Installation and finishing works are often accompanied by additional operations related to the preparation of certain materials. And if plastic with wood, for example, is easy to correct with ordinary carpenter's tools in a couple of minutes, then metal blanks, due to the rigidity of the structure, require much more effort. Of course, to work with profiles and sheet products, it is not necessary to turn to professional equipment. But you should initially understand the nuances of using a particular tool for cutting metal, so that the output is a workpiece that meets expectations.
Cold and hot cutting - what's the difference?
At the basic level, two fundamentally different approaches to metal processing should be separated. This is cold and hot cutting. What is the difference? In the case of cold working, the target workpiece is notundergoes a change in structure to facilitate further physical impact on it. As a rule, these are mechanical cutting methods, in which the functional organ (tooth, cutter, crown) must be made of a more resistant material than the workpiece. Hot working methods usually involve thermal action on the material to the point of melting. What tools are used when cutting metal in this way? In most cases, full-size autogenous machines are used, but technical means of hot processing are also produced for domestic use. This group includes welding machines, and recently laser cutting devices have become more and more available.
Varieties of mechanical cutting tools
In this category, we can distinguish manual and machine tools designed for cutting metal sheets. Solid blanks with a thickness of more than 20-25 mm are usually not cut with hand tools. These include scissors and hacksaws for metal. Machine tools include stationary saws, band saws and grinders. Moreover, the cutting operation itself in machine tools is rarely presented in the singular. As a rule, it is basic, but it is also complemented by the functions of drilling, boring, facing, etc. Despite the obvious superiority of powerful platform units, a manual metal cutting tool may be required in solving simple and delicate operations. For example,if, at a distance from the socket at the construction site, it will be necessary to carefully trim the edge of the metal sheet. It is not practical to use a large saw on a bed for this task.
Classification of metal scissors
This tool is also different. The simplest designs allow cutting thin sheet metal using manual effort. Unlike ordinary scissors, their cutting parts are made of high-strength tool steel. The handles, in turn, have plastic lining with a ribbed surface for a more tenacious grip. For more critical operations, an electric tool for cutting metal with a power drive is used. The scissor mechanism is represented by a nozzle with a small rotating roller. It is driven by an engine with a power of up to 500 watts on average. The advantages of this tool include not only high performance, but also accuracy. The operator can cut sheets with a thickness of about 1.5 mm, leaving smooth edges.
Metal cutting with a hacksaw
The classic saw with a thin and narrow blade is still relevant. Against the background of a powerful power tool, such a hacksaw wins with a low price tag, a simple design and the ability to get a neat cut. In modern models, hardened or tool steel is used for the blade, which allows cutting pipes, pieces of reinforcement and profile blanks. Moreover, most hacksaws have unified mechanisms for fixing the file, so it remains possible to use differentthe format of the canvases with a focus on the features of the working material. The basis of this tool for cutting metal must be selected based on its functionality. The tensile force and the length adjustment range should be taken into account.
Plasma cutting features
Processing of this type is implemented by special models of welding machines. Various metals are used as the target material, from soft aluminum to titanium and carbon alloys. But it is recommended to use this method only if you have at least basic welding skills. A plasma torch is an electric tool for cutting metal, in which current strength plays an important role. In the course of preparation, its potential is calculated per 1 mm of the workpiece. Moreover, for different types of metal, this value will be different. So, steel and cast iron are cut at 4 A, and non-ferrous alloys are recommended to be processed with a setting of 6 A.
Especially beginners need to think about security issues during the workflow. Protection is provided not only from electric current, but also from temperature exposure with ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is recommended to work with this metal cutting tool in special equipment, supplemented by a welder's shield. Legs must also be worn with appropriate pants and shoes in case of careless handling of the melt.
Belt metal cutting machines
For the processing of metal blanks of increased hardness, a powerful machineequipment. A band saw in this class is one of the most effective solutions, since the teeth of the saw blades outperform even grinder blades in terms of strength. Also, the design of the equipment allows you to cope with large workpieces with a thickness of more than 100 mm. For example, a rod with a diameter of 100 mm will be processed by an average machine at a speed of 50-70 cm2/min. Metal cutting with a mechanized tool of this type is also beneficial in terms of saving the target material. The belt thickness is only 1.3mm on average, so the chip consumption will be small. If we compare the savings in waste with manual cutting methods, the difference will reach 3-4 times.
Waterjet cutting
This is a high-tech equipment, which is mainly used in large metalworking enterprises. Features of waterjet machines are the principle of operation. Cutting is performed not by mechanical elements, and not by thermal action, but by a mixture of abrasive and water. Through a special nozzle, a high-pressure jet is delivered to the target area. On the approach of the channel to the workpiece surface, a line for supplying sand and metal microparticles is connected to it. As a result, the direction of the hydroabrasive jet performs cutting with a high degree of accuracy. The size of the particles themselves can be several microns, and the thickness of the workpiece reaches 200 mm. By the way, hand tools used in metal cutting are mainly oriented towards sheet metal. And even an increase in power with a changethe design of equipment in order to receive large workpieces does not at all guarantee the quality of cutting. In turn, CNC waterjet machines implement the operation under the control of software equipment with a complex task of cutting parameters.
Conclusion
The choice of a suitable metal processing method depends on specific purposes. In some cases, it will be important to cut the material in large volumes and without high quality requirements. For such tasks, mechanical machines are used with a design suitable for the format of the workpiece. Hand tools for cutting sheet metal are more often used in domestic conditions. In this way, blanks for roofing, sheathing of outbuildings, etc. can be prepared. The most technologically and functionally advanced units demonstrate fundamentally different approaches to solving such problems. This is primarily waterjet and plasma equipment, combining such qualities as high performance, accuracy and economy.
