Industrial Cutting Gases
Choosing the right cutting process is important. Product parameters such as surface finish of the cut edge, dimensional stability and distortion can all be important, whether it’s a finished product or just a stage in production. Process parameters are also key to ensure optimum production and operational efficiency.
Energas supply a range of gases for use in cutting processes. These include simple gases for use in oxy-fuel or oxy acetylene processes, right through to more complex mixtures for use in plasma or laser cutting applications.
Backed by a team of local and worldwide based cutting experts and a wealth of testing facilities, Energas works with our customers to reduce costs associated with cutting by optimising performance. For all your cutting operations In order to minimise cost, maximise profit and reduce downtime talk to the experts at Energas.
Find all our solutions for industrial cutting
The main industrial cutting processes
In industry, the choice of the process and the cutting machine will be made according to various criteria and in particular: the thickness (low, medium or high thicknesses), the type of material (special metals, steels, aluminum or alloys), the choice of mode (manual or automated), the expected quality (precision, deformation), productivity (cutting speed, automation)...
Laser Cutting
With laser cutting, complex dimensionally accurate components can be produced in a reproducible manner with a narrow section, small heat affected zone and excellent cut quality.
The process is easy to automate and very cost-effective when processing thin metals. Within the automotive industry, laser cutting has become an established method for, for example, hot processing of body parts. With an extensive product portfolio under the LASAL™ brand, Energas offers the right solution for all needs.
Energas's LASAL™ range is the solution for laser cutting. It offers you the assist gases LASAL™ 2003 (Oxygen) and LASAL™ 2001 (Nitrogen) to maximise the productivity of your laser machine, as well as a wide selection of laser gases adapted to the specifications of your CO2 laser cutting machines.
The LASAL™ range of gases is supported by a full range of equipment solutions designed to ensure the high quality of our gases is maintained through to the point of use. Energas can provide you with a cost-effective solution that delivers your laser gases at the flow-rate, pressure and purity that your laser system demands.
Fuel gases for cutting
Which fuel should be used – and does the purity of the oxygen have any significance for the process?
For the flame during cutting burning, "ordinary" fuel gases can be used, i.e. acetylene, propane, natural gas (methane) or ethylene.
When cutting with a machine, cost efficiency is an important criterion, but also operating conditions such as gas supply, gas prices, gas consumption and more. It is important to have a powerful flame (fuel gas) to start the cutting process and carry out the cutting burn.
The combustion of hydrocarbon compounds takes place in two stages. In the primary flame, the added oxygen results in incomplete combustion. In the secondary flame, the fuel gas is completely burned through the absorption of oxygen from the surrounding air.
The fuel gases differ in flame temperature and ignition/burning speed and thus the primary flame power (kJ/cm2 . S).
When it comes to gas combustion technology, the effect of the primary flame is of particular importance.
- Maximum flame temperature and primary flame power
- High cutting performance compared to other fuels
With a permanent gas consumption of >500 l/h, several gas cylinders must be connected (gas cylinder package). The gas supply is therefore more complex than with propane/ethylene.
- Lower primary flame effect, which reduces the cutting effect (especially with diagonal cuts)
- Long heating and hole burning times
The oxygen consumption for the flame is about four times higher compared to acetylene. Propane is stored in liquid form, which means a larger amount of available gas.
- Oxidize (burn) the steel
- Drive the reaction products (slag, iron oxides) out of the cut and thus create the cut
The oxygen is necessary to burn the fuel gas (flame). A high flame effect results in more efficient cutting burning. The standard purity/quality of oxygen is 99.5% by volume (2.5). This quality is sufficient for cutting-burning technology. With a higher oxygen purity, for example 99.95% by volume (3.5), higher cutting power is achieved with better cut quality.
Gas consumption depends on the size of the burner. Cutting charts are important documents to guarantee cut quality and cutting effect – the basis for developing gas cutting parameters.
Plasma cutting
With plasma cutting, you can cut all electrically conductive materials, such as unalloyed, low-alloyed and high-alloyed steel, nickel, copper, brass, bronze and aluminium.
The combination of cut quality, productivity, operating cost, and versatility make plasma today’s most popular industrial cutting process. A plasma cutting system uses a plasma stream to transfer energy to a conductive work material. The plasma stream is typically formed by forcing a gas such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon — or even air — through a narrow nozzle. An electric current produced by an external power supply adds sufficient energy to the gas flow to ionize it, turning it into a plasma arc with temperatures approaching 40,000F. The plasma arc cuts the workpiece by melting it, and blows away the molten metal.
