Cutting I beams

[countrylife]

I've been looking at the videos of how plasma torches cut steel and it has just dawned on me that they are all of flat plate. I'm more interested in cutting I beams, channels, pipe, and square tubing and not so much plate. I'm interested in the I beams and how the web affects the cut. Also the square tubing where the opposite wall could/would affect the plasma stream. First of all I'm assuming the plasma torch can cut these - right? Are there special techniques required to do this? Does anyone know of a video that shows these being cut? Or is a O/A torch more practical?

[AndyA]

It cuts them fine. I probably cut more angles, i-beam, and tubing than I cut flat stock. Just move faster over the places you want to limit the depth of the cut (like cutting flanges on I-beam while avoiding cutting the web)

[jimcolt]

Plasma works great for cutting and coping I beams and structural tube. Plasma is much faster than Oxyfuel in most cases. Here is a link to a track burner that is specifically designed for splitting beams: http://www.controlledautomation.com/Beam_Splitting_Machine_BSP-2000-Specs.html

Cutting tube and square as well as angles is very easy to do with a hand torch.....for higher production jigs can be easily built to guide the hand torch, or a plasma torch can be mounted on a variety of automated equipment. Six axis robotic applications are very common.

Jim Colt

[oxygen454]

I assisted in building a 60' CNC hypertherm plasma I-beam (wide flange actually) burning machine. Was extremely quick, accurate and efficient over the torch. Only thing we had to do is set up the beam and roll it when the each side was cut.

If you take the time to figure out the limits of where your machine can cut inside the beam, you shouldn't have any problems. We had no special tips just the regular CNC plasma head setup. The top cut on the I-beam pierced through enough that the side cuts could connect leaving with the cut piece falling off to the floor.

[oxygen454]

Also tourchmate shows the pipe cutting attachment. If you have the need and the money, it can cut and spin tube.

[oxygen454]

Cutting a circle in a I-beam...

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo44/oxygen454/cutting.jpg

[pandinus]

http://www.pythonx.com/newslinks/beamprocessl.html