Plasma Cutter Query

[rtbcomp]

Plasma cutters seem to be rated by cutting thickness, sometimes it's not clear when this is for a clean cut or a raggy one.

What happens if say you use a 5mm cutter on 10mm steel? will it damage the machine? will you end up with a 5mm gouge? Can you do a couple of runs to cut all the way through?

Thanks in anticipation!

 

[Hitch]

Most will be rated with a clean cut and a severence cut.
If you use a 5mm machine on 10mm you will just melt tip after tip. And make a mess of what your trying to cut.

 

[rtbcomp]

Most will be rated with a clean cut and a severence cut.
If you use a 5mm machine on 10mm you will just melt tip after tip. And make a mess of what your trying to cut.

Cheers, thought that might be the case.

 

[Alex]

Maybe if it was cut with a jig you could do one side 5mm and then the other side 5mm to cut 10mm. You would defo need a jig to ensure you are cutting the exact place the other side though.

Just a thought though, i have no experience with Plasma cutting. An angle grinder will cut 10mm though with time.

Better still electric hacksaw. Sawing is a much cleaner method and gives a better quality cut than abrasives or heat.

 

[lexi]

If my lil machine is anything to go by they don`t give that clean a cut. I spoke to a guy who was doing production stuff and he said they eventaully went on to bottled gas for a really clean cut.
I think oxy /acy is rated better on the thicker stuff. 60 AMP Mitec are supposed to cut 18mm but maybe Tachi will tell us if thats optimistic.

Alex

 

[Drains]

If you try to cut material that is beyond the capacity of the machine, the plasma stream won't make it through, and will spray back at the torch, destroying the tip fairly quickly, as HM says. It would in theory be possible to gouge from either side, but would make an awfy mess, and you'd still get through tips, if they wern't designed for that purpose.

You can get a lovely clean cut off a plasma, but not if your near thickness capacity, and not if you are working freehand, unless you are a jedi master. But then you don't need the plasma cutter.

 

[rtbcomp]

Thanks for the replies.

It was a hypothetical question really as I can't afford a plasma cutter, but hope to get one on the business at some time. The cutting I have in mind is sheet metal which would need to be a clean cut and I would probably use a jig of some sort, any heavier stuff wouldn't be at all critical but if it's going to stuff the tips then it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[Alex]

If you got like £400K spare you could get a water jet cutter.

 

[rtbcomp]

If you got like £400K spare you could get a water jet cutter.

LOL If I had 400K to spare I'd retire

 

[Silas (son of Silas)]

Water Jet cutters... WOW! Have a look at this gallery of water jet cutting. I'd never heard of them before. Very impressive! Water Jet Cutters