Plasma cutters are a literal blessing bestowed upon civilization by cutting edge technology. They have enabled us to cut through most metals as easily as a hot knife cuts through butter. A plasma cutter, however, should be bought as a long term investment and should be checked for the following qualities.
- Adjustable Voltage and Frequency
The voltage on which a plasma cutter operates usually varies from 110V to 220V, so even though equipped garages do have adapters and varying supplies available, they are not found regularly at home. The cutters should have a frequency that can be varied and attached to their respective adapters. It is also good practice to have a multi-voltage plug where cutters should be used.
- Type of transistor
The type of transistor that is installed in a cutter you want to purchase should be according to the number of times you want to use the Plasma Cutter. The two common types of transistors are MOSFET and IGBT. If the cutter has to be used once or twice a week then MOSFET is recommended, but if the running is more frequent than IGBT is preferred because of its current and temperature settings.
- Depth of cutting
Before a cutter is bought what needs to be cut and its depth should be kept in mind. Maximum cutting ability of a cutter varies from cutter to cutter, with the stronger one being more expensive. But in order to save some cash, you should not buy what is not needed. Variance is important because again, it is a long term investment, so it is a better choice to purchase a cutter with greater depth so the purposes it can be used for are vast.
- Portability
The advancements in electronics are revolved around the idea of miniature sizing all devices which are used. So in today’s world, buying a cutter which is immobile and has to be placed in one corner of a chamber for the rest of its life is not a wise investment. So wherever a job demands a cutter, it is now possible to transport the cutter to get the job done rather than transporting the component which needs to be fixed, hence it saves a lot of time.
- Additional equipment
A plasma cutter is not a solo device that can be used on its own, it demands other equipment such as eye protection, gloves and also an air compressor. An air compressor is for safety measures and also to control the magnitude of voltage discharge that is used for the intensity of cutting. The compressor’s life, however, is not sufficient for the provision of discharge to the electrodes in the cutter so reserve capacity should also be purchased to increase the time duration for the operation of the cutter. Furthermore, a torch is also a useful piece of equipment to identify where the cuts have to be made in the piece of metal.
