Influences on plasma cutting quality on CNC machine

Abstract

This article discusses plasma cutting technology and its influences on the quality of the resulting cut. Plasma or a plasma arch consists of positive and negatively charged particles, excited and neutral atoms and molecules. As it contains free particles, it is electrically conductive and thus subject to the effects of the electrical and magnetic field. The basis of CNC machine design is described in the article, which has at least 3 axes (x, y, z), but there are also more technologically demanding applications, such as pipe cutting, profile and cutting using chamfer to prepare surfaces for welding, where these multi-axis devices are frequently used. The principle of plasma cutting and the plasma cutting phase is described in this article. The materials that can be divided by a plasma arc are described in detail, including graphs displaying the dependence of sheet thickness on the cutting speed. The article describes and lists the gases that are used in plasma-arc cutting, such as oxygen, argon, hydrogen and nitrogen. Important components of plasma cutting technology are the parameters that can be adjusted and set before the cutting so that the cut is of good quality. The most comprehensive chapter deals with the influences that affect plasma cutting quality. Cutting quality can be influenced by a number of factors. Everything starts with the proper choice of a CNC machine and a plasma source. The quality also depends on the expertise and experience of the machine operator and the setting of the plasma cutting parameters. This issue of influences on the plasma cutting quality is based on long-term experience in the field of the thermal cutting process.