Industrial Vs Non Industrial Plasma Cutting Machines

Industrial vs. Non-industrial Plasma machines

Plasma cutting technology is a widely used process that has gained widespread popularity for its ability to cut most metal forms and is quite favored for its simplicity in use. Its versatility with its range of capabilities and applications have made it a universally accepted metal cutting process.

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Non-industrial Plasma

Nonindustrial plasmas are best suited for garage users of steel fabrication who require plasma cutting, perhaps 2-3 hours per day, 3-4 days per week. A plasma in this class is best suited to small operations that work on mostly customized jobs. Nonindustrial plasma units are much cheaper to purchase than industrial plasmas but cannot tolerate the ongoing high volume that an industrial Plasma is designed for. Air plasmas and lower end conventional mechanized plasmas generally fall into the category of non-industrial plasmas Pressography.

Industrial Plasma

Industrial plasmas refer to plasma units geared towards high volume large production facilities that have enough work to elicit a machine to operate a full eight-hour shift five days per week. Plasmas in this class usually can operate up to three eight-hour shifts per day, seven days per week if necessary. If your operation fits into this category, then an industrial plasma is not only preferable but an absolute necessity.

Higher-end Conventional plasma and High Definition Plasmas fall into the category of industrial plasmas. With modern-day advances, however, high definition is generally the plasma of choice due to the higher levels of automation they provide and the higher level of cutting proficiency they are capable of achieving.

Advantages of Industrial Plasma (high definition plasma)

• Lower operating Costs

• Oxygen and multi-gas capability for improved

• Faster Cut speeds

• Improved weldability

• Significantly longer consumable life

• Thicker cutting capability

• Quick disconnect torch

• 100% duty cycle

• Hi-Definition technology

• Best cut quality including squarer edges and rounder holes

• Mark, cut, and bevel with the same consumables

• More process options for optimizing the cut quality

• Remote (CNC) gas switching capability

• Patent TruHole technology for best plasma cut holes – unique to Hypertherm high definition plasmas

• Hdi thin stainless technology

• Optimal gas mixing for mid-range stainless steel

• Higher pierce capability

• Much higher automation

• Higher resale value

• Much longer life on a machine

• Significantly higher production capability

• Significantly higher computer-aided design capability

Essential components of an industrial plasma cutting machine

What is most essential to a plasma machine’s ability to provide continuous quality cutting are the ‘Controllers’ of a plasma unit. A well-engineered, well-constructed control unit is essential to providing consistent high-level cutting precision, and quality carried out at high speeds over long hours. A poor to the average control unit is incapable of achieving consistent precision, especially over long production intervals where it is likely to overheat or break down.

Controllers consist of five main components: Power source, controller, a lifter, drives, and servo motors.

Power Source

It is imperative to get a renowned plasma source for your machine to achieve high performance and reliability to deliver consistent cut quality, high productivity, lowest operating costs whilst lasting you a long time for your business.

Lifter

The lifter is an essential component providing precise height control of the plasma torch. Utilizing a quality THC height sensor will reduce the cut to cut cycle time (up to 60%). It provides better-cut quality due to proper assembly of torch height, savings on power, and longer consumable life.

Also, the quality torch height controllers automatically adjust the voltage for proper torch height to optimize cut quality and consumable life. Traditional torch height controls require an operator to adjust arc voltage to ensure proper cut height periodically.

Control

The controller needs to have all the process expertise built-in resulting in flexibility and ease of use. A quality controller has a digital I/O serious system that will deliver reliable motion system quality and improve the cut quality and productivity.

The software should allow flexibility and ease of use for the end-user, so a person with little or no experience on the controller can cut like a seasoned professional in as little as a day.

High-End Servo Drives and motors

High-end drives like Bosch help ensure high stiffness essential for accuracy, minimal backlash, and easy adjustment. The servo drives receive command signals that amplify and transmit electric current to the servo motor to produce motion proportional to command signals.

Their main advantage over DC and AC motors used in non-industrial plasmas is the addition of motor feedback, which can detect unwanted motion or ensure a command motion accuracy. Servos in constant speed changing use typically have a better lifecycle than DC/AC motors. They can also act as a brake by shutting off generated electricity from the motor itself.

Bosch Servo motors

Bosch servo motors allow for precise control of angular position, velocity, and acceleration. It consists of a sophisticated motor coupled to a sensor for position feedback.

Stepper motors typically used in low-end CNC machines provide no feedback encoder as the drive signal specifies the number of movement steps to rotate. This lack of feedback limits performance as the stepper motor can only drive a load that is well within its capacity; otherwise, missed steps under load may lead to positioning errors.

Low rails

Industrial plasma’s usually featured low rails secured to the ground to ensure the highest level of stability driven by helical drives to provide optimal accuracy during the rapid fast-moving of the plasma beam during long production intervals.

Table design rails usually seen on non-industrial plasmas won’t have the same rigidity level and are thus less suited to high volume rapid pace production. Besides, with rails built onto the cutting table and so close to the plasma, with constant long duration cutting, the rails are at risk of distorting in shape (over time) due to the constant exposure to heat.