WHAT IS PLASMA CUTTING AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Plasma cutting, otherwise known as plasma arc cutting, is a technique that we carry out at MJ Patch to cut through conductive materials such as steel, stainless steel, brass, copper and aluminium. Plasma cutting is an efficient cutting method compared to other processes as it’s low-cost, fast and versatile as you can use it for shape cutting, piercing, gouging and bevelling.
Plasma cutting is a thermal cutting method which means it uses heat to cut metal, rather than mechanical cutting which relies on physical or abrasive force. This method of cutting relies on a process whereby highly pressurised inert gases are blown through an electrical arc which creates a state known as plasma.
The temperature of plasma is extremely hot reaching temperatures of up to 20,000°C and because the metal being cut conducts the electrical arc, the plasma is directed onto the localised area at speed producing a powerful separation force. To ensure a clean cut we also employ an additional jet of ionised gas for the purpose of clearing the cutting incision of molten metal.