What is Oxy Fuel Cutting?

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Published by: iFactory Support, February 04, 2015

Oxy cutting machines are the workhorses of the metal processing industry. Heavy metals like iron and steel are built for strength and durability, and cutting any shape or profile takes a heavy duty machine.

Throw in requirements for precision and quality of finish, and you begin to understand the immense capability of oxy cutting machines.

In this article we outline what is oxy fuel cutting, its applications and benefits.

Oxy fuel cutting for thick plate steel

Your three main choices for plate cutting are Laser, high definition plasma cutting and oxy fuel cutting, but when it comes to cutting the thickest in steel plates nothing beats oxy cutting.

Worldwide and in Australia, oxy fuel cutting uses an oxygen and fuel combination to cut metals. The most common fuel used is acetylene, however a range of other gases can be used including propane, hydrogen, LPG and even a combination of these.

The oxy cutting torch heats the metal to kindling temperature, at which point a stream of oxygen is trained onto the metal burning it into a metal oxide that flows out as slag.

Quality and efficiency

Australian oxy cutting machines are ideal for producing products like industrial weights, counterweights and heavy componentry. However, in all applications accuracy and a clean finish are crucial. A difference of even one millimetre can cause major problems for a design down the track.

The emergence of computerised cutting machines (known as CNC) has dramatically improved the precision and efficiency of steel profile cutting. Large-scale CNC machines have multiple torch heads and cutting tables of up to 90m. CNC ensures accurate positioning above the work for a clean cut, which in turn improves nesting capability and reduces waste. Industrial oxy cutting machines, with their large cutting tables and multi-functions, also provide greater efficiency through reduced load/unload time.

Precision, reliability and speed with ShapeCUT oxy cutting

For more than 20 years ShapeCUT has been delivering quality profile cutting and Australian oxy cutting machine to fabricators and manufacturers servicing the transport, mining and construction industries. Today, with 10 modern machines (including four oxy cutting machines), 5000+ tonnes of in-house plate stock, market-leading systems and experienced staff, ShapeCUT is an industry leader in steel profile cutting.