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CNC Plasma Tube Cutting Machine
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What is CNC Plasma Tube cutter?
This is a cutting machine that uses plasma as power source to make cuts on various shapes of tubes or beams,
such as square tubes, round tubes, I beams, H beams, or C beams. CNC controller is used to control the
motion of this CNC plasma cutting torch or the rotation of the tubes or beams. The picture below shows a
typical system of plasma tube cutting machine. It consists of CNC controller, plasma power, and tube feeder.
What shapes can CNC Plasma Tube cutter cut?
With the help of CNC controller, the plasma torch can move linearly in both X and Y direction, while
the square tube, the round tube or the beams can be rotated. The combined CNC movement enables the
CNC plasma cutter to cut almost any shape on the tubes. The below pictures demonstrate some
examples of what the cutter can do.
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Plasma pipe cutting intersecting lines
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Plasma pipe cutting intersecting lines
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Models and specification of CNC Plasma Tube cutter
CNC plasma tube cutting machine is mainly useful to cut metal square tubes, angels, H or C beams,
and also round pipes. The machine can cut off the beam to length, or cut openings of any
desired shapes. It is of 5 axis CNC and equipped with servo system and linear guides for precision motion
control. Plasma torch height control and collision protection are also included.
Models of plasma tube cutters are mainly Specified by the length of tubes the machine can cut, and also the
size of the tube the plasma tube cutter can rotate and cut, the OD of the round tube, or the square size
of the square tubes. Often the type of the plamsa power is part of the specification of the overall
plasma tube cutter.
Detailed Description of CNC Plasma Tube cutter
A complete set of CNC plasma tube cutting machine system consists of 4 major components:
Cantielver torch carrier, Tube rotaion and feeding frame, CNC controller, and Plasma power unit with
machine torch.
1. Cantielver plasma torch carrier.
The plasma tube cutting machine has a 3 axis torch carrier. X axis along the cantilever arm,
Y axis along the tube length, and Z is vertical. When adding a fourth axis, bevelled edge
can be cut either on the wall of tube, or at the end of tube.
The plasma torch carrier also includes design of collision protection. In the even of
plasma torch hits something, the CNC will receive a signal and stop the motion. In the
vertical direction, torch carrier also includes motion system to allow detection of cutting
surface and adjustment of torch height based on feedback of plasma arc voltage during cutting.
2. Tube rotaion and feeding frame.
The plasma tube cutting machine includes a two-axis tube roptation and feed system.
The tube or beam can be rotated during cut as well as moved in the tube length
direction (feeding). The tube or beam is held by two synchronous chucks, one in the
front, and one in rear. The rear chuck is also drive by a servo motor to move
along the length of the tube so that the tube is fed to the plasma cutting torch.
3. CNC controller.
The entire plasma tube cutting machine has 5 axis of motion and is controlled by CNC
controller. The controller is PC based and runs on Windows 7 system. It serves as the
interface between operator and the hardware of the plasma cutter.
Controller is compatible to dxf or G-code. Users should prepare their designs with
a CAD software, such as Solidworks, and generate the cutting path G-code with a
CAM software such as SIGMATUBE.
4. Plasma power unit with torch.
Plasma power unit with machine torch is selected to meet the specific cutting needs.
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