Flame oxy-fuel cutting

Oxy-fuel metal cutting is the simplest and most common method of cutting. Such metal processing is used in construction, in the production of metal structures, machine-building and shipbuilding industries, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy.

The essence of the method of oxy-fuel metal cutting is the separation of metal with oxygen and the metal heating with another gas. Propane is commonly used during the process. For such a cut, a gas cutter is used - a torch for oxygen supply, gas cylinders, hoses and a contact tube. Gas cylinders have a gas pressure regulator which provides the gas supply control. Oxygen is mixed with propane In the mixing chamber. There is a high temperature sufficient for cutting the metal. Propane heats the metal to a temperature of 1000 - 1200 degrees, and then oxygen is supplied. A jet of oxygen ignites from contact with a heated surface, the jet cuts the metal. Afterwards the oxides are removed from the cut zone. Iron is oxidized only in the cut place, the cutter jet does not go deep into the metal, so there are no negative changes in the workpiece. But the oxygen must be supplied continuously.

Oxyfuel cutting is suitable for processing low carbon steels (not more than 0.3% carbon) and medium carbon steels. High carbon steel can not be cut in this way, because its fusing temperature is close to the ignition temperature, and the scale is mixed with the molten metal. As a result, oxygen can not get deep into the workpiece and burns it. For high carbon steels it is necessary to add special fluxes.

The quality of the process depends on the steel grade and its thickness. When cutting metal more than 40 cm size, it is necessary to increase the length of the flame due to the supply of heating gas. Also, the quality of the cut depends on the cutting speed: in case of insufficient speed, the edges of the metal melt, and if the speed is too high, a through cut will not be obtained. To perform the gas-oxygen cutting, you need a professional of knowledge of the work intricacies and safety techniques, so it’s best to contact our specialists. In our warehouses we perform oxy-fuel cutting of sheet metal from 2 mm thick, of such rolled stock products as angles, channels, hexagonal bars, squares, rebars, strips, shaped and round pipes.

The range of metal that can be cut in this way and the range of its thickness is much larger than with other types of cutting. In addition, oxy-fuel metal cutting is cheap. The oxy-fuel metal cutting service is often used to facilitate metal transportation, in the absence of a long vehicle for transportation. The speed of the cutting method contributes to the faster loading of rolled stock. The disadvantages are the low quality of the cut, the presence of scale, sagging, warping, irregularities, cut errors from 6 to 8 mm. When cutting metal with a thickness of more than 30 mm, the cutting line is possible up to 3 mm. The consumer will have to clean the cuts where the aesthetic appearance of the metal structures is important.

The managers of our company can advise on the cost of oxy-fuel metal cutting services. You can also invoice them and get a form for rolled products in need for cutting. Oxyfuel cutting price depends on what kind of metal to cut, on its thickness and the number of cuts.