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If you’re passionate about metal cutting or just keen to learn more, you’ve landed in the right place.
For over 38 years, Amber Steel has been at the forefront of metal cutting services, specializing in laser cutting, flame cutting, and plasma cutting. Our expertise has carved a niche in this cutting-edge industry, delivering precision and excellence across industrial projects big and small.
In our blog, we’ll share a mix of useful tips, innovative applications, our thoughts on sustainability in steel cutting, and more. Expect stories from the cutting floor, insights into how our processes can streamline projects across industries, and a few lessons we’ve learned along the way.
While we keep some of our trade secrets under wraps, this blog is designed to offer valuable nuggets of wisdom that you simply won't find anywhere else. Whether you’re a professional in the industry or someone fascinated by the possibilities of metal cutting, you'll find something of value here.
So, stick with us as we delve into the finer points of metal work. We’re glad to share our insights and lead discussions that matter to our industry.
How precision metal cutting propels the aerospace industry, from constructing lighter frames to enhancing aerodynamics.
The role of advanced metal cutting in automotive manufacturing, driving innovations in vehicle design and efficiency.
All about the robust and versatile process of flame cutting, ideal for tackling thicker metals with precision and ease.
Discover the art of crafting metal furniture, where cutting techniques meet design to create both functional and aesthetic pieces.
A behind-the-scenes look at the mechanics of metal cutting technologies and the science that makes them tick.
Laser cutting is where extreme precision meets efficiency, allowing for intricate designs and clean finishes.
The critical role of precise steel cutting in developing reliable and intricate medical devices.
How steel cutting supports the oil and gas industry with components that withstand extreme environments and pressures.
Known for its speed and versatility, plasma cutting slices through conductive metals with hot plasma.
Safety first! Tips and insights on maintaining a safe environment while handling powerful metal cutting equipment.
The backbone of construction, where steel fabrication and cutting technologies create frameworks that shape skylines.
Sustainability
A look at sustainability in metal cutting, focusing on practices that reduce waste and conserve energy to protect our planet.
Plasma cutting is a state-of-the-art high velocity cutting process utilized across several industries. However, a rarely discussed application that comes to mind would be the utilization of plasma cutting for heavy-duty machinery.
What is the benefit when it comes to heavy machinery? Don’t worry, Amber Steel has the breakdown. We’ll take you through a step-by-step guide on the benefits of heavy-duty plasma cutting for heavy-duty equipment.
Even large machinery needs maintenance – and sometimes, serious maintenance. Bulldozers, excavators, cranes, and agricultural equipment are all comprised of thick metal plates and parts that need powerful and precise cutting.
Luckily, plasma cutting is efficient when it comes to the manufacturing of large-scale components:
Frames and chassis are undoubtedly key to maintaining the structural integrity of heavy machinery. Plasma cutting makes it possible for manufacturers to customize these key components to specific shapes and measurements to fit the respective machine.
Important components such as engines, hydraulics, and other key parts are made of thick, dense metals. These components can be shaped to fit the specs of the machine’s internal assembly with the help of plasma cutting.
Of course, we can’t talk about machinery components and plasma cutting without touching on the customizable abilities of the steel-cutting application. Plasma cutting can be used to craft blades for excavators or custom mounts for attachments, providing the flexibility to tailor these parts with high efficiency. An example of this would be using a plasma cutter on an excavator bucket to change the pin distance to fit a specific application.
There are several industries and applications that can benefit from plasma cutting. In this section, we’ll explore some of the ways that heavy-duty plasma cutting can be applied:
Plasma cutting is an excellent choice for very thick, heavy metal plates, structural steel, and heavy machinery components – like an excavator bucket or chassis. Plasma has enough power to cut through even substantial materials for several implementations, such as shipbuilding, bridge construction, and offshore platforms.
Plasma cutting has enough power behind it to make it ideal for cutting heavy automotive structures, chassis, and exhaust components with ease. Appropriate for all manner of cars – both sports and heavy-lifting trucks, plasma can create precise parts without issue.
Aircraft manufacturing requires a great deal of precision, which is why they rely on heavy-duty plasma cutting to carve complex shapes out of materials such as aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel. Plasma cutting can be used to craft and customize wing components and engine parts precisely and efficiently.
Shipyards are no strangers to using plasma cutting to cut hulls, bulkheads, and other essential ship parts. Heavy-duty plasma cutting has the ability to cut through thick and dense materials without losing that key precision.
Plasma cutting can perform several heavy-duty tasks in the industrial and equipment sector, including factories and mining operations. It can be applied to conveyor belts, hydraulics, and several industrial machines.
