Benefits of air plasma vs. oxyfuel

Posted on April 3, 2023July 19, 2024 by adorfon

When it comes to cutting metal, two widely used thermal processes are oxyfuel and air plasma. Although oxyfuel is proven, plasma is more versatile—and less expensive—with a better performance record.

Benefits of air plasma vs. oxyfuel — Oxy v Plasma

Versatility
Oxyfuel can only cut ferrous metal. It cannot cut non-ferrous material, stainless steel, or aluminum, and is generally only used to cut metal approximately 2 inches (50mm) in thickness or greater. Plasma can cut both ferrous and non-ferrous material including rusted, painted, or grated metal.It is most commonly used to cut metal between gauge and 2 inch thick material.

Safety
When it comes to safety, oxyfuel is at a disadvantage because it requires a highly flammable fuel gas and an open flame. Once the torch is lit, the flame stays on until the system is manually turned off. Plasma does not use a fuel gas and its arc automatically extinguishes when the torch is removed from the metal.

Ease-of-Use
Ease-of-use minimizes training, improves results, and increases profitability. When comparing oxyfuel to plasma, the latter prevails as air plasma uses compressed air. There are no gases to mix or regulate. With oxyfuel, operators need to set and maintain the flame chemistry while holding a steady distance between the tip and surface being cut. Many handheld plasma torches allow the operator to drag the torch on the material. No standoff is needed.

Cut Quality
Manufacturers now have to compete on product quality more than ever. Overall, plasma produces more precise and cleaner cuts than oxyfuel with better angularity, a thinner kerf, a smaller heat affected zone, and zero to no dross.

Productivity
At a minimum, plasma is twice as fast as oxyfuel when cutting metals up to 25mm in thickness and up to 12 times faster on thinner materials. Productivity is also affected by piercing delays. It can take 30 seconds to pierce 16 mm thick steel with oxyfuel. Plasma takes less than two seconds.

Operating Cost
There are generally three things that affect the operating cost of oxyfuel and plasma: consumables, power, and gas. Generally, consumable and power costs are higher for plasma and gas costs higher for oxyfuel. While the operating cost of oxyfuel is seemingly lower, it is not the most economical to operate because of plasma’s productivity advantage.

In conclusion, oxyfuel and plasma are both well-established thermal processes for cutting metal. In deciding which method to use, companies need to weigh the above factors against individual business needs. For more on cutting metal, contact Hypertherm (www.hypertherm.com) a manufacturer of cutting systems with a nearly 50 year history of helping businesses succeed.

Source: https://www.hypertherm.com/

Unique Advantages of Hypertherm Plasma Cutting Over Traditional Cutting

Posted on December 27, 2022July 19, 2024 by adorfon

Table of Contents

Plasma Cutting Process
Understanding Plasma Process – Advantages & Disadvantages
Gas Cutting or Oxy fuel Cutting Process
Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel cutting Advantages
Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel cutting Disadvantages
Key Benefits of Hypertherm Powermax SYNC
Summary

Plasma Cutting Process:

Electricity and pressurized gas combine to form a plasma arc of ionized gas. This super-hot
plasma instantly melts metal. The gas shapes the arc and blows molten metal away, leaving a smooth cut edge.

Plasma cutting systems consists of:-

Plasma Cutting power source
Compressed air to enable cutting

Understanding Plasma Process – Advantages & Disadvantages

To understand the unique advantages of Plasma Cutting process we need to compare to the conventional Oxy-Acetylene cutting process used in Industry.

Plasma cutting using plasma cutting power source with compressed air is used for cutting all electrically conductive material both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, while in Oxy-fuel cutting with a Gas Cutting torch, oxygen and acetylene gas is used for cutting steel/ferrous material therein lies the major difference.

Now let us understand in both Plasma cutting process & Oxy-Fuel cutting process in detail.

Plasma Cutting: Capabilities & Advantages

Cut and gouge any electrically conductive metal – MS, SS, AL, alloys, others
Plasma Cutting can cut rusted plates , paint surface & even fatigued stacked metal
Cutting done with compressed air. No use of costly gases like Acetylene or Oxygen
Can do clean cut up to 50m thick, without pre-heating faster than any process.
Easy to use with simple plug and play method
Easy to automate
Small heat-affected zone
Can be used for cutting wire mesh and even complex filter systems
Plasma Cutting machines are available with portable capability
Portable Plasma system with inbuilt compressor for all site applications
Faster process and easy to teach & train welders
Very safe process for the welder and user
Some plasma cutting equipment like Hypertherm has capability of operating on input voltage from 200 V to 600 V. This means the same machine can be used with single phase as well as three phase circuitry.

