Slag as a by-product of plasma cutting

It very often happens that an inadequate plasma cutting technique causes some side effects. One of them may be slag, the removal of which takes additional time, and often causes unplanned financial expenses.

How to deal with this problem? Slag is molten metal that has not been completely rejected from the sheet. Usually coarse pieces accumulate along the bottom edge of the plate, or small pieces are deposited on the material being processed. The first thing to check is to check that the arc voltage is not too high. You can also try changing the plasma cutting speed (every 125 mm / min) and observe the results.

High-speed slag is very persistent and its removal requires intensive work. If the torch speed is too high, the plasma will not have enough time to cut the sheet metal, which causes clumps to form and settle on the material. In this case, first of all, reduce the speed of the burner and increase the amperage.

Low-speed slag is a bit less problematic to remove, but it is also worth working out a method of completely getting rid of it in the cutting process. If it appears on the material being processed, first of all, increase the plasma speed and reduce the current intensity. It turns out that the cause of the slag formation is not only the speed of operation. The reasons for its formation may also be: approaching and moving the torch away from the processed material, inadequate current intensity, and poor condition of consumables. It is also worth investing in a high-quality burner, as well as the right type of gas. A very common cause of abnormalities in plasma cutting is improper pressure and bad gas flow.

The development of the most appropriate metal processing technique allows, first of all, to accelerate the production process carried out in the enterprise, as well as to reduce expenses allocated to specialized tools to remove unwanted tarnish.