2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24
- Metal cutting process
- The advantages of plasma cutting on CNC machines
- Technology advantages
- disadvantages
- Plasma principle
- Equipment design features
- The order of the cost of work
Metal processing implies the use of various technologies and equipment. The use of artistic plasma cutting of metal is gaining popularity. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this method? What are the features of the technology, the structure of the apparatus and the principle of their operation?
Metal cutting process
The plasma jet heats the processed material in a point at a pressure of 6-8 atmospheres. There are several cutting options depending on the gas used:
Air-plasma. This approach is distinguished by its low cost due to the availability of air from the environment. The scope extends to almost all types of metals. The result is of average quality and the speed cannot be called maximum.
Oxy-fuel cutting allows you to achieve higher performance in terms of sharpness and speed. With a perpendicular cut, slag formation is minimized. This is especially true of the seamy side of the product.
The use of shielding gases gives maximum results. This approach extends to professional equipment that costs several million. In this case, metal sheets can be up to 300 mm thick. The use of plasma cutting makes it possible to manufacture products from stainless sheets with a thickness of up to 50 mm and alloys of different non-ferrous metals.
If we compare plasma cutting with other options regarding equipment, then in any case the products will be of high quality and accuracy. Therefore, high-precision plasma cutting of metal of any complexity has become quite affordable.
The technology of artistic plasma cutting of metal is gaining more and more popularity when creating various decorative elements.
The peculiarity of artistic cutting of a picture with small elements is that the cutter moves from one edge of the product to the opposite.
At first glance, this is illogical, but not for working with heated metal. If you save time on moving the cutter, then you will have to waste it for the seconds required for the natural cooling of the metal. In this case, the shape cutting process will take longer.
If everything is clear with the technology of figured cutting on a programmable machine, then for a master working with a manual plasmatron, the cutting technique will have to be worked out by the method of tests.
The advantages of plasma cutting on CNC machines
Complex geometric and floral ornaments in metal art, whose rappoports must be repeated with millimeter precision, can come out from under the hand chisel with slight differences. The reason for this may be the trembling hand of the master, the accidental delay of the flame in one place. The technology of applying each artistic element is introduced into the program of the CNC machine. The flame then goes out, then lights up again, but only at the moment when the cutter moves to the set point.
Plasma cutting is the flexibility of the serial production of metal products
Plasma cutting of metal, having good repeatability of metal products, has remarkable quality, such as flexible change in the serial production of metal products.
The production of metal products on CNC plasma cutting machines makes it possible to produce absolutely identical parts from one piece to hundreds and thousands of copies, without losing the quality characteristic of machining parts. An example of good repeatability in the manufacture of decorative elements of the exterior by plasma cutting of metal.
It should be noted that the mass production of metal parts using plasma cutting technology significantly reduces the cost of the final metal product. So, with significant volumes of purchases of metal from which a serial part is produced, the purchase price of rolled metal decreases. Universalization of metal processing for parts of the same type, increases the productivity of the production of metal products, by cutting metal with plasma, at times. The cost of packing serial parts and the cost of loading and unloading operations are reduced.
Technology advantages
Having considered the principle of operation of plasma cutting of metal, the following advantages can be distinguished:
- very high performance;
- the finished product has no deformation due to the local effect of temperature;
- there is a possibility of forming parts of any complexity regarding the configuration of the product;
- no careful additional processing is required due to the absence of large deposits of hot metal;
- the minimum amount of waste with proper cutting;
versatility with respect to the types of processed material.
In addition, the process is distinguished by safety and the ability to customize production of a batch nature. Products belong to the 1st class of accuracy.
disadvantages
If we talk about the cons, then the question will concern mostly the processing of non-ferrous metals. However, there are general indicators:
- limitation regarding the thickness of the processed sheets;
- cleanliness of the cut at the exit of the burner;
- strict requirements for the perpendicularity of the cut (deviations are allowed no more than 5 degrees, depending on the parameters in the task and the material);
the possibility of using two cuts at the same time when using 1 apparatus is excluded.
Substantial cost can also be attributed to disadvantages. However, high productivity and quality results quickly lead to payback.
