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.

Disadvantages of waterjet cutting method.

Among various cutting methods, Waterjet cutting is one of the most useful machining processes that can be readily substituted for many other cutting methods; however, this method too has some limitations to what Steel Profiles it can cut. And for the people dealing in Waterjet Metal Cutting industry, it is necessary to be aware of these limitations. Listed below are some points that will give you a brief description of each.

1. By using waterjet metal cutting method only a limited number of materials can be cut economically. Thus being one of the main disadvantages of waterjet cutting. While it is possible to cut tool steels, and other hard materials, the cutting rate has to be greatly reduced, and the time to cut a part can be very long. Because of this, waterjet cutting can be very costly and outweigh the other advantages that it offers.
2. One more disadvantage of waterjet cutting method is that it is not possible to cut very thick parts with waterjet cutting as there may be problems in maintaining the dimensional accuracy of the metal to be cut. If the part is too thick, the jet may dissipate some, and cause it to steel cut on a diagonal, or to have a wider cut at the bottom of the part than the top. It can also cause a ruff wave pattern on the cut surface.
3. Taper is also a problem with waterjet cutting in very thick materials. Taper is when the Steel Cutter jet exits the part at a different angle than it enters the part, and can cause dimensional inaccuracy. Decreasing the speed of the head may reduce this, although it can still be a problem.

Laser vs Waterjet technology.

Both laser and waterjet metal cutting methods use machines that have a good life expectancy as they don't make direct contact with the work piece during the cutting process also do not use dynamic machining forces. So, when both technologies can do the job, how do fabricators determine which process to use? Understanding a few key factors can help them make the choice.

While choosing between laser and waterjet steel cutting technology, two important factors need to be considered - edge quality and speed.

Thickness and speed: A 0.75 thick section of stainless steel when cut using both the methods reveals the difference in quality (laser at top, waterjet at bottom). The major tradeoff is speed; for a metal sheet as thick as this, a waterjet machine requires nearly 80 percent more time to accomplish the same cut.

Laser technology is well-suited to cut metal parts up to 1⁄2 inches. But they can also cut metals up to 11⁄2 inches thick. On the other hand, waterjets can cut material up to 6 inches thick. Metal cutting with laser machines often have a speed advantage over waterjet machines, however, waterjets can cut through significantly thicker metals, and alternative materials, with ease.

Material and material surfaces: Other than cutting metal sheets and creating steel profiles , lasers can process other materials too, but this doesn't mean they should because on other surfaces than metals laser cutting can result in hazardous chemical releases. For example, on plastics and rubbers laser cutting releases byproducts which are chemically hazardous for the environment. In such cases, waterjet machines steel cutters can easily cut these other materials without hazardous chemical releases.

Material surfaces like that of copper and aluminum are difficult for the lasers to cut because of highly reflective properties of these metals. In such cases the edge quality attained by using waterjet technique is significantly better. Laser cutting technology can be best used on the smooth surfaces rather than textured surfaces as textured surfaces can alter disrupt the beams focus thus altering the flow of assist gas. Waterjet cutting method on the other hand produces smooth cutting irrespective of the metals texture and reflectivity.

A laser performs best on smooth surfaces; textured surfaces can alter the flow of the assist gas and disrupt the beam's focus. A waterjet, on the other hand, doesn't discriminate when it comes to reflectivity or texture.

End product finish: Since waterjet cutting method does not create any heat affected zone, thus it delivers smooth edge finishes eliminating the need for a secondary finish completely. Whereas the heat from laser metal cutting method produces a small heat-affected zone near the cut, which could require secondary finishing depending on the finish requirements.