Overview of Plasma Cutter and Welding

A plasma cutter is a tool that is used in the type of welding called PAW or Plasma Arc Welding. Plasma in this case is actually a gas and it has been ionized by heating it to a high temperature. Plasma at this point is actually able to conduct electricity and it uses a small hole to transfer an electric arc to the piece that the welder is welding.

Plasma is a gas and it automatically happened when you put gas under very high temperatures. Heat actually will create a chemical reaction with the gas and the welder gets a very strong tool that can cut through many things.

Although this may seem mysterious, plasma also is the power within neon signs, plasma displays and even fluorescent lights. All of these things use what is called "cool" plasma and this type is not the type that cuts metal.

The welder will find that plasma cutters come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some use robotic arms so they can make more precise cuts. Others are handheld units and very compact which are the type that some people use in their home shops.

The way a plasma cutter works is like this; it sends a pressurized gas through a channel that is very small. The gas that it uses could be anything from oxygen to argon. There is an electron in the middle of the channel that is negatively charged. When power is applied to this electrode, and the tip of the nozzle from the plasma cutter is touched onto the metal a circuit is created.

This connection then creates a spark between the metal and the electrode. Finally, the gas is heated by the spark and you get a plasma stream that is directed to the metal, reducing it to a metal slag. After this, you have a piece of metal that has been cut to your specification by a plasma beam.

There are a variety of uses for plasma cutters. Many automobile shops use them to create frames and chassis especially when they want to customize them. You will them in construction companies because they are adaptable to fabricate and cut the very large beams for constructing buildings or to cut large sheets of metals. Some locksmiths will use a plasma cutter to help a customer who has inadvertently locked their keys in their safe.

Although plasma cutters were originally very expensive and only used in large industrial shops, they have become a staple of use for some types of hobbies in home shops. There are metal workers and artists who use them to create interesting looking art. They use the more portable, hand held plasma cutters.

Plasma cutters can be fast or slow to cut the metal, but it will depend more on the thickness of the material as to how quickly it performs the cut. Also, the type of cutter purchased will depend on what it is to do. In choosing one, you have to make sure that it will cut a variety of sizes; choose one that is capable of cutting something larger than what you would normally want it to cut.

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