Plasma Cutting: Disadvantages

Can’t heat metal for bending
Initial Cost of these systems is very high even though it offers good return on investment.
Can’t efficiently cut much thicker than 75mm MS
Requires Electrical Energy or Electricity for cutting process.
Requires compressed air for cutting
Slightly complex settings for the welder in comparison to oxy-fuel cutting
Metal warping and heat affected zone

Gas Cutting or Oxy fuel Cutting Process:

Oxy-fuel cutting torch heats a ferrous metal to ignition temperature (or) plastic state with an oxy-acetylene gas induced flame. So with a press of lever we introduce the cutting oxygen this further combusts and reacts with the metal to create iron oxide (slag) that blows and cut the metal away.

In this process a Gas Cutting system, Oxygen gas cylinders and Acetylene cylinders are primarily used for the cutting purpose

The hazards caused by this process are

Chances of fire accident as welder handles heat, sparks, molten metal, or even direct contact with the flame
Process becomes very dangerous while cutting tanks or drums which contain Flammable materials
Fire/explosion caused by gas leaks, backfires and flashbacks
Fumes created during flame cutting
Fire/burns resulting from misuse of oxygen
Burn Injuries due to accidental contact with the hot flame or hot metal
Injuries caused during transportation and handling of heavy gas cylinders

Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel cutting Advantages

Can effectively cut steel only and effective when cutting over 50mm.
Use anywhere cylinders are available.
Relatively low initial acquisition cost
Heat metal for bending.

Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel cutting Disadvantages:

Cuts only mild steel.
Metal must be pre-heated to pierce.
Hard to cut heavily painted rusted or stacked metal.
Speed of cutting lower in comparison to plasma cutting
Hand cutting requires skill – stand off
Must use flammable gasses.
Metal warping and heat affected zone

Hypertherm’s Powermax SYNC the latest generation of Plasma Cutting machines are loaded with features & benefits for customers.

Key Benefits of Hypertherm Powermax SYNC

Easy to use

Easy-to-identify the single-piece cartridge consumables as they are color-coded. This eliminates confusion on identifying parts and simplify consumable inventory.
New SmartSYNC® torches with the Hypertherm cartridge synchronises the correct amperage and operating modes eliminating setup errors
Highly versatile can do a wide range of jobs with easily interchangeable torches and application-specific cartridge consumables.
Life of Consumables can be monitored as end-of-life detection signal lets you know the time to change your cartridge

Productivity gains

Very simple operation ensures minimum downtime, troubleshooting and training time.
Advanced cartridge design increases life to twice for hand cutting, and improved quality of cutting and life in mechanized setups compared to conventional consumables.
Each cartridge has been custom designed to optimize the cutting or gouging performance

Innovative smart system

End-of-life detection signal gives the operator right time to change the cartridge
Advanced torch communication for automated process setup
Time-saving controls directly on the torch allow you to adjust amperage and change the consumable without returning to the power supply
Live access to cartridge performance, enables tracking and analysing usage patterns
Cartridge reader app pairs with Powermax SYNC smartphone app to record & analyse performance data.

Industry-leading reliability

Engineered for rugged, industrial environments
SpringStart™ technology gives consistent results in repetitive applications.

Summary:

Oxy-fuel and plasma cutting are all well-established cutting processes used for Cutting steel. Each has its merits and demerits, but are used as per specific Business needs.
Oxy-fuel has the lowest investment and operating cost, though the costs of cutting per part in the end are higher due to slow cutting speeds and lower cut quality, which often requires more Secondary operations meaning more expenditure on labour. Oxy-fuel is predominantly used for cutting only thick carbon steel when cut quality is not the Criteria.
Plasma provides a ideal balance in terms of capital cost, cut quality, productivity and operating costs. It has significant thickness cutting range and can variety of ferrous and non-ferrous, so it’s very versatile process with higher cutting speeds.

Hence with safety and personal protection of the user becoming vitally important, industry is moving more and more towards Plasma cutting for most of the hand cutting applications.

Ador Fontech Limited, the name synonymous with total solutions for any Maintenance & Repair solutions, recommends Hypertherm plasma cutting with Duramax Torch and consumables as a robust plasma cutting solution to all our customers for all Cutting and Gauging applications in their premises.

