Plasma cutting, while it may sound a bit futuristic, is a method of dividing metals that has already established itself well in the industry. This technology is based on the heat treatment of metal – mainly we are talking about steel, black steel and aluminum – using plasma firing machines. What is this method and what effects does it allow to achieve? These questions are answered below.
What is plasma metal cutting?
Plasma is structurally similar to gas, but differs in its degree of ionization. It is positively or negatively ionized and conducts electric current. A correspondingly high level of current flowing through the plasma stream leads to the production of light and heat, in the order of several thousand degrees Celsius. The temperature achieved in this way allows the metal to melt freely, and the air stream blows out the waste from the cut gap. Thanks to such developed technology, plasma cutting has many advantages that provide this method with unquenchable popularity.
Advantages of plasma cutting
At the forefront of the advantages is high, repeatable precision and the ability to work from multiple angles. The use of suitable machines that will not only divide the metal into the desired parts, but also cut out any complex shapes with many details allows you to fully exploit the potential of plasma. This merit should also be attributed to the narrow jet, which plasma cuts metal – while generating minimal amounts of waste, but leaving behind smooth, high-quality edges.
Plasma cutting of metals is also highly appreciated due to the speed of the burner and the fact that the metal does not require special preparation before processing – there is no need to remove rust, dirt or paint. The only condition is to ensure good electrical contact of the bulk conductor with the workpiece.
Plasma cutting in industry
The precision, high rate of operation of the evaporators and the versatile application possibilities make the industry happy to use plasma cutting. Elements of different shapes and forms can be processed:
- Sheet
- Pipes
- Sections
- Grid.
In the industry, plasma cutting is also used to cut holes, pierce, goug and bevel edges.
As you can see, plasma cutting is not by chance well established among various metalworking techniques. Although it has strong competitors, in some circumstances it is irreplaceable and is the only right choice.
