The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Plasma Cutting In Metal Fabrication

CNC plasma cutters can be used in automotive manufacturing and repair, construction, mining, and marine applications, and are an effective method for cutting a wide range of materials of varying thicknesses. Typical metals that can be cut with a plasma cutter include steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and copper, and plasma cutters can cut a much wider range of metals with speed, accuracy, and cost, making them a reliable welding method. Plasma cutting machines are used for a wide range of purposes, from small shop jobs to large industrial projects, and you may find yourself looking for the right machine for you. Understanding new equipment can be beneficial to your business, as additional knowledge can save time and money when considering future operating procedures and capabilities. If you are looking for a plasma cutter, the first thing you need to know is "the pros and cons of plasma cutters. Next, we'll tell you about the pros and cons of plasma cutters.

1.Basic Principles of Plasma Cutting Machines

2. Advantages of CNC plasma cutting machine

3. Disadvantages of CNC plasma cutting machine

1.Basic Principles of Plasma Cutting Machines

Plasma is applied by cutting conductive materials with an accelerated jet of hot plasma. The system involves the injection of high-intensity gases through a nozzle at very high speeds to create an electric arc for cutting, unlike conventional welding which is only used to join materials. The internal engineering of a plasma cutter is backed by ionized gases that are superheated to form plasma channels that can be used as high-speed, efficient cutting tools.

But how thick a material can a plasma cutter cut? Handheld plasma torches can typically cut steel plates up to 38 millimeters thick. However, more powerful CNC plasma cutters can cut steel plates up to 150 millimeters thick and even thicker. What about the minimum thickness that a plasma cutter can cut? Experienced welders know that there is no minimum cutting thickness for plasma cutters. This is because any thickness can be cut with the correct nozzle type, diameter and amperage. The extremely high temperature and precise positioning of the plasma cutter's nozzle makes it the preferred method of cutting precisely curved or angularly shaped sheet metal. Examples include body part signage, heavy machinery parts, pipes, artistic sculptures and more.

2. Advantages of CNC plasma cutting machine

Better Cutting Quality

Slag, heat-affected zone, top edge fillet and cutting angle are the main factors affecting cutting quality. Especially in the two aspects of slag and heat-affected zone, plasma cutting is far better than flame cutting. The cutting edge of a plasma cutter is basically free of slag and the heat affected zone is much smaller.

Less slagging

Plasma cutters use hot, electrically charged gas to melt the metal and blow the molten metal away from the cutting surface. Flame cutting utilizes a chemical reaction between oxygen and steel to cut, resulting in an iron-red slag or scum. Because of this process difference, plasma cutters produce less slag to cut and the slag that adheres to it is easier to remove. This slag can often be easily knocked off without the need for grinding or shoveling, greatly reducing the time required for secondary operations and thus increasing productivity through fewer grinding operations.

Higher efficiency

In addition to saving time on preheating and secondary operations, CNC plasma cutters can cut and pierce at speeds up to 8.5 times faster than flame cutting, and the dramatic increase in productivity can bring significant benefits.

Lower Expenses

When analyzing costs, it's important to understand the difference between operating costs and operating costs per part or per meter. So how do you determine the actual cost of cutting parts? The operating cost per meter is the cost of all cuts per hour divided by the total length (in meters) that can be cut in an hour. The costs involved in cutting include consumables, electricity, gas, labor and daily overhead. The cost per part is the total length of cut required to produce the part multiplied by the running cost per meter. Plasma cutters cut faster and produce more parts in a given time, thus significantly reducing the cost per part cut. For handheld cutting, calculating the cost per job or task provides a better estimate of savings. The cost per hour of operation multiplied by the total time required to complete the job equals the cost of the job. For flame cutting, it is important to include warm-up time and lengthy secondary processing time in the time required.

Higher Profitability

The lower cost per part cut on a plasma cutter translates directly into increased profitability. Cutting each part saves money, which increases profitability. The more parts you cut per hour, the more your overall profit increases. Plasma cutters cut very fast and can greatly increase your overall profitability.

Easier to use and master

For oxyfuel users, it takes time to learn and practice to master setting flame chemistry parameters and maintaining flame chemistry. Plasma cutters, on the other hand, are easy to learn and master, with high stability and simplicity of operation when cutting workpieces. The cutting control process functions incorporate a lot of valuable field experience and are fully functional and easy to operate.

Greater Flexibility

Plasma cutters can cut any conductive metal, including stainless steel, aluminum, copper and brass. Flame cutters utilize the oxygen in mild steel to chemically react with iron, and therefore can only be used to cut mild steel. Additionally, plasma cutters can be used to air plane, mark or cut rusted, painted or even stacked metal. Not only that, but you can also use a plasma cutter to bevel or cut porous metal mesh, which is difficult to do with a flame.

Greater Safety

The fuel used for flame cutting is a mixture of oxygen and gas. The most commonly used gases are acetylene, propane, MAPP, propylene and natural gas. The most commonly used of these is acetylene because it produces higher flame temperatures and faster perforation than other gases. However, acetylene is an unstable and highly flammable gas that is extremely sensitive to excessive pressure, temperature and even static electricity. Acetylene explosions can cause thousands of dollars in property damage and serious injuries to nearby personnel. Plasma cutters, on the other hand, typically run on compressed air and do not require the use of flammable gases. All types of thermal cutting produce some odor and noise, such as cutting tables and machines used for thermal cutting CNC plasma cutting machine systems can be selected with a water cutting bed, which can greatly reduce odor and noise. Whereas most flame cutting should not be done underwater because of the risk of explosion.

3. Disadvantages of CNC plasma cutting machine

But no equipment is perfect, plasma cutting machine is still improving and has shortcomings. Because of its strong arc light, there is a certain amount of pollution. In addition, the noise generated during processing is relatively large, and the dust is still relatively large, which is very unfavorable to environmental protection. It should be said that the environmental protection aspect is still a big problem. Now the equipment is gradually improving, and we also expect it to have a newer and more perfect appearance.

(1) Plasma cutting produces harmful gases and arcs: the principle of plasma cutting determines the intensity of the arc, noise and dust during the cutting process, which will cause a certain degree of pollution to the environment. Underwater plasma cutting is generally used for medium and thick plates, so the cutting thickness is limited.

(2) The verticality of the cutting surface is poor: one side of the cutting surface will have a large bevel and poor verticality.

(3) During the cutting process, the cutting surface will produce more cutting slag. As it does not affect the processing quality, the slag after cutting must be ground, which also increases the labor cost.

(4) The heat-affected zone of plasma cutting machine cutting is larger and the kerf is wider. It is not suitable for cutting thin plates, which will be deformed by heat.

(5) Consumables such as cutting tools are consumed quickly. At present, the cutting nozzle mainly relies on imports, and the cost is relatively high.

Finding the right plasma cutter for your custom job shop will be a breeze when you partner with UTECH. Shandong U-May Cnc Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional CNC machine manufacturer, manufacturing heavy-duty CNC plasma cutting machines suitable for almost any type of manufacturing. And we offer unparalleled customer service, contact UTECH today to start growing the profits of your business.