Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Plasma Cutter – How to Make the Most of Such Machine?





It’s the plasma cutter that has now become a common tool at the workshops. There are many different types of cutting operations; these machines can perform on different types of materials. The science or the technology behind these machines is always such equipments to perform the cutting operations so precisely and accurately. Apart from this the plasma cutter available in the market has also made the cutting of materials look easier and very convenient. Cutting operations have now become much faster than ever before.
Instead of using the band saw, people now days prefer to use the plasma cutter in order to complete the cutting operations quickly and in a more accurate way. When you are also looking forward to make the most of your plasma cutter, you also need to follow some tips. As the price for such machines have fallen to a great extent, these equipments have become more common now at different workshops. Whether you want to do some fabrication related works or you want to build some metal objects, a plasma cutter can always make these works look easier for you. 
The basic work principle of a plasma cutter depends on the formation of an arc that carries high voltage and also cuts through the metal while melting it. These plasma cutters are also portable with comparison to the oxy-acetylene tanks. You can even use a plasma cutter with the flow of current that is found at your home. as these are the machines, problems can even occur with such equipments. Knowing these issues can even help you to prevent them from happening or you can opt for proper maintenance once a problem occurs with your plasma cutter. As these machines can work at just any environment, they are considered to be the most flexible cutting units that you can now avail in the market.
When you are using a plasma cutter, always use the grounded connections. Most of the problems rise with a plasma cutter when the owner fails to attach the equipment with a grounded connection that carries a three pronged design. You may be using such an outlet that is loaded with three prongs but this may not be connected with the grounded connection. Keep in mind that properly grounded plasma current can work in the most efficient manner. This helps the electrical pilot arc to perform the cutting operations smoothly and accurately.
Proper grounded clamp needs to be used by you when you are looking for a better function of the machine. It’s your plasma cutter that needs to be grounded properly with the work piece. In this regard, you can use the grounding clamps which will remain connected with the work piece. And these clamps can be located close to the area of the work piece where you want to make the cuts. Such arrangement also completed the required circuit and allows the cutter to create that charge which is needed to melt the material. When you are doing this, ensure that the ground clamp connections are firm enough.
It’s the air pressure for the machine that needs to remain up! When the machine uses to work, the in-built air compressor does the prime work like blowing out the molten material from the work piece. This air also removes the debris and dross that can come up with the cutting operations. So, the air pressure needs to be perfect and high enough so that the molten material can be removed properly and the cuts can be achieved accurately. This air pressure needs to be set as per the owner manual. And once you set the air pressure right, you need to maintain this throughout the cutting operation.
You need to pay attention towards the cutting tip that may get clogged with time. When the plasma cutter works, there is always a tendency for the machine to collect the metal slag and the dirt particles at the cutting tip. Deposition of such slag and metal dust can even hamper the flow of the current while discharging it. This will not maintain the best connection for the machine. Once you see this happens, you need to stop the cutting process and first wipe out those slag and metal dusts from the tip of the cutter. A clogged cutter always needs to be cleaned so that dust and slag cannot play their part to hamper the overall cutting process.
 In case you see the burn tip, you need to replace this fast. This is a common problem that can occur with the plasma cutter you are using. when the cutter uses to work, the tip burning can occur. There is a cutting hole at the cutter’s tip. This must be of specified diameter. When this tip uses to burn, the diameter of the hole changes. And this hampers the conductivity for electric charge and will not allow it to work better. So, you need to have the new cutting tip ready at your disposal. And once you see the burning of tip, you need to change this with the new one.
The cutting surface needs to be cleaned properly before you cut through it. A plasma cutter can make the conductive connection which is established with the work piece. If the metal surface remains dirty, then such conductivity cannot be established and this will hamper the overall cutting process. So, it’s always better to invest some time in cleaning the surface of the work piece. Remove the oil, dust, rust, and other contaminates from the surface of the metal sheet and should make it more electrically conductive.
The most important element that helps the plasma cutter to work properly is the clean tip. With time the tip of the cutter can start accumulating the dust. So, cleaning it can remove the dust and help the tip to perform cuts perfectly. This also helps in getting proper, accurate and precision cuts.
Following all these steps can really help you to make the most of your plasma cutter.