A method of plasma metal cutting is widely used to produce flanged blanks. The sheet is placed on the cutting machine, the program for cutting the metal is set, and then the machine cuts out the products from this sheet according to the specified parameters. The resulting workpiece is cleaned with shot, after which the next workpiece processing operation - turning and drilling - begins. This method of obtaining a billet significantly speeds up the production process, since the duration of the production cycle is shortened.

Plasma cutting of metal is a kind of processing of metals by cutting, for which a jet of plasma is used as an instrument. Plasma cutting of metal is carried out as follows: an electric arc is ignited between the electrode and the metal that is cut, or between the electrode and the nozzle of the installation. This process is carried out by means of a short circuit or a high-frequency pulse passing between the metal and the nozzle. The arc turns the gas, which is fed into the nozzle under high pressure, into a jet of plasma. Its temperature can reach 30 000 degrees, and the speed of the jet is 1500 meters per second. Plasma cutting allows cutting metal up to 10 cm thick. Plasma cutting uses a compressed electric arc, which is blown by the gas. Blowing the arc, the gas heats up and ionizes. Charged particles are converted into a dense plasma stream and blown out. Plasma cutting of metal is used for cutting corrosion-resistant (stainless) and structural steels, as well as cast iron with a thickness of up to 5-6 cm. With the increase in the thickness of the metal, the main advantage of plasma cutting before others is greater productivity.

Plasma-arc cutting of metal - advantages:

• much higher speed of metal cutting of small and medium thickness;
• universality of application - plasma cutting is used for processing steels, aluminum and its alloys, copper and alloys, cast iron and other materials;
• precise and high-quality cuts, while in the majority of cases the subsequent machining is excluded or markedly reduced;
• efficiency of air-plasma cutting - no need for expensive gases;
• the ability to cut out details of complex shapes;
• very short burning time;
• safer, because there are no explosive gas cylinders;
• low level of environmental pollution.