While some cutting processes are simple and accessible for anyone who can visit Home Depot, certain materials make cutting a bit more difficult. While you can cut some metals with tools from a hardware store, many industries require specific methods for this. Read on to discover your guide to different metal-cutting methods.
Saw Cutting
Saw blades cut a great deal of wood, and special saws can cut some metal too. Industries like aerospace and architecture may use circular or band saw cutting for metal. This method is accurate but not the most accurate method on the market. Additionally, saw cutting allows you to achieve cuts quickly, which can help with efficiency.
Shearing
If you have ever used shears to cut paper, you have a sense of how shearing cuts metal, albeit on a larger scale. In shearing, there’s a stationary lower blade and a moving upper blade. The upper blade descends onto your metal material, pressing it against the lower blade. This pressure causes the metal to deform, strain, and give way. Shearing is ideal for plate and sheet metals, as thicker materials may require more force than shearing can provide.
Laser Cutting
Laser cutting employs a focused beam of light that can heat and melt metal to form highly accurate cuts. Through the use of a computer system, laser cutting can achieve precise and consistent results. A wide range of industries can use laser cutting effectively, from aerospace to packaging to manufacturing.
Plasma Cutting
When you need to cut stainless steel or aluminum, plasma cutting is an effective choice. This method uses a torch with an electrical arc and gas that it blows at high speeds to melt molten metal. There are several major benefits of plasma cutting, but a primary one is its speed. This method is great for cutting sheets of metal quickly.
Now that you have this guide to different metal-cutting methods, we hope you better understand which may be best for your needs.