Plasma Cutters can help improve the quality of your cut and increase your efficiency on every job.
The general consensus is that they are pretty easy to use, however, this doesn’t always mean that you are actually getting the most from the tool.
Built-in vs separate air plasma cutters
A plasma cutter sends air through a plasma torch, which sparks an electrical arc that forces plasma through the torch tip to cut metal – sound simple enough doesn’t it? But each type of plasma cutter has its own different type of benefits.
Hypertherm plasma cutters don’t have built-in air compressors, except for the Powermax 30 air, which means that you will need a separate type of air compressor to be able to use them. If you’re using a separate air compressor, you will need to make sure that the air pressure is correct for your machine, otherwise it won’t cut properly and it will end up costing you more money in the long term.
Study your product manual properly for safe operation
To help achieve optimum results from your plasma cutter and make the most of its capabilities, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with the manual of the machine before you start any form of work. Look to understand the safe and correct way of using your particular plasma cutter and pay attention to the finer details as different models can vary in their usage.
Whether you’re just getting started in plasma cutting or you’ve got years of experience, there’s always more to it than meets the eye and this is where your product manual will come in extremely handy.
It is also essential to use the machine while wearing safety gear such as eye protection or a welding apron to protect clothes and your eyes from potential hazards.
Sample cut and practice runs
Before you finally get started using your plasma cutter on a job, you’ll want to ensure that you’re using the right settings and travel speed. There’s no better way to check this than making a sample cut on a similar type of material that you’ll be working on during your job and this also ensures that you don’t get a bad result straight away on what would be the finished product.
On long cuts, you should be looking to practice your movements before pulling the trigger to make sure you have the right amount of freedom of movement to make one continuous cut. Having to stop and start again in the same spot will make the job harder than it has to be, and will typically create irregularities in the cut edge.
Monitor speed and excess
A telltale sign that you’re going too fast when using your plasma cutter is that the sparks will be coming towards you and it won’t be properly cutting all the way through. To combat this you’ll want to make sure that you’re cutting at a steady pace throughout each job. For extra help on making sure both your pace and line of cut is correct you can use a cutting guide. Once you’ve figured out your ideal pace you will notice all the sparks and dross from your cut will begin to go towards the floor.
Don’t be tempted to use it as a hammer
This may sound like an obvious point, but you wouldn’t pay hundreds of pounds for a hammer, so don’t be tempted to use your plasma cutting torch as one – no matter how tempting it can be. You can easily damage the torch by using it to remove any excess pieces after cutting. Instead, you could invest in a chipping hammer which is an affordable and handy option that will aid you in many projects and can make the clean-up process much easier.
At Engweld, we know how to ensure you get the results you want from your plasma cutter and we know the best products possible to make that happen. The HandyPlasma 35i and HandyPlasma 45i are great entry-level plasma cutters that are lightweight and portable while being powerful enough to handle tough cutting jobs on mild steel, stainless steel or aluminum grates and plates.
Intuitive LCD displays and an all-in-one function knob mean you can get high performance without dealing with complicated set-up and operation.
For more advanced plasma cutters suitable for larger industrial projects, the Hypertherm range, ESAB cutmaster and Lincoln Tomahawk are fantastic options that are designed to be used on site and handle harsh environments.
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Want to find out more about plasma cutters? View our range here, or get in touch with our friendly customer service team for more information.
