6 Tips For Improving Plasma Cut Quality

 No matter if you are using a plasma cutter for DIY projects or heavy fabrications, you need to be efficient when it comes to quality cutting. Though plasma cutting is a user-friendly machine, there is still more to meet the eyes. - such as improving quality cutting, maintaining consumable parts, and improving overall efficiency.

You also need to take care of gas and air using in the plasma cutting. For this, you can take the help of Hypertherm hpr260 parts or Hypertherm hpr260 consumables. Below are some other tips you can follow to improve plasma cut quality.

Select Right Plasma Cutter

There are several factors to consider when purchasing the plasma cutter. What is the capacity of the plasma cutter, what are its purchase and operational costs, duty cycle, and much more? Think about the duties you will perform while selecting the machine and select the one that suits your needs.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• Do you need a portable plasma cutter?
• What is your budget?
• What are the materials you need to perform the plasma cutting?
• How often will you use the plasma cutting machine?
• Will you use generators or local power outlets to power your machines?

Setup Machine Properly

Plasma cutting uses electrical energy to cut the materials. The electric charge melts the surface of the metal, which is why it is mandatory to protect the user and the plasma cutter unit. Lock the ground clamp to clean metal only. If necessary, grind off the rust as it can disrupt the flow of electricity. It's also essential to keep the clamp as closer to the cut area as possible.

It is also necessary to replace the worn spots, cables, loose connections, or anything that disrupts the flow of electricity. Ultimately, for getting the final results, it is crucial to use the correct tip. The right tip can cut the material more efficiently and save your time and money.

Practice Your Cuts

The first cut is significant for any cutting project. Without dragging the trigger, go over the path you want to cut. Practice the movement to make sure you are on the right track. It also gives the freedom of movement to make one continuous cut. If you stop and start again from the same spot, it can create irregularities in the cut.

You can also do a sample cutting on the type of material you are going to work on. This will ensure you are using the correct settings and cutting speed.

Watch the Travel Speed

More the speed of your plasma cutter, more cleaner the cut it will create. When cutting the thicker material, set the machine to the full output and change your travel speed. On thinner material, turn down the amperage and change to lower-amperage tip to keep up the narrow kerf.

With a proper travel speed, the arc should exit the material at a 15 to 20-degree angle opposite the direction of travel. If the plasma goes straight down, it means you're moving slowly. If it sprays back, it means you're moving too fast.

Traveling at the right speed and with the right amount of heat will produce a very clean cut with less dross at the bottom of the cut with no distortion to the metal.

Checkout the Consumables

If the tip becomes worn, the quality of the cut will be affected, so regular inspection is a must. If the tip becomes irregular or develops a pit, discarding is a better option.

The consumables will wear with each cut, but factors like moisture, cutting of extensively thick materials, or poor techniques will increase the wear and tear of consumables. The best exercise is to replace the tip and electrode together for optimum quality cuts.

Make sure not to over-tighten the parts as it moves to create an arc, so only finger tighten the cap. Also, use high-quality consumables like Hypertherm hpr260 parts and Hypertherm hpr260 consumables.

Check Air and Gas Quality

Are you using air plasma? Then make sure your air is dry and clean. The same goes with your gas when using oxygen or a multi-gas system. Always use high-quality gas and the appropriate sized gas lines and regulators. Look over to see if the gas is leaking or any flow is restricted. If needed, consult your gas distributor for help.

Conclusion

Unboxing the plasma cutter might be easy, but it will take time to familiarize yourself with the proper operation. By going through the above tips, you can surely improve the quality of your plasma cutting. Apart from that, have a regular inspection of your cutter parts and consumables to avoid any mishappening.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/6-tips-for-improving-plasma-cut-quality

Checklist for Preventive Maintenance of Different Machine Parts

 Preventive maintenance of machines and its every part is essential to ensure good quality output. By keeping a check on the machine parts, one can easily know if there is any problem and can subsequently prevent it from occurring. This way, you can save the final output from getting damaged. You just need to replace or change the worn-out machine parts with the new one. Take care of gas pressure maintenance too. Parts like Hypertherm hpr260 parts and hypertherm hpr260 consumables can help you in that. 

Checklist for Preventive Machine Maintenance

1. Clean the Torch Body

• Remove the torch parts to examine the inside part of the torch.
• Check if there is any sign of mechanical damage to threads.
• Clean the inside part of the torch with an electrical contact cleaner and a cotton swab.
• Disconnect the torch from the mounting tube and slide the tube back to see the torch-lead fittings.
• Check if there are any leakages or any damage to any of the connections.
• Blow out any accumulated metal dust inside the torch

2. Clean the Torch Leads

• Wipe down or blow off the full length of the torch leads for removing the accumulated metal dust and dirt. Metal dust causes dissipation of the high voltage required to start the plasma arc.
• Check for kinked or worn hoses, cracked fittings, exposed wires, or other damage.
• Check high-frequency shielding to form a proper connection to earth ground.

