Plasma cutting machines, when used with different working gases, can cut various metals that are difficult to cut with oxygen cutting, especially non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel). Its main advantage lies in its high cutting speed when cutting thin metals, particularly thin sheets of ordinary carbon steel, where the speed can be 5-6 times that of oxygen cutting. It also produces a smooth cut surface, minimal thermal deformation, and virtually no heat-affected zone.
The working gas used in plasma cutting machines (which acts as the conductive medium of the plasma arc, the heat carrier, and also removes molten metal from the kerf) significantly affects the cutting characteristics, quality, and speed of the plasma arc. Commonly used plasma arc working gases include argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, air, water vapor, and certain mixtures.
Plasma cutting machines are widely used in various industries, including automotive, locomotive, pressure vessel, chemical machinery, nuclear industry, general machinery, construction machinery, and steel structures.
The use of plasma from water vapor for heat treatment (cutting, welding, brazing, quenching, spraying, etc.) of metals thicker than 0.3 mm is a first in the history of the metal processing industry.