laguna Plasma Level 2 CNC, Owner'S Manual

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12.) Introduction to CNC Plasma Machines-
The CNC Plasma is designed to give you years of safe service. Read this owner’s manual in its
entirety before assembly or use. The advantage of the CNC Plasma machine is that it can, in most
cases, fully machine the complete job without it being removed from the table so that you have
finished parts of high accuracy that are totally repeatable. Nesting is also a valuable feature of
CNC Plasma machining that saves on waste and costs.
13.) Introduction to CNC Plasma Machines-
What is Plasma?
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Plasma is a gas heated to an extremely high temperature and ionized so that it becomes
electrically conductive. Plasma arc cutting uses the plasma as an electrode to transfer an electrical
arc to the work piece. The heat of the arc melts the work piece, and the force of the plasma and
shield gases blow away the molten metal to cut the work piece. Different metals react differently
to plasma cutting. Carbon steel can be oxidized and is usually cut with a plasma containing oxygen
to take advantage of the exothermic process. Higher levels of oxygen in the plasma result in
higher heat and higher rates of oxidation. The result is a faster and cleaner cut. Stainless steel and
aluminum are not subject to rapid oxidation and depend entirely on the plasma’s heat for the
cutting process. Because plasma produces much higher heat than the oxygen-fuel cutting process,
plasma can cut stainless steel and aluminum quickly and cleanly.