Metal is a very strong material. It’s the go-to substance when you need to construct sturdy and durable features. While the strength is generally a great thing, it does come with a few challenges. Top of the list is the fact that it is extremely hard to cut. Unsurprisingly, not many tools are capable of penetrating metals. But one that can is a plasma cutter.
You will always see the bright torch of a plasma cutter in a metal fabrication shop as it slices through metallic materials like a hot knife through butter. That’s exactly what it is made to do.
Whether you are dealing with steel, copper, aluminum, titanium, brass or any conductive metal, a plasma cutter will be a handy tool when you need to cut, reshape or manipulate your material in any way. It is particularly important to auto mechanics as their work involves manipulating several parts of a vehicle, most of which are metallic.
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What is a Plasma Cutter?
A plasma cutter is a tool for metal cutting. It’s at times known as a plasma gun or plasma arc. Regardless of the name you prefer, if you have a good unit it will cut through all conductive metals – both thick and thin.
Plasma Cutter
Applications
Plasma cutters have several industrial and domestic applications. Most people use them at home to complete DIY tasks like home renovations. On an industrial level, they are used in CNC plasma cutting where profiles are cut into larger sheets of metal.
More importantly, plasma cutters are crucial to vehicle repair tasks. Vehicles have several metallic parts. Every so often mechanics need to cut through those metals when doing repairs.
How a Plasma Cutter Works
To understand how a plasma cutter works you first need to know what plasma is. Most people are only familiar with three states of matter, i.e. solid, liquid and gas. But there is a fourth – plasma.
When gases are heated sufficiently, they get ionized, become electrically conductive and turn into plasma. Now, in the case of a plasma cutter, a gas like oxygen, argon, nitrogen or even ordinary compressed air is forced to pass through the torch’s tiny nozzle orifice with extremely high pressure.
At the same time, the machine generates an electric arc. The arc usually comes from an external power supply. When this arc meets the flowing gas, the gas heats up and achieves extreme temperatures of up to 40,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The hot flowing plasma is what is commonly called a “plasma jet”. Its’ high temperature allows the plasma jet to pierce and slice through metals like a charm. While the performance may vary from one plasma cutter to another, it is accurate to say that plasma cutters generally make faster and cleaner cuts compared to other processes of cutting metals.
Speaking of which, the closest alternative to plasma cutting is oxy-fuel cutting. But it’s not the most reliable option on account of its high price, slow speed and the fact that it doesn’t make the cleanest cuts. An oxy-fuel cutter is definitely not the better option if you are an auto mechanic because you need something fast and accurate.
Types of Plasma Cutters
1. Conventional vs. Precision
Virtually all plasma cutters can be categorized as either conventional or precision. Conventional plasma cutters have a plasma arc whose shape follows that of the nozzle’s orifice. They typically have an amperage of between 12 and 20k amps per square inch. Additionally, they use shop air to create the plasma jet. All handheld plasma cutters fall into this category.
Precision (also known as high current density) plasma cutters have a more constricted and complex-shaped arc. Due to that high level of technology, these plasma cutters produce very sharp and smooth cuts. They typically boast 40 to 50K amps per square inch and use a variety of gases including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, high purity air and/or a mixture of more than one of the aforementioned gases.
While people mostly use precision plasma cutters in large-scale industrial cutting, they prefer conventional ones for common domestic and professional metal cutting. For example, auto mechanics usually choose conventional plasma cutters.
2. Manual vs. Automatic
Manual plasma cutters are handheld. You would need to pull the torch and direct it as you cut. On the other hand, computers operate automatic plasma cutters. The control head is usually mounted to a table to cut metals.
Manual systems are more common, actually extremely common. Although they deliver high-cutting amperage, they are more suitable for light work that involves trimming or cutting fairly small pieces of metal. These are the units you will find in homes, garages and – you guessed it – auto repair shops.
On the contrary, automatic plasma cutters are usually bigger and can handle large-scale work. They are common in industrial production lines where metals need to be cut.
Using a Plasma Cutter
In case it isn’t clear yet, the plasma cutters that you see people (professionals and DIYers) using on a regular are conventional and manual. They are handheld units. And unless you are running a huge production line, that is the same type you should be looking to buy.
But how do you use it? It’s actually quite simple. Make sure you have a reliable workstation. Since you are cutting metal, you need to have a safe surface and adequate room for mobility.
