Plasma Cutter Basics and What Kind To Get!

plasma cutterCutting plate metal with a plasma cutter.

When it comes to creating motorcycles, cars, trucks, and other types of vehicles; plasma cutting is a crucial activity that ensure these machines are built properly. 

A plasma cutter allows fabricators to precisely cut out steel and other alloys by the use of a plasma torch. These precisely cut metal pieces are used for everyday tools and gadgets found in your home as well as for larger machines such as automobiles, trains, airplanes, and many more.

Metal artists also rely heavily on the hand held plasma torch, and some artist specialize in using it for their art.

For metal and other alloys to be precisely measured and cut, a welder must use a plasma that contains a torch, adequate compressed air, and electrical power. This device can rapidly cut or pierce any electrically conducted material such as brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium with precise accuracy.

Equipment Required For Plasma Cutting!

When experienced welders need to use the plasma machine to cut they require some equipment. These are:

  • Power Source. You'll need a power source designed for plasma cutting. Traditionally, the power source required ranges from 12-amp systems that have the capability of severing quarter-inch mile steel to heavy-duty 100-amp systems that can sever inch and a quarter material of various metal alloys. 
  • High Quality Cutter. Another key equipment required is a high quality machine hat is capable of constricting and shaping high-pressure air stream to a small diameter. This high-pressure air stream when ionized, turns into the plasma that conducts electricity at the current voltage level required to cut metal efficiently. 
  • Compressed Air Supply. A regulated supply of compressed air provided by a compressed air regulator is required. These regulators have the required capacity to maintain adequate air pressure during the duration by which the plasma cutter is being utilized by the welder. 
  • Cutting Tables. Plasma cutting requires a suitable workplace to get this kind of cutting done without damaging any surface. For this reason, cutting tables must be used. These tables are composed of material that does not get damaged from the extreme heat that these machines release. 
  • Safety Clothing and Equipment. To perform effective plasma cutting, welders must be extremely cautious by wearing protective clothing and using the ideal safety equipment such as face shields, thick clothing, and gloves. Keep in mind that heat from a plasma machine can cause severe burning due to their ability to reach up to 20,000 degrees Celsius. This is why safety clothing and gear must be worn at all times. 

Types Of Plasma Cutters!

These machines come in various sizes and power requirements and finding the right cutter really depends on your project.

If you are looking to cut sheet metal as well as a quarter inch of steel, you may want to use a 220 volt unit because it has the power capable. If you are looking to cut thicker steel material, you should look to get a plasma cutter capable of doing so.

Their are also the CNC plasma cutters which are table top robotic tools that are operated by a software program.

A CNC machine can be a simple and small machine for use at home in the garage for making art and parts for projects, or it can be a massive industrial machine that spits out parts and products measured by the second.

Most of our subscribers will be using the hand held torch version or a small CNC machine for their garage or small shop.

I am going to get one myself because you can program it to cut out parts for projects very quickly, saving you time and money on projects that will be repeated over time (commercial).

The market is full of various classifications of plasma machines and cutting torches and finding the right tool for your project should not be a problem with a little bit of research. 

Primary Uses.

Art: Aside from being used in cars, ships, planes, roads, and many other industrial uses, Plasma cutting is also used for many things such as art. Many artists utilize plasma cutting as their means to create art pieces from steel. It is also used to fashion many emblems that we all have come to know such as the Mercedes Benz logo and the Jaguar logo.

Check Out These Plasma Project Ideas.

Make An Artistic Metal Bear!

Restoration and Repair: Many people constantly need repair for their belongings such as their vehicles, appliances, and even for their home renovations. Plasma cutting plays a large role in these types of repairs.

There are also times when welders make mistakes in their renovations that they must utilize their plasma machine to undo their errors and correct their mistakes so that the repair is fully accomplished. Without it, a significant amount of renovation work will not be possible. People will have to end up spending more in replacing certain belongings.

Repairing front loader blade with plasma cutter.

Benefits:

Since the market is full of various types of these machines it is very easy for you to find the ideal tool for your project. Plasma cutters cut metal efficiently and effectively; therefore, you can expect your cutter to provide you with numerous benefits:

  • High Speed Contouring 
  • Excellent Functionality
  • Durability
  • Long Operating Life
  • Easy Maintenance
  • Faster Piercing Rate
  • High Quality Raw materials
  • Affordability

How To Choose An Ideal Plasma Cutter!

Choosing an ideal machine for cutting depends on your project. It also depends greatly on the cutting performance of your machine. Not all of these machines have the same cutting performance, which is why when you have a project, it is best that you get a plasma cutter that is capable of achieving twice as more than what your project entails.

Getting a cutter that is twice more powerful will ensure that you are able to cut material at a very consistent rate without any complications such as overheat problems which can work to frustrate you and delay your project.

Another factor to consider is the quality of the machine that you are going to use. There are a lot of them available from numerous well-known manufacturers today and the vast majority of these machines have good quality.

To know that your cutter is of good quality, a recommendation is to take a closer look at its torch. Make sure that it has good performance, long-term reliability, and most importantly; replaceable parts that you can get easily.

Additionally, your cutter should be supplied with an air-filtration regulator feature. This is because plasma cutters are extremely vulnerable to moisture. Since these machines utilize air into an environment where there is an electric arc, it would be very dangerous if the air contained water or moisture.

How A Plasma Cutter Works!

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