Saturday, January 24, 2009

Know the Inside out of Plasma Cutter

By Jeffrey Lewis

Many industrial apparatus are made of steel and other metals. For the process, steel and such metals need to be cut, pasted and fused. Plasma cutting is the method through which all such metals are being cut. Plasma cutting operates with a noble gas or air compressed beyond a certain point. Such high pressure air blows out of the nozzle towards the metal surface. Simultaneously, it also creates an arc of electricity between the nozzle and the metal surface. This converts the gas in the zone to plasma. Plasma is hot and hence melts the metal. At the same time, it is quick enough to cast the molten metal away from the vicinity.

Plasma can be harmful. We are talking of high temperatures here. So its always better to be protected. You should shelter yourself sufficiently. This can include welding gloves, welding helmets and welding masks. Gloves and helmets area great counterfoil against the heat and plasma and the welding mask can save you from harm that might result from poisonous build-up. Often, the reaction of plasma and metal creates marginally poisonous mixture. Continuously inhaling such things can cause harm to the respiratory tracts in a long run. This is how protective clothing becomes so important during welding.

Fuel gases and oxygen can also be used for cutting metals. Though oxy-acetylene welding is not applied in industrial processes a lot, it is considered ideal for cutting pipes and tubes. Oxy-acetylene welding is not only cut out for iron welding. It is perfectly suited for braze-welding and metal heating as well. Oxy-acetylene welding causes two different metal pieces to bind after the creation of some shared pool of metal in the interim space. Oxy-acetylene welders have two tanks and thus make the task of welding and cutting equally easier.

Oxy acetylene flame is used for glass industry, jewelry making industry, a stone work, artifact making, sculpture making among other uses. Two pressure regulators and a couple of flexible hoses are all that may be required. Acetylene is the primary fuel which comes in specially designed cylinders packed with porous materials.

TIG welding or Tungsten Inert Gas welding is a highly effective process. It also creates an electric art between the welded object and tungsten. The tungsten on offer is non-consumable. Tungsten is protected from oxidizing rapidly by the presence of an inert gas. Argon is the most popular choice in TIG welding. It is considered great as it does not create slag which is so detrimental for the flux. Welding heat produced by TIG welding creates a constricted heat zone which guards against cracking and distortion of welded metal. Torch body for TIG welding is quite small. This replicates a pencil and hence it is easy to be used and can let you weld precisely.

MIG welding or metal inert gas welding is another process which uses metal instead of tungsten. Metal used is consumable. Moreover it also creates slag and a spatter. This causes viewing hindrance for the operator. Moreover, the wire cooled after MIG welding is generally sterner and hence more difficult to be hammered.

Brands like Thermadyne, Hypertherm, Lincoln Electric, Esab and Miller are doing great plasma work. Miller Spectrum 625 plasma cutter uses wind funnel method that prevents any possible harm to the inner parts caused due to abrasive dust. The volt drops are lessened and ampere count is minimized too for similar cutting range. The machines can also be extended for a larger work area. Miller machines are good for fabrication, maintenance, auto body and prototyping.

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