A scrupulous process of cutting metal and giving it a concrete shape is called Profile cutting. Profile cutting is used to cut hard metal like steel and aluminum. The process to cut such metals requires a table and a machine befitted to begin this process. With different types of metals, the machines also vary as not all metals have the same consistency and thickness. Profile cutting process helps the business in many ways. It can produce complex designs and reduce the manufacturer’s time. There are different profile cutting process and procedures that we will discuss in this article.
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CNC Profile Cutting
The CNC(Computer Numerical Control) profile cutting process requires a metal plate cutting machine that’ll use the plasma and/or oxyfuel technology to cut through the metal and giving it a subsequent shape. The process of CNC cutting makes the handheld machines automized. Therefore, the costs incurred to work on these machines are comparatively less as compared to Laser profile cutting.
Plasma CNC Cutting
The Plasma cutting came to existence when then used flame cutting was not able to cut some metals like alloy metals and steel. It was initially used for thermal cutting for such materials. However, in the current time, Plasma profile cutting is also used for economical cutting of thin and low alloyed metals.
How do plasma cutting works? The basic plasma cutting process requires of mainly three things:
- Power Supply
- An arch starting circuit
- A torch
Combined together, the following components can provide the three vital things required to produce high quality and highly productive cuts on motelier materials:
- Electric Energy
- Ionization Capability
- Process Control
And, for the CNC profile cutting using plasma cutting, there are mainly three configurations differed according to the forms of materials to be processed and the flexibility of the cutting heads. They are :
2-Dimensional/2- Axis CNC Plasma Cutting
Known to be the most conventional and quotidian form of CNC plasma cutting, it is used to produce flat profiles, making a 90o cut edges to the material surface. This type of plasma cutting is capable of cutting profiles of metal plates up to 150mm thickness.
3-Dimensional/3+ Axis Plasma Cutting
This process too known for cutting flat profiles but with an additional axis of rotation by letting the machine tilt while cutting head of the material with the cutting edge other than 90 degrees to the material surface. It can deliver the cutting edge of like 30-45 degree to the material surface. These configurations are mainly used where the profile being cut is to be used in some welding fabrication.
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Tube and Section Plasma Cutting
As the name suggests, this type of configuration is used while working with Tubes, pipes or any other form of long sections of metals. While cutting profiles of such long sections the plasma cutting edge is kept stationary while the longitudinal axis is rotated around. With such a feature, it becomes advantageous for the fabrication of the process of cutting pipes providing a wield preparation in a place for a straight edge.
Oxy-fuel Profile Cutting
In Oxy-fuel cutting Oxygen, gas plays an important part. It is mainly used in processes where the metal needs either welding or cutting. For this type of profile cutting, a torch is used to heat the metals to kindling temperature. Then a stream of oxygen is trained on the metal, burning the metal oxide flowing out as a slag out of the kerf. Oxy-fuel torches are single-tank torches which are best suited for either soldering and brazing of the metals. Oxy-fuel profile cutting is considered one of the most important production process in the metal industry. For metals with the thickness up to 90mm Oxy-fuel cutting is the only process available for cutting and is equally economical.
Conclusion
There are other means and ways of profile cutting like laser profile cutting, but people are opting for CNC machines and profile cutting be it Plasma or Oxy-fuel because CNC machines have a feature of taking complete use and advantages of raw materials resulting to minimal wastage and delivering comparatively efficient process.
