CNC Plasma Cutting

The plasma cutting process was invented over 60 years ago, during the time of World War II. During this time of war, the United States government needed a new welding process that could weld different aircraft
parts together more efficiently than the previous techniques. The plasma
cutting process uses inert gas that can act as a barrier which will protect the electric arc that stops the oxidation from forming to the weld.
Over time, as this process was improved, people experimented with the
arc to see if it was possible to make the process even better. Through
research, they discovered that a hotter flame could be created by
restricting the opening where the inert gas passes through. Another
technique, used to speed up the flow would be to make the opening smaller.
After all of this research and these experiments, the development of
the plasma-arc cutting process was created, and in the early 1960’s it
was used in commercial businesses. However, since the process was so new,
it was a very expensive investment for a business to take on.
After 60 years of improvements, the plasma cutting industry has
improved dramatically.

Some plasma cutters are portable and some models have
an air compressor that’s built in to give a fuller portability. Many are
small and able to cut sheet metal and somewhere created to output more
voltage in their work. The new CNC plasma cutter was invented to be
completely automatic; all the operator would have to do is enter, on the
keypad, how they want the metal cut, and it’s done perfect every time.
These CNC plasma cutters come in a several variety of different sizes,
but they all work on the same principles. This process sends
pressurized gas through a channel. The gases could vary from nitrogen, oxygen or
argon. Inside this channel is a negatively charged electrode. When the
electricity is applied to the electrode, and the tip of the cutter is
touched to the metal, a full circuit is created.

At this time, the circuit creates a high powered spark which goes
through the channel. The gas is then heated to around 15,000 Celsius, which
is called the fourth state of matter. When all of this happens, a
stream of plasma turns the metal into a molten slag.
This plasma makes the current of electricity, and keeps the power
supply working, and until the circuit is broken, the power supply with keep
working. The cutter nozzle has different channels so it can continue to
create a flow of shielding gas. All of this helps keep the plasma beam
consistently on metal so it can be evenly cut.

Many of the CNC plasma cutters are built with robotic arms that can do
the work. The point of having this on the CNC mode is because this
process is completely automatic, and as long as the information is properly
programmed in the computer, the work will continue to get done.