Oxygen cutting of metal, cutters, cylinder, lance and its operating principle

Oxygen cutting technology involves cutting metal with a jet of oxygen, which has been preheated to the ignition temperature of the oxygen and the heated metal. There are three types of cutting:

• this is superficial, i.e. the surface layer of metal is removed;
• separating, which completely cuts the metal;
• oxygen lance cutting, which involves making a deep cut in the metal.

Oxygen cutting technology is carried out in a continuous process, otherwise it would be necessary to restart all processes before cutting.

Before cutting, it is necessary to clean the metal surface from scale, paint, rust, etc.

To prevent a metal from melting, its melting point must be higher than its combustion temperature and the melting point of its oxides, otherwise the solid oxides will interfere with the cutting process.

Oxides must also be fluid, allowing them to flow and be blown away easily. The quality of the cut depends on the precision of the cutting path and the cut surface. When cutting is performed automatically, the deviation is insignificant, while with manual cutting it is more noticeable.

Oxygen cutting of metal using the severing method can be performed at high speeds, with the torch angle tilted 45 degrees in the direction opposite to the cutting direction. High-quality high-speed cutting is available, which improves cut quality and increases cutting speed.

For example, with oxygen pressure up to 5 MPa, cutting of metal up to 60 mm thick increases by 30-50%. Oxygen cutting technology uses oxygen at a frequency of 98.5-99.5%, which maintains high cutting performance and reduces oxygen consumption. Cutting can be done mechanically or manually.

How it happens oxygen cutting of metal?

Metals are unique in that they burn in oxygen. If the material reaches a certain temperature and a stream of oxygen is directed at the heated area, rapid oxidation will occur. The operator should not turn off the preheating flame after the work begins. It must remain lit continuously while the cutting torch is moving.

Manual oxygen cutting It is widely used for cutting profiled metal when mechanical cutting machines are not available. It has also found application in cutting non-critical parts with curved edges.

For manual cutting, the "Plamya-62" cutting torch can be used. First, the operator opens the oxygen valve for the flame preheater. Then, open the acetylene valve. A stream of mixture will emerge from the torch, which must be ignited. To begin cutting, simply open the oxygen valve for cutting. To turn off the torch, close the valves in the reverse order.

Oxygen cutting of steel Oxygen cutting has several unique features. Using oxygen cutting, a technician can make cuts of any complexity. It's only suitable for carbon steels. Also, after cutting, charred edges remain, so additional mechanical treatment will be necessary.

Oxygen lance for cutting metal: technology features

An oxygen lance is used to create holes in thick steel. It is also useful for cutting thick steel ingots. An oxygen lance consists of a handle equipped with a valve. Oxygen cylinder for metal cutting Connected to this spear by a rubber hose, the other end of which is attached to a steel spear tube.

When using this method, the starting point of the cut is preheated with a torch. The cutting area should heat up to the initial combustion temperature. Once this has occurred, the tip of the lance can be brought close to the heated area and the oxygen supply can be opened.

The tube will burn during cutting, so it should be replaced periodically. If the technician wishes to reduce tube consumption, they can insert low-carbon wire into it. However, the tube's internal diameter must be greater than 4 mm.

If the workpiece is positioned vertically or at an angle, it's best to cut from the bottom up. This, combined with the back-and-forth motion of the lance, will promote active slag removal.

As already mentioned, an oxygen lance allows you to cut through thick material. In this case, oxyfuel cutting torchesUsing a cutter, a slit approximately 100 mm in diameter is created. A lance is inserted into this slit, and the material is then cut. This combination of cutter and lance allows the operator to cut steel blanks up to 2 m thick.

Cutting metal with an oxygen lance has one major advantage: it allows for efficient use of fuel gas and oxygen.