How Does Plasma Cutting Work? Advantages & Disadvantages

Posted on July 28, 2022July 19, 2024 by adorfon

Table of Contents

Plasma Cutting Process
Plasma Process – Advantages & Disadvantages
Plasma Cutting – Capabilities & Advantages
Plasma Cutting – Disadvantages
Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel Cutting Process
Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel Cutting – Advantages
Gas Cutting or Oxyfuel Cutting – Disadvantages
Summary

How Does Plasma Cutting Work? Advantages And Disadvantages

Plasma Cutting Process:

A plasma arc is super-hot and capable of melting metals instantly. This arc basically consists of ionized gas formed when electricity and pressurized gas combine. The gas shapes the arc and also blows away any excess molten metal, leaving a smooth cut edge.

Plasma cutting systems consist of :

A plasma cutting power source
Compressed air to enable cutting

Plasma Process – Advantages & Disadvantages:

To understand the advantages of Plasma Cutting process it’s essential to compare it to the conventional cutting process used in industry, namely the cutting process using oxyacetylene.

Plasma cutting using a plasma cutting power source with compressed air is useful for cutting all conductible material including both ferrous and non-ferrous materials, while in Oxyfuel cutting with a gas cutting torch, oxygen, and acetylene gas are used for cutting steel/ferrous material. This demarcates the major difference between the two processes.

So let us understand the basic intricacies of plasma cutter gas cutting or oxyfuel cutting in detail.

Plasma Cutting – Capabilities & Advantages:

Cut and gouge any electrically conductive metal like MS, SS, AL, alloys, etc.
Cut through rust, paint, coatings, and stacked metal
Cut with air. No gas, like acetylene or oxygen, required
Cut fast and clean up to 50mm, no pre-heating
“Plug and play” & drag-cutting features
Easy to use and automate
Small heat-affected zone
Can be used for cutting wire gauze or even filtering systems
Plasma cutting machines are available, and some of them offer portability
Plasma cutting with inbuilt compressor for all off-site applications
Faster process and easy to teach & train welders
Very safe process for both the welder and user
Some plasma cutting equipment like Hypertherm can operate on input voltage from 200 V to 600 V. This means the same machine can be used with single phase as well as three phase circuitries.

Plasma Cutting – Disadvantages:

Does not heat metal for bending
Initial investment is higher (but has good return on investment)
Does not efficiently cut much thicker than 75mm MS
Requires electrical energy or electricity for cutting
Requires compressed air for cutting
Slightly more complex settings in comparison to Oxyfuel cutting

Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel Cutting Process:

Oxyfuel cutting torch heats ferrous material to ignition temperature with an oxygen/fuel gas flame. So, the high-pressure oxygen reacts with the metal to create iron oxide (slag) and blows and cuts the metal away.

In this process, a cutting torch, oxygen gas, and acetylene are primarily used for cutting.

The hazards caused by this process are:

Fire hazard from heat, sparks, molten metal or the flame itself
Explosions caused by cutting up or repairing containers that hold or used to hold flammable materials
Gas leaks, backfires and flashbacks causing fire or explosion
Fumes caused by flame cutting
Mishandling of oxygen resulting in fire/burns
Contact burns caused by the heated metal or flame
Impact injuries or crushing when handling and transporting cylinders

Gas Cutting or Oxy-fuel Cutting – Advantages:

Can effectively cut steel only
Most effective when cutting over 50 mm
Use anywhere cylinders are available
Relatively low initial acquisition cost
Heat metal for bending

Gas Cutting or Oxyfuel Cutting – Disadvantages:

Cuts only mild steel.
Metal must be pre-heated to pierce.
Hard to cut metal that is heavily painted, rusted, or stacked.
Much lower speed of cut compared to plasma
Hand cutting requires skill – standoff
Must use flammable gasses.
Metal warping and heat-affected zone

Summary:

Oxyfuel and plasma cutting are both reliable and established thermal processes used for cutting steel. Each offers it own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing one or the other would be entirely dependent on the specific needs of a business.

Oxyfuel requires the lowest capital and operating cost. But the costs per part, in the end, are higher due to its slow cutting speeds and lower cut quality, which often call for secondary operations. Oxyfuel is primarily used for cutting only thick carbon steel (greater than 50mm), provided its cut quality is not of any importance.

When we use Plasma, we get a good balance in terms of capital costs as well as an optimal mix of cut quality, productivity, and operating costs. It can offer the highest cutting speeds and material flexibility and can also cut through significant ranges of thickness.

For most hand-cutting applications today, industries are preferring plasma cutting, given that it is vitally important to ensure the safety and personal protection of the welder.

Ador Fontech Limited, a name synonymous with total Maintenance & Repair solutions, recommends Hypertherm plasma cutting with Duramax Torch and consumables as a robust plasma cutting solution to all our customers for any cutting and gouging application on their premises.

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