Plasma cutting is quite a new cutting method implemented in many industrial manufacturing processes to help you cut various metal materials with better effectiveness, precision, and faster time. The cutting uses the jet of ionized gas, fired at over 20,000-degree Celsius, meaning that the ionized gas or plasma is at a very high temperature during application, allowing it to melt or cut the metal materials upon contact. You can use the plasma arc or ionized gas in various cutting applications across a wide range of industries, and it also allows you to cut sheet metalwork under water. It is an excellent alternative to the laser cutting method, and you can also use plasma to cut metal below 12 mm thickness to provide better precision cuts on them.

Is It Possible to Cut Aluminum by Plasma Cutting?

The technology is suitable to use for a wide range of metals, which include aluminum. So, yes, it is possible to cut aluminum with plasma. In fact, cutting aluminum materials with plasma can give you plenty of benefits, including cost-effectiveness, faster cutting process, more precision cuts, and many others.

With the technology, you will need to invest on the initial equipment first before you can cut the aluminum materials with plasma cutters. However, the amount of money you can invest in this technology is quite cheaper for the long-term use when compared to the other cutting methods, such as CNC milling, CNC turning, laser, and traditional cutting methods.

What are the Benefits of Plasma Cutting on Aluminum?

Compared to the traditional cutting methods, you can get various benefits when using the cutting for aluminum rapid prototypes and production parts. Plasma uses a more modern technology to cut aluminum and other materials, so it can also give you the features and benefits that the older cutting methods cannot provide for you. Here are the benefits of the process cutting for aluminum:

●Faster cutting process.

You can cut the aluminum materials much faster when compared to using the traditional cutting tools. The cutters are very effective in rapid manufacturing precise cuts in a short time. So, you can boost your productivity when using the cutting tools for aluminum.

●More precise cutting with minimum errors.

Traditional cutting tools might still produce some cutting errors when you use them to cut aluminum materials, depending on the material’s thickness and hardness. However, with plasma cutters, you can get more precise cutting on the aluminum materials, with fewer errors.

●Excellent cutting quality.

With the method, you can cut the aluminum materials with excellent cutting quality, meaning that you can rely on the cuts made by the plasma cutter tool to fit with your needs. For instance, you can use plasma cutters to cut aluminum sheet metal fabrication parts that will be a perfect fit with other parts or components.

●Cost-effectiveness.

Cutting with plasma will also be cheaper for you to perform, as it will only require a small capital at the start. Then, you can use the plasma cutting tool to cut large numbers of aluminum materials with excellent quality cuts in a short amount of time.

●Handheld application.

You can also use the handheld application of plasma cutters to make it easier for you to cut aluminum parts with the manual cutting method. This will be useful for you to make customized cuts for specific aluminum parts you are producing.

Plasma Cutting Process to cut Aluminum

The process on aluminum is almost the same as the traditional cutting process you can apply to various metals. The only difference is that you are using the plasma arc as the primary cutting tools. It’s always important for you to maintain your safety when using the plasma arc equipment, just like you would when you use the traditional cutting tools. Here’s the process of cutting on aluminum:

●Safety precautions before plasma cutting.

The first step you need to do to start the operation on aluminum is to follow the safety precautions, such as by wearing the right outfit, wearing a protector, putting the materials in the right way, and so on. Remember, plasma arcs can be very dangerous when you come into contact with it, so it’s always important to keep yourself protected at all times.

●Preparing the aluminum materials.

Next, you need to prepare the aluminum materials for cutting. You will need to put the aluminum materials on top of the cutting table and lock their position for easier cutting later.

●Starting the plasma arc.

Next, you will need to start the plasma arc. Depending on your equipment, the plasma arc might require some time to reach its optimal temperature for cutting, so you need to wait for it to get in high temperature before you can start the cutting operation. You can also adjust various settings on the plasma cutter equipment depending on your needs.

●Maintaining the distance.

Now, the plasma cutter is ready and at its optimal temperature. It’s best for you to maintain the distance from the plasma cutter equipment. You will need to cut the aluminum materials like you would perform a welding operation if you are using handheld plasma cutting equipment, and you need to maintain a safe posture and careful cutting movements.

●Starting the plasma cutting operations.

You can start the cutting operations and cut the aluminum materials as you need. It’s always best to test the cutting procedure for a few aluminum materials before moving on with a large-scale cutting procedure. This way, you can check the quality of the cuts before you put it into the mass production cycles.

●Improving the cutting results.

After the cutting operations, you might need to evaluate the cutting results and improve upon them when necessary. For instance, you can change the settings of the plasma cutter equipment or change the cutting lines of the aluminum materials. The more improvements you apply, the better it will improve your production quality.

Conclusion

Plasma machining is a new technology you can use to cut aluminum materials with more precision and effectiveness. With this technology, you can speed up your manufacturing process, as you can cut the aluminum materials much faster. It is always important for you to configure the settings in the plasma arc equipment for the best cutting results.

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