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Posts Tagged ‘Cutters’

If we take a look at modern industry we can see that it largely depends on the manipulation of heavy metal and alloys. Metals are being used to build the tools and transportation necessary for day-to-day businesses. Everyday huge equipments are made including cranes, cars, skyscrapers, robots, and suspension bridges using precisely formed metal components. This is because metals are extremely strong and durable and for anything that has to be big and sturdy, metal is the perfect choice.

Since the metal is so sturdy, it is really tough to cut and mend it desirably. Due to metal’s strength, it cannot be manipulated easily to form into specialized pieces. Here the plasma cutters are of great use for cutting the metals. The plasma cutter works by binding one of the most prevalent states of matter in the visible universe; plasma. The plasma cutting machines come in different shapes and sizes. There are monstrous metal cutting machines as well as portable plasma cutters.

The plasma cutter is basically a simple and relatively easy to use tool to cut steel and other electrically conductive metals. The working of plasma cutter is done using a high voltage electrical arc and compresses gas, which would normally be air. A concentrated arc of plasma is created at the cutter’s tip as an electrical arc generated by an internal electrode ionizes gas passing through a nozzle. A high circuit is developed as the arc comes in contact with the working surface thereby melting a section less than 1/16″ wide. The force of the plasma then completely blows out the molten area on the work piece. Thus a clear cut takes place without any slag. The speed at which plasma arc travels through the nozzle would be up to 20,000 feet per second and the temperature would reach as high as 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coming to talk about the power used by plasma cutters, it has been seen that light portable plasma cutters take in 110 volts with an output of around 12-35 amps. On board air compressors are often found in these machines in order to simplify their use. The large plasma cutters would have an output between 50 and 80 amps and they would be 220 volt systems. For cutting any conductive metal up to ½ inch thick, hand-held plasma cutting equipments would be available. However, for industrial purposes larger ones are used which can cut through 2 inches of metal.

There are many advantages in using plasma cutters in welding industry. One of the main advantages is that during plasma cutting the surface of the metal outside the cutting area remains relatively cool. This would help in preventing the warping and paint damage that happens with other flame cutters.  For precise curved line cutting, there are thin heat affected zone (HAZ) also allows the use of templates. Since the plasma does not rely on highly flammable gases, they have the capacity to cut up to five times faster than traditional torches. Sometimes the plasma cutters act as gougers and are capable of cutting metals accurately and quickly.

Related 110 Mig Welder Articles

Arc Welders

Arc welding is nothing more than a process of joining two pieces of metal into a single solid piece. To achieve this, the heat of an electric arc is concentrated on the edges of two pieces of metal that are to be joined. The metal melts, while the edges are still molten, additional melted metal is added.

Arc welders generally come with a load of helpful features. Equipments with unlimited amperage control enable you to create professional welds. The lightweight and yet sturdily built models make this type of welder convenient to carry around and durable enough to withstand tough use. There are some models of arc welders that have thermostatic heat protection features and a roll bar design to give the unit full protection against damage.

MIG Welding Equipment

MIG Welding equipments are available in various sizes ranging from a small, portable 115v, 20 amp model to full sized shop automotive service equipment. MIG welders are widely known for high quality performance, though economically priced. You can exercise control over the quality of the weld with the aid of many different settings. MIG Welding equipments come with cold running temperatures. The machines also offer beneficial warranty options.

It is common knowledge that MIG welders use a wire feed and produce a lower heat. This prevents metal distortion and allows for a high quality job on thinner metals such as those involved in auto body work.

MIG welders feed a constant stream of wire with a pull of the trigger. You must be extra careful in choosing the consumables. Wire, for example, comes in easy-to-use flux core wire for a quick job on thicker materials, or a gas/solid wire combination for all other work.

TIG Welders

Most TIG welding machines come with several attractive features. With push button control panels, the machines are extremely user-friendly and some high-end models give you the option to easily adjust for repeatable weld cycles, start, and weld crater. To customize the shape and size of the bead, you can choose models with true square wave AC output and pulse mode. Buy models that have safety features like warning code circuitry and voltage protection.

