Table of Contents
What causes a plasma cutter to not work?
The compressor is short of air. The pressure adjustment of air conditioning valve of the plasma cutting machine is too low. There is oil pollution in the electromagnetic valve. The air channel is obstructed.
Do plasma cutters overheat?
How Does a Plasma Cutter Work? Initiating an arc without enough air pressure: The air pressure in the plasma cutter channel helps to cool consumables. Without it, the arc can overheat the electrode, burning up the tungsten almost instantly.
What makes a plasma cutter work?
Plasma cutters work by sending an electric arc through a gas that is passing through a constricted opening. The gas can be shop air, nitrogen, argon, oxygen. As the metal being cut is part of the circuit, the electrical conductivity of the plasma causes the arc to transfer to the work.
How thick of metal can a 50 amp plasma cutter cut?
Excellent Air Plasma Cutter: The Cut-50 Plasma Cutter can easily cut up to 0.55”(14 mm) metal under maximum output with ultimate portability weighing only 21.56 lbs.
How long do plasma electrodes last?
Usually, in normal conditions, we can say that the electrode will wear out first during machine cutting. Typical life time of a set of consumable should last about 1 to 3 hours for about 120 A of mechanized cutting, it’s in function of the job. Cutting at lower current may gets longer consumable life.
How long do plasma cutters last?
While it is hard to gauge consumable life (as I already mentioned,) for hand cutting with the latest shielded torch technology, I normally expect hundreds of feet of cut, and 600 to 1,200 pierces or put another way, I expect 2 to 4 days of cutting (actual arc-on time) in many cases.
Why does my Miller plasma cutter keeps cutting out?
Too slow of travel speed when cutting- Moving excessively slow when cutting (especially at higher amps) overheats the torch consumables and can cause the parts to wear out prematurely. It can also cause the arc to terminate. 3. Dragging the Torch Nozzle on work piece- This is a common mistake beginners make.
How much air pressure does a plasma cutter take?
Plasma cutters are very similar to electric welding. A superheated arc heats the compressed air of the system to a point where it transforms into plasma. Usually, a starting arc is required to create the plasma. To be precise, the air pressure required for a plasma cutter is about 4-8 SCFM at 90-120 PSI.
Do all plasma cutters need air compressor?
Plasma cutters need air pressure to cut in a two-stage process. Therefore, all plasma cutters need an air compressor to generate enough air pressure for the task. If you buy a plasma cutter without a built-in source of air, you’ll need a separate air compressor.
Do you need oxygen for plasma cutter?
Gas is needed for a plasma cutter in order for it to work and create the plasma. As mentioned, the most popular gases to use are oxygen, nitrogen or argon. Some plasma cutter systems include multi-gas features so a variety of gases can be used for different applications.
Can a plasma cutter also weld?
With the right torch design, a nitrogen-water injection, less expensive than other gases, can work well when plasma cutting aluminum and stainless material for subsequent welding. The process involves an electrode surrounded by nitrogen, which is heated by an electric arc to form the plasma.
What temp does plasma burn?
In thermal plasma, the joule heating effect results in high gas temperature. In thermal plasmas, energy is used to heat the entire gas, and temperatures often range from 10,000- 100,000K (10-100 electron volts (eV)).
Is a plasma torch hotter than the sun?
Plasma cutters are hotter than the surface of the sun which, on average, is about 9,940 degrees Fahrenheit, or 5505 degrees Celsius.
Is plasma cutting AC or DC?
The power supply is a constant current DC power source. The open circuit voltage is typically in the range of 240 to 400 VDC. The output current (amperage) of the power supply determines the speed and cut thickness capability of the system.
Is a plasma cutter really plasma?
The basic plasma cutting process involves creating an electrical channel of superheated, electrically ionized gas i.e. plasma from the plasma cutter itself, through the workpiece to be cut, thus forming a completed electric circuit back to the plasma cutter through a grounding clamp.
Can you plasma cut brass?
Yes. A plasma cutter will cut basically any metal. You have to be cognizant of the fumes when cutting metals other than mild steel as some of the alloying elements are worse to breathe. Brass has zinc in it.
Will a plasma cutter cut rusty metal?
Plasma can cut any electrically conductive metal including stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum and more, without pre-heating. Plasma is also great at cutting painted, dirty or even rusted metal.
Can a plasma cutter cut aluminum?
Plasma cutting can be performed on any type of conductive metal – mild steel, aluminum and stainless are some examples. Plasma cutting, however, does not rely on oxidation to work, and thus it can cut aluminum, stainless and any other conductive material.
Can you cut wood with a plasma cutter?
Virtually any metal can be plasma cut including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, etc. Plastics and wood are not electrically conductive and cannot be plasma cut. However, you can use a rotary saw, router, or other tool if you want to cut these materials in the PlasmaCAM machine.
