The key to getting the best out of your plasma cutter is to understand it and therefore manage it properly. For a business owner this can mean one of two things: having this knowledge and skill yourself or employing someone who does have it.
In either case it is crucial to know not just the generalities of plasma cutting machines but also any special features of the one you are using. It makes sense, then, to extract all the information you can from the supplier and make sure any staff who need to know the ins and outs of your equipment are suitably trained up.
Controlling factors such as dross production and clearance is essential to ensure a clean, precise job. Having to go back in and tidy up an edge or hole is both irritating and costly. Rework can be necessitated by poor quality or poorly maintained machinery or by shoddy work by the operator.
One of the basic mistakes is running consumables into the ground when a simple inspection can tell you if they are past their best and need to be replaced. At the other end of that particular spectrum, while replacing consumables sooner than necessary may not cause inferior work but will waste both time and money.
Another surprisingly common issue is a wrongly assembled torch. Always follow instructions to the letter, take care to keep the parts clean and free of dust and debris while they are out, and use enough O-ring lubricant, but not too much, and never use grease. Overlubrication causes clogging and malfunctions.
Perhaps the most important advice of all is also the most obvious: carry out regular maintenance and examine the disassembled parts or wear and damage, replacing anything that may be about to cause trouble.
How bad parameters destroy consumables and hole roundness
This means tailoring your set-up to the job in hand. Parameters are boundaries or limits, and the idea is simply to make sure you have enough power for the job but not to take a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Getting the balance wrong can damage consumables and adversely affect the roundness of holes.
Avoiding divots on finished edges and distortion on thin plate
A tangential lead-in arc and setting the correct cut-past distance can help greatly to avoid the issue of divots on finished edges.
Distortion on thin metal is caused by rapid expansion and contraction which the thin material cannot handle. This can be mitigated by using faster cutting speeds, ensuring good clamping and using water-based cooling techniques to protect high-temperature areas.
How moisture and oil contamination affect arc stability and edge finish
Beware of contamination by oil and moisture in the compressed air supply, as this can badly affect the stability of the arc and therefore lead to a less precise edge with excess dross. It can also damage consumable, producing a knock-on effect for the whole job.
Arc stability is one of the key pillars of a successful plasma cutting process. While you may have all the other factors under control, including stability and THC, if the arc itself is not exactly as it should be, that introduces a variable into the equation when there should be absolutely standard conditions.
Moisture and oil particles entering the arc can cause it to burn hotter, throwing your calculations out and resulting in a less well-regulated process.
Proper training, maintenance and diligence, then, are the ingredients that can avoid common plasma cutting mistakes.