Plasma principle
The plasma jet is formed as follows:
Electric arc. It is formed between the electrode of the unit and the nozzle (or the metal being processed). At the same time, the temperature reaches 5 thousand degrees Celsius.
The gas supply is combined with the process of increasing the arc temperature to 20,000 degrees.
Plasma jet is formed due to gas ionization. At the same time, the temperature indicator reaches 30,000 degrees.
Outwardly, the result looks like a bright glow that comes out of the nozzle at a speed of 500 to 1.500 m / s. It is with this flow that metal sheets up to 20 mm thick are cut. At the same time, additional grinding of the product is practically excluded due to the high efficiency of the plasma cutter.
As for gas, different options are used in practice:
- air from the environment;
- technical oxygen;
- nitrogen;
- argon;
- hydrogen.
Steam, which is generated by boiling water, can also be used.
Video:
Equipment design features
Plasma metal cutting devices can be stationary and mobile. The first option is used to organize an industrial workspace. Portable units can be purchased for private use, since they can be used directly on the construction site.
The range of devices is also based on 2 types of plasma:
Indirect exposure, that is, a non-contact method. Such units are used for cutting materials that do not belong to metal.
Direct action with direct contact. In this case, the cutting arc is formed between the electrode and the workpiece, which allows the gas to be heated throughout the entire jet gap. Therefore, the temperature indicator reaches the required for sufficient power.
The units may differ slightly from each other. However, there is a standard equipment for plasma cutting machines:
-
power supply with acceptable values that are required for a particular device;
plasma generator;
-
cables and hoses for supplying the necessary power in the form of electricity and gas;
gas cylinder;
- a compressor that allows you to adjust the speed and pressure of the cutting jet. The plasmatron is structurally:
- nozzle;
- electrode;
- gas supply channel;
- cooler;
- insulating cap that can withstand high operating temperatures.
The equipment is structurally a complex device with an impressive set of advantages. The main ones are high quality and exact repetition of the set parameters. At the same time, the speed of order execution is also characterized by short terms.
The order of the cost of work
An example of the price of cutting metal with plasma on the example of the PLAZMA SPB metal products plant
Sheet thickness
STEEL BLACK(rubles per p / m) |
STAINLESS STEELSNON-FERROUS METALS(rubles per p / m) |
|
| 3 mm | 19.00 RUB | RUB 26.00 |
| 4 mm | RUB 21.00 | 35.00 rub. |
| 5 mm | RUB 24.00 | RUB 42.00 |
| 6 mm | RUB 28.00 | RUB 52.00 |
| 8 mm | RUB 38.00 | 79.00 rub. |
| 10 mm | RUB 48.00 | RUB 110.00 |
| 12 mm | RUB 58.00 |
156.00 rub. |
| 14 mm | RUB 69.00 | 232.00 RUB |
| 16 mm | 79.00 rub. | RUB 271.00 |
| 18 mm | RUB 88.00 | 338.00 rub. |
| 20 mm | RUB 119.00 | RUB 396.00 |
| 22 mm | 139.00 RUB | RUB 560.00 |
| 25 mm | RUB 149.00 | RUB 707.00 |
| 30 mm | RUB 229.00 | RUB 936.00 |
| 32 mm | 324.00 rub. | RUB 948.00 |
| 36 mm | 349.00 rub. | RUB 972.00 |
| 40 mm | RUB 379.00 | 1056.00 rub. |
| 45 mm | RUB 419.00 | 1122.00 rub. |
| 50 mm | RUB 489.00 | Negotiable |
| 60 mm | RUB 635.00 | Negotiable |
| 70 mm | 780.00 rub. | Negotiable |
| 80 mm | RUB 810.00 | Negotiable |
| 90 mm | RUB 850.00 | Negotiable |
| 100 mm | 890.00 rub. | Negotiable |
| 110 mm | 950.00 rub | Negotiable |
| 120 mm | 980.00 rub | Negotiable |
| 130 mm | 1080.00 rub | Negotiable |
| 140 mm | 1140.00rub | Negotiable |
| 150 mm | 1190.00 rub | Negotiable |
| 160 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 170 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 180 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 190 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 200 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 210 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 220 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 230 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 240 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 250 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 260 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 270 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
| 300 mm | Negotiable | Negotiable |
