What are plasma cutting machines and how are they used?

March 19, 2022

Plasma cutting comes from plasma welding, which was a popular technique in the 1960s. It was introduced in the 1980s as a complete cutting method. Why has it become so popular? The reason is that plasma cutting does not create metal chips and is very precise when cutting. The first plasma cutting machines were very large and were intended mainly for mass production, due to the repetitive cutting patterns.

CNC machines - what are they?

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. It is a numerical control system equipped with a microcomputer that can be freely programmed. The term is usually used to describe the machining of materials using computer-controlled equipment. CNC machining allows for the rapid, accurate, and highly repeatable production of complex shapes.

We can simply say that there are three main configurations of CNC plasma cutting. Each of them depends on the shape of the material to be processed. Also, a very important factor in plasma cutting is the flexibility of the cutting head. Anyway, let's take a closer look at the configurations:

2-dimensional / 2-axis plasma cutting
3D / 3+ Axis Plasma Cutting
Plasma cutting of pipe/section

Manual vs mechanized plasma cutting machines:

CNC plasma machines typically use a different type of plasma system than manual cutting applications, one that is specifically designed for mechanized cutting rather than manual cutting. Mechanized plasma systems use a direct-drive connection ring that can be driven by the machine and has some type of interface that can be automatically controlled by the CNC.

There are entry-level machines that can carry a torch designed for manual cutting, such as PlasmaCAM machines. But any machine designed for serious production will use a mechanized torch and plasma system.

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