of the plasma arc column, due in part to the torch design, as well as the precision of the cutting table or robot. In addition, optimal cut quality requires the proper torch height to produce a minimal bevel angle
Higher Density, Better Cutting
The goal in plasma cutting, like in laser cutting, is to attain the highest energy density possible to efficiently penetrate the plate. Common to all plasma processes, constriction and stabilization are achieved by a small nozzle diameter in combination with the swirling motion of the plasma-forming gas.
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