3. Clean Out the Power Supply

• Blow out all the accumulated metal dust using clean, dry air. Because metal dust can cause damage to power-supply components, especially to the PC boards. Even the contactors, relays, and spark-gap assemblies can malfunction due to excess buildup of metal dust.
• Check all the air filters on the power-supply housing and replace if necessary.

4. Check Torch-Cooling Components

• With water-cooled torches, you should check the coolant stream in the tank for signs of reduced flow or aspirated air. Ensure that the return flow is set at the specified gallons per minute. Check if the flow switches of the return line are functioning properly as insufficient coolant flow causes the torch to overheat.
• Check if the coolant filters and pump screens function properly. Also, clean or replace if necessary.
• Check coolant resistivity by a conductivity meter. Resistivity should not exceed more than ten micro-ohms for most of the systems.
• Flush and replenish coolant every six months.

5. Check Water Quality

• Secondary water quality is essential with water-injection torches. Water hardness should not exceed more than 8.5 ppm or 0.5 grains. Because hard water causes mineral deposits to build up on nozzles which leads to shortened life.
• Use a commercial water softener if required. Water quality in water tables is crucial. Because the water in the table is heavily contaminated with metal dust or slag, it can cause the hard-starting of the plasma torch. It may even cause rust accumulation on the cut pieces.

6. Check Plasma

• Gas quality is crucial and tricky to maintain good parts life and serve good cut quality. For this, hold a clean paper towel under the torch and start purging air through the system in the test mode to check air quality.
• Check for excess water, oil mist, or particulate contamination and clean if you find any.
• Check filters weekly and empty moisture traps whenever they start to accumulate water.
• Also, make sure the gas quantity is neither more nor less than required. For this, you can use consumables like Hypertherm hpr260 consumable to ensure the gas quantity.

7. Clean Machine Components- Rails, Racks, Gears

• Use an abrasive pad and a degreasing agent to remove grease, dirt, and metal dust.
• Lubricate gears with a dry lubricant like graphite powder. If bearings have grease fittings, lubricate them too.
• Do not lubricate any rail sections as lubricants will attract contaminants that lead to excessive wear.
• Level and align rails.
• Check joints where the rail sections meet with a piece of tool steel for checking if it is not misaligning. Rail alignment will prevent any drag on drive motors. Distances between the rails should be kept constant across the entire length of the system.
• Align and adjust gears and bearings.
• Avoid the gears overlapping above or below the rack.
• Adjust gear alignments to remove ply between racks and gears. Make these adjustments for cross drives and rail and both. Alignment bearings need to have minimal ply between them and rail surfaces. These bearings are mostly mounted in an eccentric shape.
• Adjust them until no light is seen between the bearing and rail surface. Remember to not over-tighten the bearings.
• With drive gears disengaged, you need to roll the beam across the rails to check for binding. Adjust it accordingly until the beam rolls with little resistance and minimal vibration.

8. Check Safety Limit

• Ensure operator safety with preventing damage to the machine. Check the machine to each limit even test the switches.
• Inspect mechanical stops to ensure that they are in proper working order.

You can keep this checklist with you as a detailed guide to check machines regularly. This guide is to ensure that you do not miss any of its parts. Hypertherm hpr260 parts, powermax65 parts, Hypertherm hpr260 consumables, plasma cutting consumables, plasma cutting torch, etc., are some of the parts you can consider while replacing or changing machine parts.

Source: 

https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/checklist-for-preventive-maintenance-of-different-machine-parts

ProCutter: Details, Features, and Benefits

ProCutter has a unique feature that uses a linear bearing system for accurate and excellent cuttings. The benefits of ProCutter are:

• User-friendly 
• Easy and simple to install
• Plastic strip for sightline that helps to see the cutting line
• Helps in cutting thickness up to 20mm 
• The dust-free operation to closely work with printers

ProCutter utilizes fiber optic cable for beam transmission, making it easy to use in conjunction with the plasma process, as there are no mirrors that will contaminate it. It has a height sensing system that helps to maintain constant height for the best cut quality. 

Features and Benefits of ProCutter:

• Automatic focus position for fast machine setup
• Reduces the piercing time
• The high cutting speed at any operating temperature
• Beam path completely sealed
• The simple and safe cartridge replacement system
• Tool center point retention
• Permanent protective window monitoring
• Easy exchange of lens cartridge
• Quickly changes protective window cartridge
• LED operating display
• Displays operating parameters via Bluetooth
• Monitors pressure in the nozzle area and head
• Height sensing system for the best quality
• Ceramic near the nozzle gives protection from collision

Along with all these features and benefits, other cutting features come with the ProCutter. ProCutter has some cutting features that make cutting easy and accurate and help improve the machines' life and mechanisms. It works smoothly as it can work fast and efficiently.

