There are a lot of different components and year of technology development that go into designing and manufacturing a top quality computerized plasma cutter. This includes both mobile or portable plasma cutters as well as large, industrial units designed to handle any size sheet of metal.
With a computerized plasma cutter, also known as a CNC plasma cutter, the technology that comes with the system is just as critical as the ability of the actual machine to do the job. Low quality or cheap fabrication of the plasma cutting system or the software is going to lead to problems in completing the job to the specifications and requirements of your customers.
The Plasma Difference
While many people think of material as having three different states, those being liquid, gas and solids, there is a fourth state. This is called plasma. Plasma is created through the application of heat to a gas. In this process, the gas becomes electronic conductive, at which point it is plasma.
The computerized plasma cutter uses this state of matter to cut with extreme precision. Of course, the level of precision offered by any plasma cutting system is also a factor of the torch as well as the nozzle in creating the specific cut. With the use of a computerized control, the equipment is specifically controlled to repeat the same cut again and again to extremely tight tolerances and virtually no deviation between cut pieces.
The Computerized Difference
The specific working of the plasma cutter, including the development of the pilot arc of plasma that cuts the metal, is similar in a handheld or manual plasma cutter as in a CNC system. It uses the plasma arc to create a current path to the workpiece from the nozzle. The computer then switches the DC current to match the correct amperage and alters the plasma gas to specifically match the workpiece metal.
This is all done automatically and even the shielding gas is triggered to start to flow at the correct time. This shielding gas surrounds the plasma arc, keeping the cut very precise and perfectly shaped rather than spreading or narrowing as the cutting process occurs.
When considering any computerized plasma cutter look carefully at the software package and the features it offers. While all will do the basics listed above, others offer simple operation, simple set-up of drawings and the ability to easily be configured to get the job done.
