Int J Mater Form (2011) 4:3943 DOI 10.

1007/s12289-010-0990-y

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Effect of dual swirling plasma arc cutting parameters on kerf characteristics

Jiayou Wang & Zhengyu Zhu & Conghui He & Feng Yang

Received: 29 July 2009 / Accepted: 3 June 2010 / Published online: 19 June 2010 # Springer-Verlag France 2010

Abstract A numerical control 3-D processing system was constituted for dual swirling plasma arc cutting. The effect of cutting energy parameters and operating gases on kerf characteristics was then investigated experimentally, so as to provide a reference for appropriately selecting process parameters to improve cut quality. It is shown that kerf widths reduce, and the bevel angle and the straightness increase with an increase of cutting speed and a decrease of arc current. Moreover, a smaller bevel angle, together with greater straightness and more dross, exhibits on the low speed side of the cut. As the oxygen content of the operating gas decreases, kerf widths decrease and the dross increases, while the bevel angle varies slightly on the high speed side of the cut. For the pure oxygen and pure air processes, the bevel angle on the low speed side and the straightness of cut surface are the smallest, but the pure oxygen cut surface is the roughest due to the occurrence of a saw-like kerf. Keywords Plasma arc cutting . Swirling arc . Kerf characteristics . Cut quality . Automatic cutting

Introduction Plasma arc cutting (PAC) is a thermal cutting process of high efficiency and high quality, primarily suitable for
J. Wang (*) : Z. Zhu : C. He : F. Yang Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, 2 Mengxi Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212003, Peoples Republic of China e-mail: jiayouw@jsmail.com.cn

metallic materials. This process utilizes an arc plasma at high temperature and fast speed to melt the base metal and to expel the molten material immediately, thus forming a cut. According to the cutting operating gas that suits for the base material to be cut, and the PAC is commonly classified into air, O2, N2, Ar-H2 and N2-H2 plasma processes [1, 2]. To improve further cutting quality and to lower cutting cost, some new concept plasma cutting processes have been developed, such as oxygen-shielded air plasma cutting, single and dual swirling plasma cutting, and ultrasonic frequency pulsed plasma cutting [36]. With the rapid developments in cutting power supply and process control techniques, furthermore, automatic and high-power plasma cutting comes recently true [79]. Thus, the PAC process has found growing use in modern metal manufacturing industries. Of the new concept PACs, the swirling and dual plasma processes are particularly attracting in cutting steels. The swirling process can remarkably improve the inclination and shoulder of cut surface while decreasing the adherent dross to the cut [5]. In the dual plasma arc cutting, an outer gas stream works to protect the nozzle against rapid burn, and also to shield the cut surface from nitrogen if using oxygen gas [4, 10]. Therefore, a desirable cut surface of good shape and reprocessability is available directly on the low speed side of kerf, but also the life of consumable parts is obviously increased. In practice, the selection of appropriate cutting parameters is very important for the good process results. To understand better the dual swirling plasma process and to provide a reference for actual cutting application, the present work constitutes a numerical control three dimensional (3-D) processing system for dual swirling plasma arc cutting, and then investigates experimentally the effect of arc current, cutting speed and operating gas type on kerf characteristics.

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Arcing signal Gas control Cooling water

Int J Mater Form (2011) 4:3943

Process Control

Setting & Display

z y

4 Current Detection 55 6 7 +P
Pilot current

Torch

8
Stage

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of dual swirling plasma arc cutting system. 1-Electrode, 2-Plasma gas, 3-Inner nozzle, 4-Outer nozzle, 5-Shielding gas, 6-Hafnium, 7-Arc, 8-Workpiece

Motion Control

Power Supply

To investigate the effect of cutting process parameters on kerf characteristics, a number of cutting experiments were carried out. Experimental conditions were: 4575 A for arc current, 550 mm/s for cutting speed, 6 mm for testpiece thickness, 2 and 3 mm for torch standoff height, 31 and 12 L/min at 0.81 MPa respectively for the flowrates of plasma and shielding gases, 1.1 mm for the diameter of the hafnium core in the electrode, and 1.2 mm for the inner nozzle orifice diameter. A mild steel plate of size 12040 mm was rigidly fixed on the

