In manual flame cutting, the operator is responsible for holding and guiding the torch and the quality of surface being cut solely depends upon the skill of the operator. More smooth and accurate cuts can be attained in this process if the torch is held against straight or curved guides while forward movement is consistently maintained. Machine flame cutting makes use of metal cutting machines that are specifically designed and constructed to hold the torch in specific predetermined positions to accomplish repeated and rapid cuts.
Machine flame cutting process quite accurate, provides greater speed and is more economic too. Whereas manual flame cutting method does not produce cuts as accurate and smooth as machine flame cutting does.
Machine flame cutting is an optimal option to go for when bulk quantities of materials are to be cut. However, manual cutting is slow and can be used with fair accuracy on thicknesses up to two hundred to three hundred millimeter flame cut.
The consumption of oxygen gas in manual flame cutting is much greater as compared to the consumption in machine flame cutting.
Manual flame cutting is widely employed in scrapping operations and on production work. Machine flame cutting can be used primarily to do straight line cutting, although they can be taken up for circular and shape cutting also.
