How Thick Can You Cut With A Plasma Cutter?
If you have ever wondered about the effectiveness of plasma cutters for materials of different thicknesses, we are here to provide the answers.
What is a plasma cutter?
Plasma cutters use plasma, which is created when gas is idoised by electrical energy, to melt the material. The molten metal is then blown away by compressed air or nitrogen. This jet of heated plasma is used to cleanly and accurately cut through a wide variety of different materials. If a material can be electrically charged, it can be cut through using a plasma cutter.
Examples of materials that can be cut with a plasma cutter include:
- Aluminium
- Brass
- Stainless steel
- Steel
Plasma cutters are used in many different industries across Australia– notably industrial construction and fabrication shops– because they offer high-speed, high-precision cutting at a relatively low cost.
So, how thick can you cut with a plasma cutter?
Metals of all different thicknesses can be cut precisely with a plasma cutter. Depending on the system this could be from 0.5 mm sheet metal to 160 mm.
However, not all plasma cutters have the same capabilities. It is essential to research properly and check the “recommended cut capacity” of a specifc plasma cutter before you buy to make sure it is suitable for your needs. Choose the system that has a recommended capacity for the thickness of metal you will be cutting 80% of the time. Keep in mind there is no industry standard for rating plasma systems so when comparing systems from different manufactures it is important to take care.
When we speak of “recommended cut capacity” this is the term used for the thickness of mild steel a plasma system can cut with good cut quality at, or faster than, 500 mm per minute. Be careful not to confuse this with the “severance” thickness. This is the thickest mild steel the system can cut at a minimum of 125 mm per minute usually with poor quality.
Products from reliable manufacturers tend to achieve the best results. For example, Hypertherm Powermax offers a range of plasma cutters to suit different requirements.
To give you an idea of the capabilities of Hypertherm’s Powermax range of plasma cutting systems the severance and recommended cut capacity for each system is mentioned below.
| PLASMA SYSTEM | RECOMMENDED CUT CAPACITY | SEVERANCE |
| Powermax30 Air | 8mm | 16mm |
| Powermax30 XP | 10mm | 16mm |
| Powermax45 XP | 16mm | 29mm |
| Powermax65 SYNC | 20mm | 32mm |
| Powermax85 SYNC | 25mm | 38mm |
| Powermax105 SYNC | 32mm | 50mm |
| Powermax125 | 38mm | 57mm |
To see one of these systems in action check out this video of the Powermax30 XP cutting 8mm mild steel.
Find out more about plasma cutters
If you are interested in plasma cutters and would like more information and advice, please contact us. Our professional team will be happy to discuss your requirements.