With the unit off, plug the power supply into the wall. If it doesn’t have a built-in air compressor connect an external one and turn on the air flow.
Attach the ground clamp, turn on the machine and then set the current. How much current is enough? That depends on the type of metal you are cutting and how thick it is. Generally, around 25A is enough to cut through at least ½-inch of steel.
Now guide the torch to where you want to start the cut and then pull the trigger. A hot plasma jet will be released. Control it according to how you want to cut the metal.
After turning off the machine, you should disconnect the ground clamp and then turn off air supply. It’s as easy as that. But remember that for the best performance you need a reliable plasma cutter. And that leads us to the next topic…
What Are The Best Plasma Cutters On The Market?
You may have noticed how simple it is to operate a plasma cutter. That’s because the hardest part comes even before you strike an arc – when you are choosing your plasma cutter.
It needs to be one that matches your needs and application. In that regard, you need to know the thickness of metal that you will be cutting routinely. That will allow you to choose a unit that can handle that kind of work effortlessly.
Something else to know is the maximum thickness that you are likely to cut. Don’t buy a unit whose maximum capability doesn’t match your needs.
Finally, consider how fast you want to cut metals. Some plasma cutters are generally faster than others. So if you want to get your jobs done faster you may want to go for a unit with high speed.
Those are just the main considerations. There are other factors like price, amperage, voltage, size, the rate of use of consumables and many more that also count when you are choosing a plasma cutter.
Plasma Torch Consumables
The plasma torch has several parts call consumables. Consumables vary based on the type of metal you are planning to cut. Check the manual of your torch against the metal you are cutting and the required amperage and cut height. Torches may have a similar appearance to the one below, but parts are similar.
Plasma Cutter Torch Consumables Diagram
Best Plasma Cutters
Having said that, which particular models stand out? Here are the top three plasma cutters for all kinds of work, including auto mechanic.
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A compact unit, the Hobart Airforce 40i packs 40 amps of power in a small unit all thanks to its inverter design. It comes with the XT40R torch. Besides being ergonomic, the torch excels in performance. It fits in a hand comfortably, cools faster and uses consumables economically.In terms of cutting performance, the unit can cut a maximum of 5/8 and sever 7/8 inches of steel. Quite impressive for a unit of its size. You will need an air compressor though, that’s the only thing not included in the package.
- Lotos Supreme CUT60D Plasma CutterWith an automatic dual voltage of 110/120V and 220/240V, this plasma cutter plugs on virtually any wall. It boasts 50/60Hz and produces 20-30 amps of power when plugged on 110/120V. At that output, the plasma cutter has a maximum clean cut rating of 1/3-inch and severance of ½-inch.Plug it to a 220/240V and you will get a whopping 20-60 amps output. That’s enough for a 4/5-inch clean cut and 1¼-inch severance.All are impressive figures no matter how you plan to use the machine. Combine that with its ability to support both 2T and 4T styles of cutting and you will see that you have one very versatile machine on your hands.
Lotos Plasma Cutter - Hypertherm Powermax 65 Hand SystemThey call this machine the Powermax 65 because it delivers up to 65 amps of power. Of the three plasma cutters on this list, this is by far the fastest and best performer. With all that power, it still has a clean cut rating of up to 1 inch and maximum severance of 1¼ inches.For the best functionality, you may want to use 6.7 cfm at 85 psi of air. That will keep this unit operating at the maximum efficiency.It offers four different torch styles, namely continuous pilot arc, non-continuous pilot arc, gouging and torch lock. In addition to preserving consumables, the various options make it easy to cut through all types of conductive metals.Bonus: Read more about the best plasma cutters at http://plasmacutterexpert.com?
Using a Plasma Cutter in Automotive Mechanics
The three plasma cutters are generally great for various applications. You can use them for any domestic and professional metal fabrication projects. That said, they are extremely efficient in automotive mechanical works.
If you are a professional or hobbyist auto mechanic you need a plasma cutter that can slice and pierce through all kinds of metals. Remember that vehicles consist of various metallic materials, including aluminum, steel, copper and many others.
With one of these machines, you will be able to repair virtually any damage resulting from collisions, wear and tear. Each vehicle you work on will look and drive like new. That’s precisely what customers (and you) need.
So go ahead and shop for a plasma cutter for your auto shop. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the various makes and models on the market simply choose one of the three above.
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