Plasma cutting can be utilized in situations where it’s time to provide either maintenance to a machine or repairs to machinery parts. Plasma can be used to cut away damaged pieces of equipment and can also be used to resize machine parts - even cutting them away completely so replacement parts can be inserted.
Plasma cutting has seen great strides in technology over the last decade, making it appropriate for several industries and applications. Let’s explore a few:
Conventional Plasma Cutting: Utilizes compressed air and electricity to propel plasma through the metal plate. It constricts plasma into a condensed stream that works for several implementations.
High-Definition Plasma Cutting: Utilizes patented consumable technology, gas pressured regulators, and advanced motion control to contain the plasma that gives it greater precision than conventional plasma.
Increased Cutting Speeds: Plasma torches have cutting speeds of more than 100 inches per minute on 0.25-inch mild steel, making it highly efficient even in heavy-duty fabrication.
Precision Control on the Bevel Angle: Recent advancements in technology now allow the torch of the plasma cutter to tilt while cutting, creating more precise edge angles while cutting faster. This means better square edges and cylindricity on small holes.
Plasma cutters utilize high-velocity ironized gas to create a flame - meaning they’re highly effective on any electrically conductive material. Some materials that plasma cutters can precisely cut through include:
Mild Steel
Carbon Steel
Stainless Steel
Expanded Steel
Aluminum
Brass
Copper
Heavy-duty plasma cutting machines can cut through metal plates ranging from sizes to 1 millimeter to 1 inch. Anything larger or thicker would likely require a more powerful plasma cutting machine. More powerful machines could potentially handle materials greater than 50 millimeters (or up to 2 inches) thick, which exceeds the capabilities of most commercial machines.
Even still, very powerful, automated cutting machines have the capability to cut material up to 150 millimeters – that’s an impressive 5.91 inches!
This capacity allows a heavy-duty plasma machine to handle extremely demanding tasks, even in industries such as bridge construction and shipbuilding. If projects require work such as cutting through thick steel beams for supporting structures, heavy-duty plasma cutters can efficiently handle these thick materials without compromising the precision.
Heavy-duty plasma torches are capable of cutting faster speeds even when dealing with thicker materials. This means your manufacturing can reach greater heights of productivity and the ability to finish projects faster.
The speed provided by heavy-duty plasma cutters is very obvious when you deal with projects that need the “oomph” to get through thick materials – such as when you’re producing heavy equipment components for large-scale steel fabrication.
Plasma cutting is suitable for a wide array of materials – as we mentioned, ranging from mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum sheets, etc. without having to give up speed and efficiency. In many of these cases, plasma cutting provides a smooth cut-edge, even on thicker materials.
While plasma cutting is primarily used for conductive materials, plasma cutters can also work on other materials with the aid of water injection techniques, increasing its versatility. Typically, nitrogen is used as plasma gas. In this application, however, water is injected radially into the plasma arc to create greater constriction. This also raises the temperature considerably, up to as high as 30,000°C.
This additional versatility allows plasma cutting to be a more adaptable tool across several manufacturing sectors. Warehouses may use a plasma cutter to repair steel car parts, cut complex steel countertops, or cut aluminum panels used in vehicle implementations.
The benefits over traditional plasma cutting include:
Enhanced cut quality and squarer edges
Faster cutting speeds
Lower risk of double arcing
Reduced nozzle wear and erosion
This allows for greater versatility, making heavy-duty plasma cutting an excellent choice for anyone looking to apply it to even industrial-grade projects.
For nearly 40 years, Amber Steel has been at the forefront of metal cutting services, offering an array of machines from laser cutters, flame cutters, and of course – plasma cutters. Our specialized knowledge has allowed us to carve a niche in this ever-evolving industry, delivering the best precision and excellence across all forms of industrial projects – both commercial and heavy duty.
Our commitment to this excellence and precision starts with a simple conversation; we want to get to know you, understand your manufacturing needs, and match you with the best solutions to improve your operation’s efficiency and output.
With Amber Steel, we prioritize attention to detail in every aspect of our business. When it comes to our products, you can trust that our team of professionals takes the utmost care to make sure each one is meticulously packaged and delivered to you on time and intact.
No detail is too small, and we understand the importance of both presentation and organization. Amber Steel always takes extra steps to make sure your products come to you in perfect, mint condition.
If you need heavy-duty solutions for your next project, you can trust Amber Steel to deliver the best heavy-duty plasma cutter for the job. If you need to cut through thick steel components for maintenance, replacement, or other implementations, Amber Steel has your back.
Don’t hesitate to contact us today and see what heavy-duty plasma solutions we have available to you.
