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SAFETY
What kinds of materials can the plasma cut?
Virtually any metal can be plasma cut including steel, stainless steel, aluminium,
brass, copper, etc. Any thickness from 30 gauge through 13/16" can be cut,
depending on the power of the plasma cutter used.
How Does Plasma Cutting Compare to Oxy-fuel (gas) cutting?
Plasma cutting can be performed on any type of conductive metal - mild steel,
aluminium and stainless are some examples. With mild steel, operators will
experience faster, thicker cuts than with alloys. Oxy-fuel cuts by burning, or
oxidizing the metal it is severing. It is therefore limited to steel and other ferrous
metals which support the oxidizing process. Metals like aluminium and stainless
steel form an oxide that inhibits further oxidization, making conventional oxy-fuel
cutting impossible. Plasma cutting however does not rely on oxidation to work
and thus it can cut aluminium, stainless and any other conductive material. While
dierent gasses can be used for plasma cutting, most people today use
compressed air for the plasma gas. In most shops, compressed air is readily
available, and thus plasma does not require fuel gas and compressed oxygen for
operation. Plasma cutting is typically easier for the novice to master, and on
thinner materials, plasma cutting is much faster than oxy-fuel cutting. However,
for heavy sections of steel (1" and greater), oxy-fuel is still preferred since
oxy-fuel is typically faster and, for heavier plate applications high powered
plasma machines are required for plasma cutting applications
What are the limitations to Plasma Cutting?
Where is Oxyfuel preferred?
The plasma cutting machines are typically more expensive than oxy/acetylene.
Also, oxy/acetylene does not require access to electrical power or compressed
air which may make it a more convenient method for some users. Oxyfuel can
generally cut thicker sections (>63/64 inch) of steel more quickly than plasma.
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