The difference between flame cutting machine and plasma cutting machine

The difference between flame cutting machine and plasma cutting machine

Flame cutting, also known as oxygen cutting, uses a preheating flame to heat a certain point on the surface of a steel plateto a ignition point<1000 ℃>, and then ignites it with high-pressure oxygen to support combustion, forming a cutting method for the steel plate to burn and form a cut. Gas and heating gas (acetylene, propane, coal gas) required for flame cutting, combustion supporting gas (oxygen)

Plasma cutting, also known as electric cutting, uses a plasma power source (also known as a plasma cutting machine) to convert ordinary industrial electricity into a high-temperature (arc core 8000-12000 ℃, which can decompose all molecular materials) plasma arc. The energy of the plasma arc is used to burn the steel plate, and the residue is taken away by the plasma flow to form a cutting method.

Although CNC flame cutting of thin plates (0.5-6mm) has gradually been replaced by plasma cutting in the cutting field due to subjective factors such as slow speed and large thermal deformation, CNC flame cutting still plays a crucial role in cutting thick and medium plates, and flame cutting has always held a certain market share in cutting medium and thick plate cutting materials due to its price advantage

Its advantages are mainly manifested in the following aspects:

1. It can cut very thick carbon steel, with a wide cutting range, and can cut 6mm to 200mm thick steel plates;

The price of flame cutting machines is relatively low, and the initial investment cost is also relatively low.

The defects in flame cutting mainly manifest in the following aspects:

1. The preheating and perforation time required for cutting is long, and the cutting speed is slow;

2. The thermal deformation during cutting is large, especially when cutting thin plates (0.5-6mm), the cutting accuracy is not high.

3. It is not possible to cut non-ferrous metals such as copper and aluminum, as well as stainless steel.

4. The method of burning fuel causes serious environmental pollution and is not environmentally friendly.

Usually, CNC plasma arc cutting refers to a machining method in which CNC machine tools use the heat of high-temperature plasma arc to locally melt (and evaporate) the metal part at the workpiece incision, and use the momentum of high-speed plasma to remove molten metal to form the incision. The application of plasma has also become relatively popular, but due to subjective and objective reasons, plasma cutting also has its own shortcomings. The advantages of plasma cutting are mainly manifested in the following aspects:

1. Wide cutting field, capable of cutting ****** metal sheets;

2. Fast cutting speed and high efficiency, with a cutting speed of over 10m/min;

3. The cutting accuracy is higher than flame cutting, and underwater cutting has no deformation. Fine plasma cutting has higher accuracy.