Varied Types of Metal Cutting Methods and Their Uses
Usage and applications of metals depend upon the specific requirements of customers that define the favorable shape, size, design, thickness and nature of metallic materials. Thus it is important to employ precise metal cutting processes to make sure that the metal fabrication meets customers’ specifications with versatility and flexibility. In order to acquire metals ways to required denominations it is imperative to apply a range of competitive devices and measures to cut the metals.
In the beginning, metals were treated by some hand-driven machines like hacksaws, chisels and shears. However, apart from these manual tools and smaller cutting devices that can be hand operated, there are some other developed methods that were invented and innovated with time, in order to produce better results in lesser time.
The following advanced metal cutting methods have hence come into being in order to deal with more robust and challenging projects.
- Turning: When a sharp point of a cutting tool is applied on the metal surface and is rapidly spun by other supportive devices like a lathe, it is called turning. In this process, the metal layers are removed until the favorable and pre-determined size is achieved.
- Grinding: The grinding machine with an abrasive wheel is applied on the metal that has a smooth surface to wear it down effortlessly and with precision.
- Drilling: A drilling machine is used when a perfectly sized hole is required to be made on the metal surface and the same is done by applying a combination of force and rotation over the metal surface.
- Laser:Laser cutting technology is used when extreme precision, exact shape and tight control off the metal size is required. A laser is an intensely concentrated beam of light that is reduced to a tiny point by an extremely high temperature used to cut metals with exact tolerance. Often this process is computer-controlled to achieve the most accurate pre-designed pattern.
- Burning/Welding: When metal surfaces are heated to a specific temperature in order to soften and break the surfaces along a carefully patterned line, it is called welding or burning.
- Plasma: Plasma technique is a contemporary and innovative way to cut metal with a clean finish. The process involves a plasma torch that ejects oxygen or any inert gas along with simultaneously sending an electrical arc through the gas. This heat up the plasma enough to melt away the metal surface in contact and at the same time also blows away any molten metal.
- Water jet: When water mixed with abrasives is used in an extremely high force to erode the metal surface with precision and perfection, it is called water jet cutting. The technology has certain benefits that made it a preferred way of metal cutting as it is faster and less costly than laser cutting with clean, tight edge quality.
Metal cutting has thus evolved and developed over time keeping to timely requirements of customers specific specifications in mind.
