What Is Inside A Plasma Cutter?
Plasma cutters come in all shapes and sizes. There are enormous plasma cutters that use robotic arms to make precise incisions. There are also compact, handheld units that you might find in a handyman’s shop. Regardless of the size, all plasma cutters function on the same principle and are constructed roughly around the same design. Plasma cutter work by sending a pressurized gas, such as nitrogen, argon or oxygen through a small channel. In the center of this channel, you will find a negatively charged electrode. When you apply power to the negative electrode, and you touch the tip of the nozzle to the metal, the connection creates a circuit. A powerful spark is generated between the electrode and the metal. As the inert gas passes through the channel, the spark heats the gas until it reaches the fourth state of matter. This reaction creates a stream of directed plasma, approximately 30,000 degrees Farheintent and moving at 20,000 feet per second, that reduces metal to molten slag. Th