One of the biggest advantages of TIG welder is it heats and joins the two metal pieces together without the need for filler materials. Most operators know that MIG welders join metals much faster than TIG welders. But, TIG welders produce greater degree of accuracy, so essential for certain types of jobs. The possibility of preventing cracked seals or damaging the weld is also significantly decreased in TIG machines.

Plasma Cutters

Some latest models of plasma cutters come with a host of features – single-dial controls for easy adjustments, pressure gauges and air pressure regulators – all aimed at cleaner and sharper cuts. Other features include parts-in-place indicators, line voltage compensation, and thermostatic protection. Above all, if you wish to do repetitive work with complicated cuts, CNC robotic interfaces will ensure consistent and precise cuts every time. Please know that latest types of plasma cutters have an inverter in place of the transformer.

With several different styles of plasma cutters available, your choice becomes wider. Duty cycle is a key factor in your buying decision. Generally, you will find that bigger machines can handle thicker metals and run longer to give it a bigger duty cycle. Also watch for the rating that is assigned to plasma cutters by the manufacturer. This will tell you how long each unit can cut through mild steel before needing to be cooled down.

IGBT Plasma Cutters

Plasma cutting in simple is a process through which steel and metal of different sizes and thickness is cut through the plasma torch. During this process, the inert gas or compress air used in some machines is blown at very high speed from the nozzle and at the same time electrical arc is made from the gas of nozzle to the surface needed to cut which turns some of the as to plasma. This plasma is suitably hot to easily melt the metal that is cut and it also moves fast to blow the metal far from the present cut. Additionally Longevity plasma arc cutters and several other applications also use IGBT plasma cutting technology which enables for Longevity to provide more commercial plasma cutting equipment.

The starting method

The Longevity IGBT plasma cutters generally use a different method to start the pilot arc and are built for professional metal working environments. Some IGBT plasma metal cutters might often use high frequency starting technology, high voltage circuit just for the starting process and others use Pilot Arc starting technology, where the torch enables a constant arc without touching the work piece. A Longevity IGBT plasma cutter featuring high frequency starting technology is more affordable, but also possesses a technological inferiority because of spark gap maintenance, difficulty of repair and you might also find a huge amount of radio frequency emission. Those plasma cutters which work near sensitive electronics like computers or CNC hardware would use the contact start method. The electrode and nozzle would be in contact. Here the nozzle would be the positive and electrode is the negative. So, when the plasma cutter gas starts to flow nozzle would be flown forward. However the other method which is less common is the capacity discharge in the main circuit through silicon controlled rectifier. In most cases Longevity uses Pilot Arc starting technology with IGBT Plasma Cutters because of the popularity and importance of a quick starting arc.

Inverter IGBT plasma cutters

The analog plasma cutter would generally need above 2 kilowatts and they also use heavy mains frequency transformer. The inverter plasma cutters generally rectify the main supply to the DC supply which is give as a high frequency transistor to nearly 200KHz. Some higher switching frequencies would give even greater efficiencies in transformer which allows its weight and size to be reduced.

The transistors that were commonly uses before were MOSFETs but today IGBT plasma cutters are highly being used in commercial or industrial applications where the demand of the size of the amperage is high. When placed parallel with MOSFETs and one transistor activates too early then, it can lead to cascading problem of one of the quarters of inverter. However with the newer invention and by using IGBTs, the Longevity Testing Team was able to avoid this problem. The IGBT plasma cutter can be commonly found in several high current plasma metal cutting machines that put out more than 60amps of power.

The Longevity ArcMate M200 IGBT Mig Welder is the first device to include IGBT technology in the Longevity Welding Equipment lineup, which achieved great success for MIG Welders able to compete with the leading brands and it enabled a it opened the doors for other IGBT welders and plasma cutters. After carefully testing a number of IGBT products by the Longevity Testing Team and well received recognition from welding professionals, it lead to the launch of the IGBT plasma cutters and welders full line up. These units are of top notch quality, are easily portable and can compete with any major brand that is today available in the market regarding both the price and quality.