The Ultimate Guide to Plasma Cutting Machines What is air plasma cutter

Are you curious about how a plasma cutter works? Look no further! This ultimate guide will provide you with all the information you need to understand this powerful cutting tool.

What is plasma?

Plasma is the fourth state of matter. Matter usually comes in three states: solid, liquid and gas. Taking the common substance "water" as an example, the three states of water are ice, water and water vapor, and the difference between these states is their energy level. When energy is added to ice in the form of heat, the ice melts into water; If the energy continues to increase, the water will evaporate into steam. If a large amount of energy is added to the water vapor (heating it to about 12,000 °C), the water vapor will be broken down into a large number of component gases, which will become conductive, or ionized, this high-energy ionized gas is called plasma.

How Does a Plasma Cutter Work?

Plasma cutting is the use of plasma gas to transfer energy to conductive workpiece materials. Plasma gases are usually formed by pushing gases (such as nitrogen, argon, or even air) through narrow nozzles. The current generated by an external power source provides enough energy to ionize the stream, turning it into a plasma arc at temperatures approaching 30,000 ˚F. The plasma arc cuts by melting the workpiece and will blow away the molten metal.

plasma cutting system consists of two parts: power supply and cutting torch.

Power Supply - DC power supply with constant current output. The machine input voltage is usually 220 VDC to 415 VDC. The output current (amperes) and total power rating of the power supply determine the system's ability in terms of cutting speed and cutting thickness. The main role of the power supply is to provide the appropriate energy to continue to maintain the plasma arc after ionization.The high voltage forms a high-energy arc inside the cutting torch, which ionizes the gas and generates plasma.

Cutting torch - The cutting torch is used to secure wearing parts such as nozzles and electrodes and to cool these parts (air or water cooling). The nozzles and plasma cutter electrode are used to compress and hold the plasma jets.

Influencing factors of plasma cutting

High-altitude load voltage: plasma cutting machine power supply, must have a high enough no-load voltage, in order to arbitrarily start the arc and make the plasma arc not extinguished.

Arc column voltage: Increasing the gas flow can not only increase the arc column voltage but also strengthen the tightening effect on the arc column, so that the energy of the plasma arc is more concentrated and the radiation force is stronger, thus improving the cutting speed and quality.

Cutting speed: The best cutting speed range can be selected according to the equipment instructions or determined by test, due to the thickness of the material, the material is different, the melting point is high or low, the thermal conductivity and the surface tension after melting and other factors, the cutting speed is also changed accordingly

Gas flow: Too large or too small gas flow will affect the cutting quality and the life of cutting consumables. If the gas flow is too large, the arc column is shortened, the heat loss is too large, and the cutting ability is weakened until the cutting can not be carried out normally; The gas flow is too small, the arc column energy is insufficient, the cutting capacity is reduced, the steel plate hanging will increase, and it will block the consumables and affect the quality of the consumables.

Cutting current: The cutting current should be adjusted according to the actual situation. Cutting current increases, arc energy increases, cutting capacity increases, cutting speed increases. The cutting current increases, the arc diameter increases, and the arc thickens, making the incision wider. The cutting current is too large, the nozzle heat load increases, the nozzle is damaged prematurely, the cutting quality naturally decreases, and even the normal cutting can not be carried out.

Torch height: High precision and good stability of torch height controller have a great impact on plasma cutting quality.

Typical applications and in the industry

Plasma cutting is used in handheld and machine systems to cut a wide range of conductive materials, including mild steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass and other metals.

For machine cutting applications, the cutting machine can be programmed using plasma cutting software. In some cases, CNC controller software can be used to program individual parts or small batches of parts, simplifying the job of machine operators and increasing production efficiency.

Cutting applications include: straight cutting, bevel cutting, round hole cutting, extended cutting, air gouging

Applicable industries and markets include: automotive repair, machine building, Steel service centers, general construction, pipes and pipes, civil engineering, general manufacturing and process workshops, farms and ranches, shipbuilding, mining.

Choosing the Right Plasma Cutter

When selecting a plasma cutter, consider factors such as the thickness of the material you will be cutting, the cutting speed required, and the power source available. It's essential to choose a plasma cutter that meets your specific cutting needs.Now that you have a better understanding of how plasma cutters work, you can explore the possibilities of using this versatile cutting tool in your projects. Whether you are a professional metalworker or a DIY enthusiast, a plasma cutter can help you achieve precise and efficient cuts with ease.

Doughty Welder offers a high quality range of air plasma cutting machines

Doughty Welder range of best air plasma cutting machines offers the following advantages :

-It can cut almost any type of metal：including mild steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, copper, brass, etc. It can also handle rusted, painted and mesh metal workpieces.

-You can cut thick metal as well as thin metal : the range is between 6mm and 70mm.

-Portable and reliable: The frequency converter in our air plasma cutting machines is very lightweight and therefore very portable. Some machines can be powered by generators to provide good performance. There are also plasma cutter built in air compressor that can be used directly after being plugged into electricity. 

-Safer: No gas is used, and the arc is extinguished automatically when the torch is removed from the metal, making the site safer.

-Faster production efficiency: the speed of cutting thinner materials is 10 times that of the flame cutting torch, and the speed of cutting metals up to 25 mm thick is twice that of the flame cutting torch. In addition, like flame cutting, plasma cutting can be cut without preheating.When cutting materials with a thickness of 8mm and above, it is faster than laser cutting

-Lower operating costs: Lower unit part cost when cutting all materials with a thickness of less than 50 mm. you don't have to worry about refilling and transporting flammable gas cylinders.

-Precise cutting: Plasma cutters will enable more precise and cleaner cuts with better angles, thinner slits, smaller heat-affected zones and a complete absence of slag.

-160 amp machine has air planing capabilities: providing maximum removal, precision, or precision air planing function options for optimal planing profiles

-Easier to use: The plasma process is more fault tolerant and easier to master. Easy to learn and easy to use, beginners can start the cutting operation in a few minutes.

One of the best selling examples of air cutting machines: 

CUT-120 HF Non-Touch Pilot arc Air Plasma Cutting Machine