a Kerf widths
4
Kt Kb Ia (A) 45 75

Plasma arc cutting system and experimental procedure The dual swirling plasma arc cutting system is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1. This system primarily consists of plasma cutting power supply, cutting torch, the manipulator of three rectangular coordinates, process control unit, and operating gas and cooling water sources. Cutting power supply is a digital signal processor (DSP) controlled inverter of constant current output characteristic, the positive and negative of which are connected respectively to the workpiece and the electrode. A hafnium bar is inserted in the electrode tip to act as the cathode. The watercooled torch of dual nozzles is placed perpendicularly against the workpiece surface; the plasma and shielding gases flow respectively through the inner and outer nozzles in clockwise swirling state. A numerical control manipulator of high precision carries the torch to move in the y and/ or z directions, and can drive the workpiece to give out cutting speed in the x direction. Arc current and operating gas flowrate are digitally set and displayed in real time. In cutting, an arc is initiated between the hafnium cathode and the inner nozzle by a high frequency igniter, and then transferred to the workpiece. As the main arc steadily burns, the control unit automatically cuts off the pilot current of the arc, and simultaneously gives an arcing signal to start the manipulating motion.
Kt St Left Kb Dross

K (mm)

10

20

30

40

50

Vc (mm/s)
15 10 5 0 -5 -10 0 10 20 30 40
L R

b Bevel angle

(deg.)

Ia (A) 45 75

50

Vc (mm/s)

c Straightness
0.6
StR StL Ia (A) 45 75

St (mm)

0.4

0.2

Right
0 10 20 30 40 50

Vc (mm/s)
Fig. 3 Effect of cutting energy parameters on kerf shape (h=3 mm)

Fig. 2 Cut shape factors

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Vc (mm/s) 5 10 30 50

41

Ia (A)

45

75

3mm

Fig. 4 Photographs of kerf shape at different cutting energy parameters (h=3 mm)

With an increase in cutting speed and a decrease of arc current, cutting energy decreases, and the flushing action of the arc on cut surface becomes weak. Accordingly, kerf widths (K) decrease and the straightness increases, while the bevel angle goes great due to a rapider decrease of bottom kerf width than top kerf width. At low cutting speeds, arc voltage rises as the main area of arc anode spots submerges, and thus more heat from the anode spots and arc column acts on the bottom of the cut. Finally, several negative bevel angles occur at 5 mm/s because of Kb more than Kt. On the right side of the cut, the bevel angle obviously becomes smaller as a result of the lower actual cutting speed induced by the swirling effect of the operating
4

work stage, and finally a cut of 80 mm length was longitudinally formed in the middle of the plate. After cutting, an observed section was obtained at 20 mm apart from the end of the cut to evaluate kerf shape. The shape factors of the cut usually include [11]: top kerf width (Kt), bottom kerf width (Kb), bevel angle (), straightness or flatness (St), and the adherent dross to the cut, as shown in Fig. 2. In the experiments, the cross section of kerf was digitally photographed, and then the geometrical parameters of kerf were accurately measured in computer based on the enlarged picture of the cross section. To inspect the reliability of experimental results, moreover, cutting test was actually repeated twice for every set of process parameters (i.e., a combination of arc current, cutting speed, and the type of operating gas). However, a set of experimental results were finally presented below for a convenient expression, because of the measured values of the shape parameters are considerably close twice.

a Kerf widths
3

Kt

Kb Vc (mm/s) 30 40

K (mm)

1 O2+O2 15 O2+air air+O2 air+air

b Bevel angle

L R Vc (mm/s) 30 40

10

(deg.)

Kerf characteristics Effect of cutting energy parameters

0.5

O2+O2

O2+air

air+O2

air+air

c Straightness

The plasma cutting energy is determined by such parameters as arc current, arc voltage and cutting speed, of which the arc voltage is influenced by torch standoff height, arc current, cutting speed and arc constricted degree. So, arc current (Ia) and cutting speed (Vc) are two dominant energy parameters for given torch parameters and operating gas. Figure 3 shows the effect of cutting energy parameters on kerf shape at the torch standoff height (h) of 3 mm. Here, oxygen and air were used respectively as the plasma and shielding gases; L and R denote the bevel angle, and StL and StR represent the straightness, respectively on the left and right sides of the cut.

