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Plasma Cutting

For many years plasma cutting has been a very cost-effective and flexible method of cutting mild steel, stainless steel, wear resistant plate and aluminium. The process itself can be used with a simple handheld cutting torch or more accurately when a torch is mountedon a CNC cutting table.

Materials ranging from 1mm through to 75mm mild steel can be cut with the plasma process and at relatively high speeds. There are currently three levels

Ultrasharp Plasma Range

UltraSharp is a process that is constantly being enhanced by Kerf Developments and its technology partners. The process uses proven material databases to consistently cut components of the highest possible quality. The system works out the most appropriate speeds and feed, gas pressures and most appropriate lead-in and lead-out strategies for a given component or nest of components.

The UltraSharp plasma cutting process should be considered as a cost effective alternative to laser for a large majority of fabrication applications.

Plasma

Your cost effective solution for mild & stainless steels

Plasma cutting has long been considered as a low cost alternative to oxy-fuel and laser profiling, where cut angle was not an issue. Recent developments in the high precision/high definition plasma process have significantly improved the quality and capabilities of plasma cutting, making it a more versatile and accurate option than ever before.

Plasma cutting is suitable for various materials, particularly mild steels and stainless steels producing an excellent edge finish.

The plasma cutting process can cut materials much faster than you can with oxy-fuel. It can cut significantly faster than a waterjet. It is for many the fastest and most productive way to cut parts for fabrication applications.

There is no question that early air plasma systems created huge leaps in productivity with the high speed cutting of steel plate. The problem however was that for many; holes were not of a good enough quality and the edge finish often had a large bevel angle. Furthermore, edge dross also meant that components required a considerable amount of manual re-working after being cut, a process that was time consuming and labour intensive.
 

The introduction of high definition (HD) plasma systems around twenty years ago helped to improve this with reductions in bevel angles, however, holes would typically be perfectly round on the top face and slightly oval on the lower face due to the lag of the plasma arc. UltraSharp is a process that has been developed to address this issue.


Manufacturers have been able to offer good quality “bolt ready” holes cut with plasma for several years, however, it is the enhancement of this process for internal and external profiles with UltraSharp that has been a real game changer.


UltraSharp technology automatically applies the most appropriate cutting speeds and feeds for holes, slots and internal cut-outs and does so without the need for additional manual programming by the machine operator. The CADCAM database modifies the speeds, feeds, gas pressures and flow rates ensuring that UltraSharp plasma cutting machines can produce components with a consistently good cut quality.


UltraSharp technology offers all the speed advantages of HD plasma with an enhanced cut quality. The process is a well proven solution that will produce high quality components at the lowest possible cost and offers an alternative to laser a for a large majority of cutting applications.