Separating metals and cutting them into different sizes is a vital process in the fabrication industry. It’s also something that various sectors have been doing for centuries. Together with the latest innovation in precision metal cutting in Utah, it has now become effortless and highly accurate. To give you a general idea of how it works, here are the top precision metal cutting techniques used in the industry today.
1. Laser Cutting
It’s a highly accurate technique used to produce precise cuts to create shapes and cut metals into different sizes. It takes place in a safe area where a piece of machinery generates an intense highly-focused beam of monochromatic light onto the metal. The laser beam eventually burns the material, melts it, and then vaporizes it until it’s split. A jet of gas blows excess debris to ensure an excellent quality surface finish.
2. Grinding
This process generally involves a smooth metal surface and a uniquely high-standard metal. The machine has an abrasive wheel that rotates as it makes contact with the metal. It soon wears down the surface of the metal until it completely separates.
3. Flame
Instead of using high-precision monochromatic light, this method uses a gas flame to cut through the material. The machine reaches temperature as high as 3,500 degrees Celsius to complete the process. The machine heats the metal to its metal point to initiate the cut. Then, it directs a stream of oxygen directly to the cut, which causes the metal to burn and melt at the precise spot.
4. Water Jet Cutting
This process uses a highly pressurized jet of water to cut through the metal. There are times when the operator adds an abrasive substance together with the water when they work on certain types of material. Doing so increases the potential to cut the metal with accuracy. One of its advantages is that it can cut through almost all kinds of materials such as stone, acryl glass, and leather. Since it doesn’t use heat to separate materials, it’s able to maintain the quality of material after the process is complete.
5. Plasma cutting
Most industry experts choose plasma cutting to cut through both thick and thin metals. The method uses thermal heating which combines electrical charges and ionized gases to produce heat. The operator places the metal on the bed of the plasma cutter that uses a jet of flame to torch through the material. The machine generates intense highly-focused heat to change its inherent properties. That’s why fabricators use variant gases to lower the temperature and eliminate all the molten parts.
6. Drilling
This procedure uses a drill that’s applied directly to the metal. It combines the force and rotation that the screw uses when it’s drilled into a wall. This process is great for drilling holes in the metal where the operator needs it.
Learning the basic cutting processes is essential for people who are only starting to learn the basics of fabrication. To learn more about the industry, it’s always best to ask those who have been working in the business for several years.