Plasma cutting: what should a cut look like?

If you’re new to the world of plasma cutting, you may be wondering, “What do good plasma cuts look like?” In short, how your cut should look will depend on the kind of plasma cutting being undertaken. 

Conventional oxygen plasma

This kind of plasma cutting has been around since the 1980s. Technological advancements mean that this method of plasma cutting can now cut steel over two inches thick. Resulting cuts are typically very clean, with no top edge rounding, dross-free edges, and minimum edge taper.

Air plasma

This type of plasma cutting uses air as the main gas, and is affordable, versatile and portable. Typically, the quality of air plasma cuts will depend on the person who’s carrying out the cutting. If the person’s hand is shaking, the cut will have a rough edge. But if the torch is mounted on a precision cutting machine, you’ll get a smoother, more accurate cut. On steel, this kind of cutting will result in a nitride case hardened edge, and on aluminium and stainless steel, it will result in some oxidation.

High definition plasma

High definition plasma cutting is all about accuracy, so you can expect the best cuts from this. Many thicknesses of metal can be cut, and edges are dross-free and square. You can also expect accuracy within the +/-0.010 of an inch range, beating the other kinds of plasma cutting for precision.

Other factors

As well as the kind of plasma cutting you’re doing, the final cut will also depend on a variety of other factors, such as the quality of the cutting table and components, the software being used, and the age of the system. That’s why it pays to rely on professionals if you want your plasma cutting to be the best it can be.

Plasma cutting from ShapeCUT

If you want to take advantage of the benefits that high quality plasma cutting has to offer, contact ShapeCUT today on 1800 ShapeCUT (1800 742 732). As experts in all things metal cutting, you can rest assured we know what we’re doing and you’ll get exactly the results you want. With over 20 years of experience and all the latest technology at our disposal, we have the tools and know-how to ensure your cuts look perfect.