ProCutter 2.0 is an impressive cutter for its high performance and automation, making it a reliable choice, especially for a load capacity in flatbed and tube cutting systems. It has a maximum laser power of 30 kW.

Different consumables are an important part of these cutters, like ESAB plasma cutter consumables and Hypertherm hpr260 consumables. Like a torch, these consumables target the area and then cut, which makes for an accurate cut.

There are many advantages to ProCutter. Using these cutters, the cutting process becomes easy and accurate.

Advantages of ProCutter

• Maximum Productivity

These cutters are now an important part of every industry. Nowadays it is very easy to choose both, high utilization of machines and less payback period. New technology helps to reduce the number of reworks.

ProCutter uses high speed; the cutting head of the cutter works at a speed of 30 kW. This speed is possible as its mechanism has the best cooling concepts and extended travel paths. It has a very optimized design that increases the cutter's speed up to 25%, even when it does not require laser power. It also has a magnification feature that makes the process compatible with every type and thickness of material. 

This helps to increase the productions and saves time and energy. Using this benefits the industry in every way.

• Intelligent Sensors

Using this cutter, one can have the best quality and stability. It has a mechanism of Pierce-Tec, which is an automation process that helps to achieve consistent holes and the best surface quality. This mechanism helps to save time in reworkings and operating costs. The acquired real-time information helps reduce the machines’ downtime.

The cutting head has smart sensors to monitor the conditions of critical components or cutting process parameters. The sensor provides planned maintenance and utilizes spare parts efficiently, reducing the costs and providing more safety.

The main advantage of using this cutter is that one can easily access the data from their phones with the ProCutter app. It also becomes easy to see the error messages.   

End Words

It is always good to use ProCutter to have the best quality and accuracy in cutting heads. The consumables like ESAB plasma cutter consumables help for more targeted cuttings. They have a torch type cutting for accuracy.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/procutter-details-features-and-benefits 

Laser vs Waterjet vs Plasma Cutter - What Sets Them Apart

Laser, waterjet, plasma cutting? Nearly everyone dealing with metal fabrication might question which one to choose. There is no definite answer. It depends on various factors like its process and what you value the most.

To solve your issue below is the breakdown of their process and advantages/disadvantages.

Laser Cutting 

The laser slits the material through the nozzle that gives incredible focus to the light beam through the curved lens. Laser cutting is all about preciseness and accuracy.

The focused beam vaporizes the material into gas, which makes it perfect for accuracy.

What can it cut?

Laser cutting is a little more versatile when it comes to cutting a variety of materials. It can slit plastic, rubber, wood, ceramic, and many other metals with accuracy. Laser cutting offers you the edgy quality, over the sheet, plate, and tube.

Advantages of Laser Cutting

• Laser cutting is a speedy process.
• It allows you to cut complex shapes at a faster pace.
• Can cut metals and non-metals.
• Can work on material with a variety of thicknesses.
• Laser cutting is reliable.

Disadvantages of Laser Cutting 

• Laser cutting involves higher capital costs than plasma and waterjet. 
• High power consumption.
• It is difficult to use on reflective metals. 
• Requires the safety measures to protect the operator.
• It can cause micro-fracturing on some materials.

Waterjet Cutting

Waterjet cutting is the process that uses a high-pressure jet of water. Or you can say a combination of water and an abrasive substance to slit the various materials.

What can it cut?

Waterjets are able to cut anything; stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, ceramics, granite, and the materials that are sensitive to high temperatures. It can cut almost any shape with precision and a blur-free edge. 

It uses the same tool for different kinds of materials, so you do not need to switch it every time. But this process creates a big volume of cutting waste as compared to Laser.

Advantages

• Can cut any kind of material.
• It doesn’t overheat the materials and thus maintains its form.
• It can slit even thicker materials.
• It is a highly accurate process.
• It generates no fumes.

Disadvantages of Waterjet Cutting

• This process creates abrasive dust that can hinder the movement of machine parts. 
• Sometimes this process can be noisy.
• This process can be slow on some materials as compared to laser and plasma cutting.
• The abrasive materials tend to be costly.
• Overflow of the water can create EPA issues.

Plasma Cutting

Plasma cutting uses a plasma torch to slit the material. An electrically conductive gas moves energy from an electrical power source through the torch. 

The nozzle offers the focus to the plasma arc and funnels the gas flow while the electrode bears the current. The swirl ring then allows gases to exit the rings at different temperatures. 

