Hi-Def Plasma Profiling
Red Dog Linings chromium and tungsten carbide alloy hardfacing overlays behave like stainless steel during cutting. This precludes the use of conventional shearing or oxy-fuel flame cutting processes.
Various cutting methods can be used:
- Plasma arc
- Water jet cutting
- Air arc gouging
- Cutting disk
Plasma arc cutting
Red Dog Linings hardfaced overlay plates, including those with special substrates, can be easily cut with a hand held or machine mounted torch using either air or inert gas plasma-arc processed. Typical systems feature a minimum 150A power supply and the higher the current employed, the faster the cutting speed which can be achieved.
Our hardfaced plates may be cut from either side, but to accommodate the natural bevel created by this process it is recommended that cutting takes place from the hardface side. Cutting speed should be adjusted to minimise the build-up of slag on the underside of the hardfaced plate.
High definition plasma arc cutting is recommended where close tolerances are required.
Water jet cutting
In this process a very high pressured water jet is used, usually mixed with a fine abrasive which enables materials to be cut cleanly and to close tolerances. Plate thickness up to 40mm can be cut.
Air arc gouging
A compressed air supply and a conventional constant current DC welding power supply, with a minimum OCV of 60V (80V recommended) is required for air arc gouging. An arc voltage in the range of 35-56 volts is desirable.
Cutting should be carried out from the carbon steel side of the hardfaced plate by first marking out the cutting lines and then dot punching to ensure continued visibility during the process. After cutting plates from the substrate side, all slag should be removed with an abrasive grinding disc.
