Manual Flame Cutting Vs Machine Flame Cutting

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.

Applications, advantages and disadvantages of flame cutting method.

Flame cutting is an important industrial production process suitable especially for materials like carbon and low alloys steel. Using this cutting method, a carbon steel of up to 150mm can be cut with typical tolerances from +/- 1.5mm.

Various applications of flame cutting method.

1. It is used to cut many layers of thin sheets also known as stack cutting to reduce the cost and time of production effectively.
2. Flame cutting is used to groove weld joint metal designs and to prepare the edges of metal plates.
3. It can be used to cut risers, rivets and gates from castings.
4. Flame cutting is also used for salvage work and to pierce slots and holes of different sizes in steel plates.
5. Also used to cut work pieces of small sizes from large metal plates for further usage in production.

Advantages of Flame cutting method.

1. It can cut metals into small shapes and sizes that is otherwise difficult to be machined by other mechanical methods.
2. Equipments used in flame cutting process are portable and can be used effectively for field work
3. Flame cutting machines with multiple torches can cut number of steel profile pieces simultaneously.
4. This process of steel cutting is faster as compared to other mechanical cutting methods.
5. As compared to other mechanical cutting methods, the cost of using flame cutting method is rather low and cost effective.

Disadvantages of flame cutting method.

1. This method is limited to the cutting of steel and cast iron materials only.
2. The dimensional tolerances as compared to other mechanical cutting methods are poor.
3. The heat and red hot slag expelled during this metal cutting method present fire and burn hazards to plant and workers.
4. Proper fume control and adequate ventilation is must for the place of cutting.