StR StL Vc (mm/s) 30 40

0.4

St (mm)

0.3

0.2

O2+O2

O2+air

air+O2

air+air

Fig. 5 Effect of cutting operating gas type on kerf shape (Ia =60 A and h=2 mm)

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Plasma + Shield

Vc (mm/s) 30 40

O2+O2

O2+air

air+O2

electric heat of the arc, will contribute to the formation of kerf. Figure 5 shows the effect of the common operating gases on kerf shape at h=2 mm and Ia =60 A, where the horizontal coordinate indicates the combination type of the plasma + shielding gas. When the operating gas varies from O2+O2, O2+air, air+O2 to air+air, the oxidation reaction heat decreases during cutting owing to a reduction of the oxygen content in the gas. Accordingly, kerf widths narrow to a varying extent, where the greatest widths imply the highest cutting efficiency of the O2+O2 process. On the other hand, the bevel angle changes more remarkably on the right side than on the left one of the cut. For the pure oxygen and pure air processes, the right bevel angle and the straightness of cut surface are the smallest. Regardless of the operating gas and cutting speed, the right bevel angle is much smaller than the left one, whereas the right straightness is obviously greater than the left one, which also further verifies the results mentioned in Fig. 3b and c. Figure 6 indicates the kerf shape for different operating gases at 30 and 40 mm/s. It is clear that the more dross attaches to the bottom of the cut in the usage of the operating gas containing air. For the O2+O2 process, an indentation and plenty of oxide dross readily occur on the internal sides of the cut. Figure 7 gives the photographs of

air+air

3mm
Fig. 6 Photographs of kerf shape at different operating gases (Ia = 60 A and h=2 mm)

Plasma + Shield

Vc (mm/s) 5 30

O2+O2

gas, although the straightness is somewhat greater than that on the left side. Figure 4 gives several examples of cut cross-section photograph. At the lower arc current and the slower cutting speeds, the more dross attaches to the bottom of the cut, particularly on the right side (i.e. low-speed side) of the cut. It is also demonstrated that the difference between the left and right bevel angles obviously becomes great with increasing cutting speed at 75 A. As a result, the dross-free and nearly perpendicular cut surfaces of acceptable flatness exhibit on the low-speed side of the cut. Effect of operating gases The operating gas is a combination of the plasma and shielding gases for the dual plasma arc cutting. If the gas contains a content of oxygen, the heat produced from the oxidation reaction of oxygen with metal, along with the

O2+air

air+O2

air+air

Low-speed side

3mm

Fig. 7 Photographs of cut surface at different operating gases (Ia = 60 A and h=2 mm)

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the right cut surface at 5 and 30 mm/s, where the arrow indicates the direction of cutting. Some thick cutting lines are visible on the O2+O2 cut surface regardless of cutting speed, in which a saw-like kerf was actually viewed from the front side of the testpiece. It is also demonstrated that the cut surface is smoother at 30 mm/s for the O2+air and air+O2 processes, although the indentation phenomenon occurs also at 5 mm/s. On the pure air cut surface, there is much residue of oxide and nitride primarily along the drag lines, thus affecting its surface smoothness. The above experimental results interpret that the O2+O2 plasma process is undesirable in the high tolerance plasma cutting. Moreover, there is no great difference in kerf shape for the O2+air and air+O2 processes, whereas the air+air process can produce a cut of better geometrical shape. Thus, the latter three processes may be practically selected according to the different demands for the cutting efficiency, electrode cost and cut quality.

bevel angle varies slightly on the high speed side of the cut. For the pure oxygen and pure air processes, the bevel angle on the low speed side and the straightness of cut surface are the smallest, but the pure oxygen cut surface is the roughest due to the occurrence of a saw-like kerf.
Acknowledgements Thanks are due to the financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50675091) and the Natural Science Research Plan of Jiangsu Provincial Universities (Grant No. 06KJA430006).

References
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Conclusions The present work constitutes a numerical control 3-D processing system for the dual swirling plasma arc cutting, and then investigates experimentally the effect of process parameters on kerf characteristics. It is shown that: (1) With a decrease of arc current and an increase of cutting speed, kerf widths decrease, and the bevel angle and the straightness increase. On the low speed side of the kerf, there always is a smaller bevel angle although greater straightness and more dross readily exhibit, and finally a dross-free and nearly perpendicular cut surface of acceptable flatness can be obtained for succeeded processing. (2) As the oxygen content of the operating gas decreases, kerf widths decrease and the dross increases, while the