Plasma Plate Cutting, Torch Cutting and Oxy-Fuel Cutting 
Precision Grinding, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama  888-WE-GRIND

Flame Cut Plate

At Precision Grinding we CNC Oxyfuel and / or CNC plasma cut plate on three cutting tables. Our (2) largest tables have a 120'' x 480'' capacity; the third table with Burny controls has (2) 240" adjoining tables. We regularly burn plate up to 9" thick and have the capacity to burn or flame cut up to 14" thickness. Torch Burning & Flame Cutting require tables large enough to hold full sheets of steel plate, whether they are  96" x 480" or 96" x 240". Various torches with different consumable kerf tips and setups are required to burn plate from 1/4" - 14" thick. We also saw cut up to 27" thick plate. Flame cutting, or plate burning uses an oxygen-acetylene fuel process to melt-cut metal formed shapes from the plate. Plasma burning takes advantage of an electrical arc technology.

Various tips are used to control the width and depth of the flame output by a single or multiple burning torches. This controlled flame width is generally referred to as the kerf, describing the amount of oxygen and acetylene required for a chosen width of cut at a certain thickness. In general, kerf tip sizes are chosen for plate thickness ranging from 1/4" - 1", 1 - 2", 2 - 3", 3" - 4 ", and 5" - 8" for torches designed to cut less than 8" thick plate. The plasma cut makes use of an electric arc, created by our 700 amp generator assisted with gas and oxygen. Plasma consumables, the nozzles and electrodes are chosen to fit smaller ranges of thickness, where we use approximately 4-5 different configuration pairs between ⅛" - 1 ½" thick plate for electrical arc widths at certain depths.

CNC controls are used to direct torches along lines programmed via CAD files embedded in a "Nesting software" program. Often, we'll plasma cut plate up to 1 ½" thick. Plasma cutting is a faster burning process than the oxyfuel process. This allows us to cut thinner plate at approximately 80-100" per minute, whereas oxyfuel cutting travels at 4-16 inches per minute.

Skilled plate cutting requires in-depth experience. On average, our plate department machinists have over five years experience with us. Experienced machinists determine at-the-controls variable adjustments, such as torch speed per second, oxygen levels, and kerf controls. They adjust pre-programmed CNC instructions in order to properly burn or plasma cut plate. They're also capable of running the controls to create simple shapes such as rectangles, OD circles, and OD ID rings during the production cycle. Our goal is to cut plate as orthogonal as possible, normally within 1.5° to square.

As an option for material only jobs and for every order that heads to grinding and/or machining, the deburring department takes the time necessary to clean up or debur parts to meet our inspection guidelines. With two overhead cranes inside our plate burning department, we can handle plate up to 40,000 pounds per flat. We have a 40,000# car bottom furnace within the same 15,000 sq. ft. bay for stress relieving and annealing plate such as 4140 annealed and 1045 annealed.
 

Two tables with Burny controls.  96" x 480" plate on rear Kodiak

Precision Grinding has been CNC Flame Cutting Plate for over ten years. Our plate cutting department is managed by Jim Quinn, who has been with us for over 30 years. Both of our department directors have CNC Programming experience within multiple CAD programs, multiple file extensions, and leading flame cut plate software programs. You can send us most any type drawing file. We'll first prepare the file for CNC Burning, then we'll flame cut to order.

From hand-drawings to faxed drawings to completed American Standard and/or Metric-dimensioned, emailed CAD files, we custom cut plate steel flats into the parts your projects require. For over 35 years we've been building a reputation for producing quality products, serving many of the leading machinery, machine shop, job shop, steel processing, and metal manufacturing companies across the Southeast and across the United States. Please, call us at 888-We-Grind the next time you need custom steel plate burned to order.

www.precisiongrinding.com

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Plasma Cutting & Oxy-Fuel Cutting
Annealing & Stress Relieving Steel
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Surface Grinding
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CNC Milling
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