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How to Use or Operate a Plasma Cutter
A plasma cutter is an important industrial tool used for cutting metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, and other metals like brass in varying thickness. Plasma equipments have been around for more than 50 years now, especially during the World War II when they were used for wielding joints in materials used for building aircrafts.
Later in the sixties, plasma cutting machineries became commercially viable and as a popular technique of cutting both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The enormous benefits of speed and accuracy made possible through plasma cutters prove to be helpful for both heavy as well as small scale metal fabrication industry. And today, they are to be found almost in every nook and cranny, where metal works are done.
Many professionals who have experienced the convenience of using plasma cutting seldom wants use any other mechanical tools like saws, cutoff wheels, and shears.
There are many different types of plasma cutting equipments available in the market such as portable plasma cutters, plasma torches and plasma cutters. Depending on the nature of your works, plasma tools come in varying voltage or amperage. Portable plasma cutters are suitable primarily for cutting sheet metal and other light work. If you are in a trade that involves a lot of wielding works, you probably need to get a plasma cutter for precision and quick execution of your metal crafting. The multi-purpose Longevity plasma cutter model such as the WeldMex LC-416D and WeldMex LC-518 can be used to automate your method of material fabrication. The various models of plasma tools available with www.longevity-inc.com may be a worthy deal as they are backed by three-year warranty besides the reasonable pricing. The first step to ensure smooth performance is to buy a machine that will be reliable for years.
Operating a plasma cutter is easy. First you want to make sure you setup your plasma cutter properly including grounding, proper air pressure (depending on your model), and you have the proper power source to power the unit.
After reading the safety operations of a plasma cutter, which can be found in the LONGEVITY plasma cutter resource pages, you are ready to begin cutting.
Things to do to insure a good cut:
- Measure the piece you are cutting twice before cutting to avoid any issues!
- Start cutting at full amps and turn down the amps as required to see what is the lowest setting you can achieve while still having enough power or amperage to penetrate your work piece.
- Check your pressure settings to make sure your air compressor is putting out enough air for a good arc. This various on the size you are cutting and the model you are using.
- Practice cutting a similar piece of metal (size, thickness) prior to cutting the actual workpiece.
- Go slow when cutting to insure that your arc penetrates the thickness of the metal,
- Maintain 1/8" distance between the workpiece and the cutting torch to prolong the consumable life and minimize slag from the workpiece.
- Brush off or chip off the slag that remains on the workpiece after you have completed the cut. Using a steel metal brush will help.
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