Plasma Cutter – Working, Applications and Where to Rent From

Scientists refer to ‘plasma’ as the fourth state of matter that comes after solid, liquid and gas. The application of heat changes the solid form of water (ice) to liquid and then to gas (steam). Applying excess heat tends the gases to become electrically conductive and ionized, thereby acquiring the form of plasma. Hence, a plasma cutter leverages this electrically conductive gas to ensure a quicker and cleaner cutting process on any conductive material.

How a plasma cutter works?

The plasma cutting machine operates by creating a plasma arc, which results on forcing a gas through a constricted opening. The gas could be oxygen, nitrogen, shop air or argon and likewise, the opening could be a nozzle orifice within the torch. Next, an electric arc generated from an external power source combines with the high pressured plasma arc to give way to plasma jet. Rising quickly up to 40,000 degrees Fahrenheit, this plasma jet blows away the molten material and pierces through the workpiece. 

Applications

A plasma cutting machine is handy in cutting metals, creating metal workpieces, beveling, cutting holes, material gouging and so on. Hence, they find heavy use in assorted industries like shipbuilding, automotive restoration, steel fabrication, manufacturing, pipeline construction and more, where all such tasks are quite regular.

Looking for best Plasma cutters

Among the many manufacturers and dealers offering plasma cutter on rent or for sale, Red-D-Arc holds high prominence. The renowned company holds a rich armory of welding rental equipment for you to grab at the earnest for any of your industrial tasks. It offers a comprehensive line of plasma cutters from branded manufacturers for rent, to help you ease out your cause. Here are few of the widely preferred ones available from Red-D-Arc:

• Powermax 30 Plasma Cutter: The lightweight and small equipment from Hypertherm ensures excellent portability and owns the capability do the work of systems double its size. It accompanies recommended and maximum handheld cut capacity of 6 mm (1/4") and 10 mm (3/8"), respectively.
• Hypertherm Viper 30 Air Plasma Cutter: Comprising professional grade plasma system, the machine leverages Auto-Voltage™ technology to plug into 120 V or 240 V power. The contained internal air compressor makes way for better portability. The cutting ability ranges from  5/16" at speed exceeding 20 IPM to 3/8" at 10 IPM.

You can opt to rent many other plasma cutting machines as well; just visit the Red-D-Arc website to browse their rental equipment.

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What’s a Good Choice-- Plasma Cutting or Oxy-fuel?

Steel service centers and fabricators looking towards purchasing a new machine often ask this question-- Plasma Cutting or Oxy-fuel? The other frequently posed question is: should a particular part be cut with plasma or oxy-fuel? The confusion is limited to those working with mild steel as oxy-fuel fails to cut an aluminum or stainless plate; and the answer to the debate depends on various factors-- thickness, location, alloy, variety of work, cost, power resources, etc.

Comparing Plasma vs. Oxy-fuel -- Cutting Speed

Based singularly on cutting speed, plasma serves to be faster than an oxy-fuel torch, to an extent of 2.75 inches. The act of using two oxy-fuel torches makes the speed drop back to a thickness of 2 inches. In the comparison of a single plasma torch versus 4 oxy-fuel torches, oxy-fuel wins when it is at 1-1/8 inch and thicker. This shows that:

• A one inch cut-off with respect to plasma holds true if the parts are being cut with at least 4 different oxy-fuel torches at the same time;
• Plasma ranks higher on speed on anything that’s less than 3/4 inch thick, also with 4 oxy-fuel torches versus 260 Amps.

Comparison of Oxy-Fuel and Plasma-- Cost-Per-Inch

After taking all the costs associated with the two processes:

• Plasma: nozzles, shields, retainers, electrodes, baffles, oxygen, electricity, compressed air and torch coolant;
• Oxy-fuel: fuel gas, internal/external nozzles, and oxygen;

studies have shown that an oxy-fuel torch proves less expensive (per inch) than 450 Amp plasma; this is true for anything that’s above 2-5/8 inch of thickness. Cutting with 4 oxy-fuel torches is far less expensive (per inch) until a thickness of 3/4 inch.

Comparing Oxy-Fuel vs. Plasma--Cost-per-Part

When different part-sizes (with varying numbers of pierces) were considered for cost-per-hour of overhead and labor, the cross-over point of a 450Amp plasma vs. an oxy-fuel torch was found to be just a little less than 3” thick. However, if the plasma speed was doubled, the results were different. 

Conclusion

For deciding whether a part should use a burning machine or a plasma cutter:

• Use plasma for all instances that have a production piercing capacity of 2 inches thickness.
• Use oxy-fuel for  those materials that can be chain cut or are more than 1 inch thick (with 1 or 2 pierces), and are capable of being cut with a minimum of 4 oxy-fuel torches. Else, use plasma.

Hope this helps you find answers to the age old question. Do post your logic or comments speaking of your own experiences.

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