Tips To Avoid Common Mistakes With Your Plasma Cutting Machine

By Author: Steven Glassner
Total Articles: 153
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Any mistakes in plasma cutting can impact cut quality and affect the consumable's life. Thus, avoiding common mistakes can help to control a lot of loss and are also easy to take care of. Additionally, using quality parts like Hypertherm plasma cutter parts will enhance the quality of the output and increase the longevity of the machine. Now, let us see how you can avoid common mistakes and polish the performance and output quality of the plasma cutting machine. 

Tips to Avoid Common Plasma Cutting Mistakes

CNC Machine Must Have Correct Pierce and Cut Height

Considering pierce height and cut height will save you from many problems like quality damage. For instance, if the pierce height is too low, the torch will come too close to the plate. And this can result in the torch getting splashed by molten metal, thus damaging its quality. If the pierce height is too high, then the torch will remain too far from the plate. And due to this, the arc will not be able to transfer, resulting in consumable damage or even misfire.

Similarly, cut height is equally crucial. If the cut height is too ...
... low, then the arc will end up removing too much metal from the bottom of the plate, which leads to a negative bevel. And if the cut height is too high, then the tip of the arc will reach the plate, and it will cause top-edge rounding and positive bevel.

Set the Gas Flow and Pressure Correctly

If the gas frequency is even a bit high or low, it will affect the machine adversely. If the gas pressure is extremely low, then the plasma cutting arc will never be able to cut the metal precisely because the pressure would be too weak. And if the gas pressure is too high, then you will end up having an unstable arc.

Thus, to make the gas flow correctly, you must check the gas levels regularly. This way, you can ensure if the correct amount of the gas is reaching the plasma torch or not. 

Ensure That You Are Following the Operator's Manual Seriously

While using any plasma cutting machine, you must double-check the operator's manual. This will help you to ensure the correct amperage for metal and the thickness you need to use for cutting. Also, you should follow the instructions and notes given in the operator's manual because that will help you to enhance your output's quality, increase the longevity of the machine, and promote safety. 

Also, incorrect CNC settings often lead to many problems. Like if the cut speed is too slow, then the cut pieces will start developing at the low-speed dross. This will form a large bubbly accumulation of trash along the bottom edge. Additionally, slow speeds can also cause a widening of the kerf with a lot of top spatter. And if the cut speed is too fast, then the arc will lag, which will cause a beveled edge with a narrow kerf and a small, hard bead of dross gathered at the bottom edge of the cut pieces. 

Thus, if you follow the operator's manual and set the cut speed accordingly, then it will give you a clean edge cutting with minimal dross. 

Other tips to avoid common mistakes that you can follow also includes:

Keeping the record of consumable's life.
Regularly check the torch and consumables to ensure there is no rust gathered and if the equipment is working fine or not.
Assembling the torch to align the cut parts correctly.
Use quality parts and spare parts like Hypertherm plasma cutter parts and Hypertherm spare parts for enhancing the performance of your machine.
Ensuring the number of consumable parts matching in the operator's manual will save you from maximum dross.

From now on, whenever you encounter a poor consumable or plasma cut quality, remember to check if you are not doing any of the common mistakes and ensure that you are following the tips given above. If you do not see any improvement after applying these tips, then you should contact the equipment manufacturer to troubleshoot them with the issues. They will suggest to you the ideal solution for fixing the problem. As mentioned above, make sure you have spare parts for primary machine parts so that you do not have to waste time till it gets repaired. Investing in quality spare parts like Hypertherm spare parts will give you the same quality as the original.

Steve M Glassner is the General Manager of Alternative Parts Inc, the leading manufacturer and distributor of Amada machinery replacement parts. Steve is a Machine Tools industry enthusiast and frequently writes about various aspects of the industry.