Turn the machine off before changing tips or adjusting the torch. Wear
appropriate safety equipment at all times. Do not allow contact from the
operator with the work piece whilst a cut is made – use suitable gloves.
Cut quality
Cut quality depends quite heavily on a number of different parameters including torch
standoff or contact, torch alignment relative to the work piece, cutting speed, material
being cut, and of course operator ability and experience.
The following pointers should be noted, however a lot is to be gained from practice and
experience. Training and general information days as well as formal welding coding is
available at our facilities or on site with you, please contact us for details.
Try to keep the torch tip perpendicular and vertical to the work piece when cutting –
this gives you the best chance of a straight cut.
Do not raise the torch tip either from contact with the material or the guide from the
material if using one when cutting as the cut quality will decrease as the gap
increases above the material.
Try to ensure the material being cut is as clean as possible before cutting, this will
improve the cut quality and means there is less chance of the contaminants on the
material becoming airborne fumes when they are cut.
Ensure there is a good clean connection between the work clamp and work piece.
Try to plan direction of cut when the edges are critical, due to the rotation of the
plasma gas stream one side of a cut will be perpendicular, the other may have a
slight angle offset, which side this happens on will reverse with direction of travel.
You can reverse the swirl ring to swap which side this affects – this effect is present
in all plasma arc cutting systems and ranges from imperceptible in thinner materials
to more pronounced at higher cut speeds in thicker materials.
For example – to ensure the cut is ‘square’ to the plate when cutting the inside edge of the
circumference of a circle the torch should move counter clockwise. To keep a ‘square’ cut
on the outside edge of the circumference of a circle the torch should travel in a clockwise
direction.
