Top 5 in 365—Articles about plasma cutting

Stainless steel slides are a significant growth area for Natural Structures. As a result, the company needed higher-precision cutting capability. It’s one of the reasons it invested in a high-definition plasma cutting system in 2017. Photo courtesy of Natural Structures.

The last installment of “Top 5 in 365” showcased the five most-popular articles on thefabricator.com published within the last year about metals and materials. Previous installments have focused on bending and folding, laser cutting, arc welding, assembly and joining, automation and robotics, consumables, cutting and welding prep, finishing, manufacturing software, and materials handling. This post is about the plasma cutting category on the website.

Alone or assisted with water, plasma has proven itself to be one of the most efficient cutting processes for sheet, plate, tube, pipe, and profiles. Here are the top five most-read articles in the past year about metals and materials.

5. Automation energizes structural steel fab operation
Stehl Corp. takes a step to keep up with growth opportunities

In 2015 Stehl and his management team began investigating beam processing equipment that might work in their facility. This was no easy purchase, though.

“These things are pretty high-end pieces of equipment,” he said. “That makes it tough to write a check for it.”

A conversation with another fabricator reframed his thinking about the investment. On his way to FABTECH® in Chicago in 2015, Stehl said he was seated next to a vice president from the company where he was once general manager before starting his own firm. During the conversation, the other fabricator described how gaining automated beam processing capabilities was a game-changer for his company. He encouraged Stehl to follow through on the same plan.

4. Better bevels with plasma arc cutting
Technological advances boost quality and throughput

Better beveling with plasma could save fabricators an enormous amount of time and money. It would allow them to increase the number of parts cut in the given time by replacing non-value-added activities with production. Today’s high-definition class of plasma systems are more than capable of making excellent beveled edges. The tools required for this include a suitable torch, a dedicated bevel head, and a CNC preloaded with the cutting parameters through the plasma cutting software.

3. Switching to precision plasma cuttingPrecision plasma, rotary cutting, and programming software makes manufacturing more efficient for Natural Structures
A new plasma cutting system saved Natural Structures hours in its stainless steel slide line. Company owner Ted Hausotter said, “It took a bit for us to learn how to cut accurately on 12-gauge stainless. There is a lot of heat movement with the material during cutting.

“Once we solved the heat issues and got an understanding of how to cut, we are now able get down to three-thousandths of an inch in terms of tolerance,” he added. “When we were off a little more than sixteenth of an inch with the old plasma system, that would cause problems. When you would put 10 pieces together that are off by a sixteenth of an inch to make an entry elbow, that would add up quickly and become a major problem.”

Also with the precision cutting, fabricators don’t have to worry about cleaning up holes and excessive dross. The speed and accuracy of the new plasma cutting system are keeping fabricators focused on finalizing orders, not rework.

2. An edge up on plasma cut quality
Precision plasma cutting has come a long way, and the technology that helps create the process’s clean, almost glassy edge—with little to no taper or edge rounding—continues to get better. Here’s how.

1. What is high-precision plasma cutting, exactly?
What started as a simple process to cut metal is now a fast, productive tool for job shops

We all know the old sales joke: You can have it good, fast, or cheap, so pick two. High-precision plasma cutting used to be that way, too, only the options were cut speed, quality, and parts life.

Today fabricators enjoy the best of all worlds. On 0.25-in. steel, top cutting speeds reach 100 inches per minute. (Speeds can reach 150 IPM or more if cuts are on long, straight edges or cut quality is not critical.) A high-precision system can achieve a cut accuracy of ±0.01 to 0.05 in. and kerf widths as narrow as 0.05 in. Consumables can last from 1,300 to more than 3,700 arc starts, and systems can cut any conductive material from 10 gauge up to 2 in. thick.

Capabilities continue to expand too. Hole cutting technology delivers a precision hole or radius with minimal to no taper on mild steel from 10 ga. to 1 in. Also, new plasma bevel cutting technology reduces weld preparation time and cost.

Next up? Safety.