QUESTIONS :

- What is Plasma Cutting?
- What kinds of materials can the machine cut?
- Is it difficult to import my drawings into Dynatorch cutting software?
- Tell me about your technical support and its cost ?
- How Does Plasma Cutting Compare to Oxyfuel cutting?
- What Can I Use a Plasma Cutter for?
- What are the limitations to Plasma Cutting? Where is Oxyfuel preferred?
- Selecting a plasma cutter ?
- Plasma vs Hi-definition plasma vs Laser (COMPARISON)?
- What warranty and support does the machine include?

+What is Plasma Cutting?+
    Plasma cutting was invented as the result of trying to develop a better welding process. Many improvements then led to making this technology what it is today. Plasma cutters provide the best combination of accuracy, speed, and affordability for producing  a variety of flat  metal shapes. They can cut  much finer, faster, and more automatically than oxy-acetylene torches.
    How a plasma cutter works:
    Basic plasma cutters use electricity to superheat air into plasma (the 4th state of matter), which is then blown through the metal to be cut. Plasma cutters require a compressed air supply and AC power to operate.

    Operation:
     1. Initially, the electrode is in contact with (touches) the nozzle.
     2. When the trigger is squeezed, DC current flows through this contact.
     3. Next, compressed air starts moving the electrode back and flows out the nozzle.
     4. A fixed gap is established between the electrode and the nozzle. (The power supply
        increases voltage in order to maintain a constant current through the joint.) Electrons arc
        though the gap,turning the air into plasma.
     5. Finally, the regulated DC current is switched so that it no longer flows to the nozzle but
        instead flows from the electrode to the work piece. Current and airflow continue until
        cutting is halted.
          Notes:
          - The nozzle and electrode require periodic replacement. For this reason, they are called
          "consumables." Plasma cutters are only useful for cutting metal. Non-conductive            materials like wood and plastic prevent the plasma cutter from doing step 5 above.
          - The above steps describe the operation of a contact start plasma torch. Some older            plasma torch designs use high voltage sparks to bridge the gap between a fixed            electrode and nozzle when starting the arc. These high frequency/high voltage start            units are generally not recommended for use with a computerized machine, because            they cause severe electromagnetic interference.

+What kinds of materials can the machine cut?+
      Virtually any metal can be plasma cut including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, etc. Any thickness from 30 gauge through 1 inch can be cut, depending on the plasma cutter used.
       The material used can be as large as 4ft wide by 20ft long. Plastics and wood are not electrically conductive and cannot be plasma cut. However, you can use a rotary saw, router, or other tool if you want to cut these materials in the Plasma MAX machine.
      The accuracy of the machine is better than that of the plasma cutter. When the machine is coupled with a plasma torch, part accuracies as high as ±0.005 inch can be achieved, depending on material and setup conditions. Cutting speed can range from 0.1 to 1000 inches per minute.

+Is it difficult to import my drawings into Plasma MAX cutting software?+
      It is very easy. Our software allows the direct import of DXF formatted drawing files. The DXF format is a universal drawing exchange format supported by all CAD programs and most art creation software like Corel. Our software allows you to optimize DXF files for CNC cutting,
create arrays, scaling the size of your object to be cut and many other very useful features.

+Tell me about your technical support and its cost ?+
      We provide tech. support 6 days a week from 8 AM to 5 PM Central time (no calls answered Sunday ).
      The same people that designed the various system components are the same people that answer the tech support phones. This assures the highest level of technical competence to answer your issues. All this ,of course, is free to you or your staff. This level of support is also available to subsequent owners of your system free of charge.

+How Does Plasma Cutting Compare to Oxyfuel cutting?+
       Plasma cutting can be performed on any type of conductive metal - mild steel, aluminum and stainless are some examples. With mild steel, operators will experience faster, thicker cuts than with alloys.
       Oxyfuel cuts by burning, or oxidizing, the metal it is severing. It is therefore limited to steel and other ferrous metals which support the oxidizing process. Metals like aluminum and stainless steel form an oxide that inhibits further oxidization, making conventional oxyfuel cutting impossible. Plasma cutting, however, does not rely on oxidation to work, and thus it can cut aluminum, stainless and any other conductive material.
       While different gasses can be used for plasma cutting, most people today use compressed air for the plasma gas. In most shops, compressed air is readily available, and thus plasma does not require fuel gas and compressed oxygen for operation.
       Plasma cutting is typically easier for the novice to master, and on thinner materials, plasma cutting is much faster than oxyfuel cutting. However, for heavy sections of steel (1 inch and greater), oxyfuel is still preferred since oxyfuel is typically faster and, for heavier plate applications, very high capacity power supplies are required for plasma cutting applications.

+What Can I Use a Plasma Cutter for?+
       Plasma cutting is ideal for cutting steel, and non-ferrous material less than 1 inch thick. Oxyfuel cutting requires that the operator carefully control the cutting speed so as to maintain the oxidizing process.
       Plasma is more forgiving in this regard. Plasma cutting really shines in some niche applications, such as cutting expanded metal, something that is nearly impossible with oxyfuel. And, compared to mechanical mean of cutting, plasma cutting is typically much faster, and can easily make non-linear cuts.

