Are you involved in a project or a job that requires you to make clean, smooth, and quick metal cuts? If so, then you should look for the best plasma cutter to do the job precisely and get quality results i.e. fine metal cuts. The function of the plasma cutter saves from the unbearable sound of metal grinding, rough cutting, and inaccurate shaping of the metals.
With plenty of choices available in the market, it becomes essential to choose the right metal cutter i.e. plasma. The following mentioned are the welding expert guidelines that you need to pay attention to while choosing a durable and performance-centric plasma cutter for the job or specific welding project:
- Choose a plasma cutter that fits your project or work
The type of plasma cutter you will choose will be identified by the kind of work you do or depend on the requirement of your specific welding project. First, you will need to understand what your job or projects require as well as the features of the plasma cutter that can help you complete the welding task within the stated timeline.
For this, you will need to first consider the thickness of the metal which is supposed to be cut finely. Most plasma cutting tools are rated on their cutting ability and amperage. Here are few key questions finding the answers of which will help you choose the right cutter for your job:
- Does your welding job involve cutting ‘thick’ metal?
- How often will you require the cutter?
- Will you provide the backup of a generator to the plasma cutter?
- Does your power supply fluctuate at any point?
The answer to these questions will help you narrow down your choices for the best plasma cutter. One important thing to note here is that if you choose to buy a portable cutter that runs off a generator, make sure the cutter can conveniently handle the fluctuating power supply of a generator.
- Consider the cutting speed of the cutter
There are many plasma cutters available on the market that can cut the metal faster than others. In order to be productive, you need to buy a potential cutter that has the fastest metal cutting speed so you can finish the work on time with quality cuts. A quality-grade cutter would hardly take two minutes for cutting the 1/2” thick metal plate while the other cutter will consume twice the time for cutting the same metal with the same thickness. You need to look for an ideal cutter that offers the higher amperages to cut through the metal much faster than other cutters.
A general rule of thumb is to choose a plasma cutting machine that can easily handle twice your regular cutting thickness metal.
- Check into the plasma cutter’s duty cycle rating
If you’re doing time-consuming metal cuts or doing welding tasks in an automated setup, then it’s always recommended to check the duty cycle. The duty cycle is the appropriate time that allows you to cut before the machine or torch overheat and requires enough time to get cooled down. Whereas, a five-minute duty cycle shows that the cutter can perform for continuous five minutes before needing to cool off for a further five minutes. Therefore, a plasma cutter with a longer duty cycle is the right fit for most welding projects as it enables long or deep, fine metal cuts.
Making the switch to the best plasma cutting tools can help you achieve great results. If you select the appropriate plasma cutter considering the aforementioned guideline, you can experience years of trouble-free welding performance. Thus, following the expert tips when choosing the cutter is the key to get quality metal cuts with reduced downtime.
