High Productivity carbon steel mechanized cutting solution with ESAB’s PT-36 XR series nozzles using m3 Plasma™ System

Mechanized plasma cutting of carbon steel using ESAB’s new PT-36 XR nozzles bring a plethora of benefits to the end-user. These include very high cutting speed, precision cut quality, wider operating range of thicknesses, and very low operating costs. ESAB is a global leader in welding and cutting equipment, consumables and allied products. Its innovative products are developed with inputs from customers and are manufactured in its world-class facilities. Inheriting a wealth of experience spanning over a century, ESAB is highly proactive and organized to deliver efficient, high productivity solutions to meet and exceed customer expectations.

Mechanized plasma cutting is widely used in the industry for cutting carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and alloys. Plasma cutting is a fast cutting process which is economical for cutting carbon steel from 1 mm to 50mm.The productivity of plasma cutting depends upon the speed at which the cutting happens. Higher cutting speeds results in more parts per hour.For cutting a particular thickness, we need the required power output from the plasma power source. The more the power output, the greater the speed. But we cannot put too much of power into the plate as it will affect the cut quality. Hence optimum power is used for cutting a particular thickness plate. By using the optimum power we can also increase the cutting speed by increasing the arc intensity in the plasma torch. This leads to more productivity.

High cutting speeds, exceptional consumable life and high quality cutting with reduced secondary operation decrease the cutting cost which reduce the overall cost of production. So higher productivity and lower cost of production in carbon steel can be achieved with specially designed plasma consumables like nozzles, electrodes, shields, etc. ESAB’s specially designed PT-36 XR series nozzles help to improve productivity by increasing the cutting speed by 45 to 80% and the cost of cutting can be slashed by more than 25%.

The new XR Series nozzles improve cutting speed and extend the dross-free cutting range, providing better cut quality on a wider range of materials. Some of the salient features of the XR series nozzle are

• Cutting Speed faster by 45 to 80%
• Precision cut quality with improved top edge squareness and dross-free performance which reduces secondary operation and cleanup work.
• Operating costlower by more than 25%
  • Lower energy consumption
  • Improved consumable life
  • Improved spatter resistance
  • Lower inventory cost
• wider operating range of thicknesses

Productivity & superior cut quality:

The innovative design of the new nozzle improves overall cutting performance by increasing cutting speed and extending the dross-free cutting range. The new 260 Amp XR nozzle can cut as much as 45% faster than previous PT-36 nozzles, while the new 360 amp XR nozzle reaches speeds up to 80% faster than formerly possible.

Throughout each nozzle’s cutting range the cut quality and dross performance are improved, reducing secondary operations and clean-up work.

Lower operating cost:

Overall operating costs are reduced due to faster cutting speeds. Some users may see savings due to lower current usage. Nozzle cooling is improved, which enhances consumable life. Piercing performance is also enhanced, allowing thicker plate to be cut more reliably.

• Less power is required to cut the material when compared to conventional nozzles
• 50 mm Piercing in carbon steel can be done by 360A in XR technology but it requires 400A in standard technology

Few consumable parts required for wider range of operations which leads to decrease in inventory cost

The new XR Series nozzles feature an extended water cooling surface, so that a larger area of the nozzle is in contact with cooling water, closer to the nozzle tip. When compared with older PT-36 torch nozzles, the XR nozzles feature more than double the water cooled surface area. This results in the nozzle running cooler, which leads to longer consumable life.

The new nozzles are designed to be used exclusively with the new TL Oxygen Electrode. This new electrode delivers more consistent cutting angles by reducing turbulence in the plasma stream. Electrode cooling efficiency has also been optimized, so that one new oxygen plasma electrode is used throughout the entire range of XR nozzles, as well as many other oxygen plasma setups.

A new nickel plated shield retainer and one nickel plated shield help shed pierce spatter and resist front-end damage when piercing thicker plate. This new shield is thicker and heavier and is designed to last longer under the most challenging conditions. The improved nozzle cooling also helps extend nozzle life when piercing thicker material. XR Nozzles can cut up to 80% thicker material with the same current. The improved speed combined with enhanced cut quality and dross performance result in dramatic increases in productivity and reduced operating costs

Wider operating range of thicknesses:

Advanced nozzle design allows each of the new XR Series nozzles to cut through a wider range of materials. This means that customers with existing m3 Plasma™ systems can now cut thicker materials with less power. The wide cutting range also means fewer consumable changes, so machine operators spend more time cutting and less time changing nozzles.

The XR Series Nozzles are used with ESAB’s m3 Plasma™ system for cutting and marking on mild steel plate from 12 mm thick up to 75 mm thick carbon steel, depending on the amperage. The new XR Series includes one electrode, four nozzles and one shield, which are designed for 200, 260, 360, and 450 Amp Oxygen plasma cutting on carbon steel.

[Contributed by ESAB India Ltd.]