The plasma is one of the technologies for cutting metal and other non-ferrous materials that had a high growth in sales due to its low cost and versatility. In fact, it was the perfect alternative for the customer who had a certain cutting demand and was not looking for high cutting quality. So popular was it that many workshops and factories bought a plasma cutting machine before they knew if it was exactly what they needed or if there was another type of machine that was more efficient for them.
In fact, in our free consultations on what machine you need in your business we constantly receive questions about whether plasma cutting is the best way to machine, so we want to give several answers in this article. To do this, we are going to explain how plasma works, its characteristics and the best alternative to this technology.
First of all, it is necessary to understand what plasma is. To do this, you must imagine the three possible states in which matter can be: solid, liquid and gas. If we increase the temperature of a gaseous element, we obtain an electrically conductive gas. The ionisation of gases results in the creation of positive ions and free electrons. When this happens, the gas becomes a current conductor, reaching what some consider to be a fourth state of matter: plasma.
By adapting certain tools, it is possible to build plasma cutting machines, using a beam directed at a metal surface. Plasma cutting uses this high-speed jet of ionised gas sent from a constriction orifice to conduct electricity from the plasma torch to the workpiece. The plasma heats the workpiece, melting the material and cutting it quickly and precisely.
Plasma cutting is mainly used for cutting cutting steels, aluminium and non-ferrous material less than 1 inch thick. The maximum recommended cutting capacity on steel is up to 45 mm and the smallest hole it can cut, at average quality, is twice the thickness.
The average cutting speed of steels:
The cutting quality is average, compared to other technologies. The machine set-up process is simple, which allows different shapes and thicknesses to be processed quickly.
The maintenance cost is low , the cost of consumables is medium and energy consumption is low/medium, depending on the power of the plasma.
The operating costs of the machine are medium and are competitive with other technologies from 16 mm thickness upwards.
It is recommended for structural engineers and maintenance companies. However, for cutting or machining certain materials or sizes smaller than 12 mm, it is not a recommended machine.
The most recommended alternative to plasma cutting is the fiber lase, both for its versatility and its of high quality. It is the best choice for machining metal, steel, aluminium, brass and copper. Laser cutting is the fastest and most accurate system available, much faster than plasma cutting.
The cutting quality is good for both thin and medium thicknesses. The smallest hole that can be cut, with high quality, is usually about the same thickness. But depending on the type of material and thickness, the machine can cut holes twice as small as the thickness to be cut.
The machine set-up process is simple, allowing to work quickly with different shapes and thicknesses.
The Maintenance and consumable costs are, while energy consumption is low/medium, depending on the laser power. The machine's operating costs are medium, but its high cutting speed reduces these costs per part, making this technology the most productive on the market.
The maximum recommended cutting capacity in steel is up to 25 mm. The average cutting speed for steel:
It not only machines plates, but also tubes . It is a recommended technology for any customer looking for versatility and quality.
Sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, boilermaking, machinery manufacturers or prototype manufacturers, among many others, are some of the sectors that currently benefit the most from fibre laser cutting. Tell us your needs and we will recommend which machine you need.