+What are the limitations to Plasma Cutting? Where is Oxyfuel preferred?+
       The plasma cutting machines are typically more expensive than oxyacetylene, and also, oxyacetylene does not require access to electrical power or compressed air which may make it a more convenient method for some users. Oxyfuel can cut thicker sections (>1 inch) of steel more quickly than plasma.

+Selecting a plasma cutter ?+
       So you want to purchase a plasma cutter! It's kind of a bewildering prospect to select a piece of equipment that is new to you with so many manufacturers and models to choose from.
Let 's approach the problem logically. To start with, there are a number of questions that you must answer for yourself, before you can go any further:
         - How many hours a day do you plan to use your plasma cutter? In other words, what
       kind of duty cycle must it have?
         - What kind of electrical service do you have where you intend to use the machine? Is it
       50 amp 220 volt single phase, or perhaps 30 amp 110 volt single phase? What other
       equipment will be running simultaneously on the same circuit?
         - What kind of portability must your plasma cutter have? Will you be using it exclusively in        your shop, or will you need to take it to the job? Do you have a means of supplying the
       machine with compressed air in remote locations? How will you do that, with a portable        compressor or an air bottle? How will you supply electric current at the site?
         - What kind of material do you plan to cut, and how thick is it likely to be?
         - Will you be doing manual cutting exclusively, or is there a possibility that you may want
       to use your plasma cutter with a CNC cutting machine?
         - What are your budget limitations?

       Generally speaking, the higher the amperage output of the plasma cutter, the greater the duty cycle is at lesser amperages. In other words, if you plan to use the machine around the clock, you should consider a larger unit than you would need to cut the material you will be working.
       If you will be using your machine frequently, but not continuously, consider a unit that is capable of cutting the thickest material you are likely to work. Most manufacturers provide duty cycle information in their literature.
       Many people make the mistake of thinking that the greater the capacity of the machine, the better it is. In general, fabricators consider oxy-fuel to be superior to plasma for cutting steel when thicknesses exceed about 1/2 inch. This is because of the slight bevel (4 to 6 degrees) in the cut face that plasma produces. It is not noticeable in thinner materials, but becomes more so as thicknesses increase. Also, at thicknesses above 1/2 inch, plasma has no cutting speed advantage over oxy-fuel.
       There is little point in buying a plasma cutter that will cut 1 1/2" plate, if you are going to use acetylene for such work anyway. If you are planning to cut non-ferrous metals such as stainless or aluminum, which cannot be cut by oxy-fuel, consider a 50 to 80 amp. 220 volt plasma cutter.
       If you plan to use your plasma cutter outside the shop occasionally, you should consider one of the new breed of semi-portable machines. These units are little powerhouses that weigh less than 100 lbs., yet are capable of cutting 3/4" to 1" in a pinch. You will need a bottle of air or a compressor, and a hefty portable generator.
       If you believe that you may automate your plasma cutting at some point, you must select a unit that does not use a high-frequency starting circuit. A high-frequency start acts like a spark plug in a car. Rather than using a relatively lower voltage pilot arc to initiate the plasma process, it uses a high voltage spark. This causes electrical interference such as locking up the computer, destroying files, etc.
       Like most other things in life, you get what you pay for. Imported plasma cutters can be found on the market for $800 or less. However, that is money that could be put toward a modern inverter type unit costing more initially, but less over time when the cost of replacement parts and consumables is factored in.

+Plasma vs Hi-definition plasma vs Laser (COMPARISON)?+
    Let's take a look at the differences between the three processes

Right - There is very little difference in cut smoothness between the three processes. In the photo at right, the top plate was cut with plasma, the middle plate with hi-definition plasma, and the bottom with laser.     The laser process is the slowest of the three, and the most expensive at over $100,000 for the laser alone, not counting the CNC machine that runs it.      High definition plasma is perhaps 10% slower than plasma, and costs approximately $45,000 for the plasma cutter alone, with no CNC machine.      Plasma is the bargain, at $3,000 to $4,000 for the unit without a CNC machine. Like the other processes, plasma can cut non-ferrous metals as well as steel

Left - One peculiarity of plasma is that it produces a slight bevel in the cut face which is more noticeable in small holes than in other shapes.      In the photo at the far left, two 1/2" dia. holes were cut in 3/8" thick mild steel. The plasma cut top hole shows a taper from top to bottom that is not present in the laser cut hole below. Hi definition plasma produces less of a bevel in holes than plasma, but more than laser.      The photo at the immediate left shows the piece containing the plasma cut hole. Interestingly, the bevel does not appear in the slots or the exterior of the shape. The bevel in plasma cut holes becomes less noticeable in thinner materials.

Right -In this plasma-cut 1/4" thick flange, the holes have a slight taper, but are fine for bolts. Cut smoothness is on par with laser.

Left - These sample cuts were produced by a Hypertherm High Definition plasma cutter in steel and aluminum. The process seems to get slightly better results on aluminum than plasma is able to achieve.

Right -Detail is where laser really shines! These 5/16" ID flat washers were laser cut in 1/8" thick mild steel. Neither plasma nor high definition plasma would be capable of this

+What warranty and support does the machine include?+
       The machine is covered by a 1-year limited warranty and free technical support.