How Does a CNC Plasma Cutter Work?
What Is CNC Plasma Cutting?
It is the process of cutting electrically conductive materials with an accelerated jet of hot plasma. Steel, brass, copper, and aluminum are some of the materials that can be cut with a plasma torch. CNC plasma cutter finds application in automotive repair, fabrication units, salvage and scrapping operations, and industrial construction. The combination of high speed and precision cuts with low cost makes the CNC plasma cutter widely used equipment.
What is a CNC Plasma Cutter?
A plasma cutting torch is a commonly used tool for cutting metals for a wide variety of purposes. A hand-held plasma torch is an excellent tool for quickly cutting through sheet metal, metal plates, straps, bolts, pipes, etc. Hand-held plasma torches also make an excellent gouging tool, for back-gouging weld joints or removing defective welds. A hand torch can be used for cutting small shapes from steel plates, but it is impossible to get good enough part accuracy or edge quality for most metal fabrication. That is why a CNC plasma is necessary.
A “CNC plasma” system is a machine that carries a plasma torch and can move that torch in a path directed by a computer. The term “CNC” refers to “Computer Numerical Control”, which means that a computer is used to direct the machine’s motion based on numerical codes in a program.
Hand-Held vs. Mechanized Plasma
CNC plasma cutting machines usually use a different type of plasma system than hand-held cutting applications, one specifically designed for “mechanized” cutting instead of hand-held cutting. Mechanized plasma systems use a straight barreled torch which can be carried by a machine and have some type of interface that can be controlled automatically by the CNC. Some entry-level machines can carry a torch designed for hand-held cutting processes, such as the Plasma CAM machines. But any machine designed for serious manufacturing or fabrication will use a mechanized torch and plasma system.
Parts of the CNC Plasma
The CNC machine may be an actual controller designed for machine tools, with a proprietary interface panel and a specially designed control console, such as a Fanuc, Allen-Bradley, or Siemens’s controller. Or it could be as simple as a Windows-based laptop computer running a special software program and communicating with the machine drives through the Ethernet port. Many entry-level machines, HVAC machines, and even some precision unitized machines use a laptop or desktop computer as the controller.
Post time: Jan-19-2023