Also while buying the plasma cutting machine, make sure the machine has esab plasma cutter consumables and Hypertherm hpr260 consumables as they are easy to find and replace.

What can it cut?

Plasma cutting is apt for cutting materials like stainless steel, aluminum, and copper. It can slit both ferrous and nonferrous metals, but non-conductive substances such as wood or plastic can’t be cut.  

Advantages

• Plasma cutting can work on a variety of materials.
• Varieties of table lengths and sizes are available.
• Recent advancement in technology offers a better result.
• The price of the plasma cutter can up to one-third of the similar-sized laser machine.
• One can learn the process quickly.

Disadvantages

• Plasma cutting is not as accurate as Laser or Waterjet.
• This process creates fumes.
• Not as flexible as the laser cutting process of thin and thick materials.
• The cutting head components need to be changed for different metals and metal thickness. 

End Words

While selecting the cutting methods it’s essential to note down their process, advantages, and are your requirements. Hence, while purchasing any device you must know what it offers and your requirements. Try to operate plasma cutting machines with good quality parts like esab plasma cutter consumables.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/laser-vs-waterjet-vs-plasma-cutter-what-sets-them-apart

What is Plasma Cutter?

Plasma cutting is a process in which a jet of ionized gas at temperatures above 20,000 C is useful to melt and expel material from the cut. During this process, an electric arc struck between an electrode and the workpiece. The electrode recesses in water or air-cooled gas nozzles constrict the arc that causes the narrow, high temperature, high-velocity plasma jet to form.

When the plasma jet hits the workpiece, recombination takes place, and the gas reverts to its normal state. It emits intense heat as it moves. This heat melts the metal, and gas flow ejects from the cut. Plasma gases are usually argon, hydrogen, or nitrogen. These inert gases replace air, but it requires a special electrode of hafnium or zirconium.

It uses compressed air and makes this variant of the plasma process very competitive with the oy fuel process. Additionally, it cuts carbon manganese and stainless steel up to 20mm thick. Hence, while choosing plasma cutter machines, make sure to choose machines that have Hypertherm hpr260 consumables, Hypertherm powermax 45 consumables. Because they are easy to find and replace if and when needed.

Plasma arcs can cut a very wide range of electrically conductive alloys, including plain carbon and stainless steel, aluminum and its alloys, nickel alloys, and titanium. This method developed to cut the materials which could not cut satisfactorily by the oxy-fuel process.

Normally, the component or sheet to which you cut stays stationary, and only the plasma torch moves. The cost of plasma torches is low compared to other products using the price of manipulation equipment; it is common to plugin multiple torches in a cutting table.

Plasma arc cutting carries out underwater using special equipment.

How Plasma Cutting Works?

The process in plasma cutting and welding is it creates an electrical channel of superheated, electrically ionized gas, i.e., plasma. Forming a finished circuit using an earth terminal is important while using the plasma cutter. To achieve this, it uses a compressed gas, which blows to the material at high speed using a focused nozzle.

Inside the gas, an arc is formed between an electrode near the gas nozzle and the workpiece itself. This electric arc ionizes part of the gas and creates an electrically conductive plasma channel. The current from the cutting torch flows through this plasma; it radiates enough heat to melt through the material. Simultaneously, high-speed plasma and the compressed gas blow the hot molten metal away and separate the workpiece.

Plasma cutting is a great way to cut thin and thick materials compared to hand torches that can cut up to 38nm thick steel sheets; stronger computer-controlled torches can cut up to 150 mm thick steel sheets. Plasma cutters are very useful for cutting and welding sheets in curved or angular shapes as they are very hot. Make sure to have plasma cutting machines which have  hypertherm hpr260 consumables, hypertherm powermax 45 consumables.

Every technology has advantages and disadvantages. Similarly, a plasma cutter has its advantages and disadvantages. Let me walk you through them in brief:

Advantages:

• The operation of one or more burners depends on the series.
• Cuts off all electrically conductive materials
• Cuts of high alloy steel and aluminum materials in medium and large thickness
• It has an excellent performance in small and medium mild steel thicknesses.
• Plasma cutters have high strength structural steel with low heat input.
• They have high cutting speeds, i.e., up to 10 times higher than oxy-fuel
• Plasma cutting guarantees automation
• Plasma cutting underwater allows very low heat exposure and low noise level at the workplace.

Disadvantages:

• It has a restriction of the use of up to 160 mm for dry cutting and 120 mm for underwater cutting
• It slightly wider kerf
• Has relatively high power consumption
• Laser offers high cutting quality
• It is very expensive compared to oxy acetylene cutting systems

Conclusion:

Plasma cutters are one of the best innovations that can help fabricators create out of the box creation and unleash their creativity. Create the next big thing, and we are waiting to see what things you can create.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/what-is-plasma-cutter