oxy acetalyn VS plasma cutting

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what is the difference between them? cant they both be used to do the same job? thanks for any elaborate responses
Reply:oxy-fuel can't cut stainless or AL. Plasma can.
Reply:Hello snappy, short version, they are "very" different in a lot of respects. Plasma can cut most any electrically conductive material. Oxy/fuel is very limited by comparison, technical description says that it is suited to cut "rapidly oxidizing materials", stainless is out, aluminum and magnesium are out, many tool steels are out, copper and brass are out, cast iron is out, I believe you get the idea. In many cases where HAZ(heat affected zone) can be critical in the cutting of a material the plasma is much better suited because it requires no preheat and cuts so much faster thus limiting the heat soak time and reducing the width/depth of the HAZ. Warpage and distortion are minimized by using plasma because it cuts so much faster and minimizes heating of the material being cut, this can be particularly beneficial when cutting thin gauge materials. Cut quality between the two can have pros and cons for each in a given situation. Plasma cuts can exhibit bevelled cut edges on one or both sides of the kerf in some cases which might be unacceptable(there are versions of plasma that have particular upgrades which make them much less prone to this and they are referred to as high-definition or by other identifiers/names), oxy/fuel is capable of making square cut edges on both sides of the kerf very readily. Material thickness can have the greatest effect on use of plasma over oxy/fuel when considering steels that can be cut with the oxy/fuel process, equipment for cutting thick plate(1"and over)with plasma can be very expensive, the cost for similarly rated oxy/fuel systems is relatively inexpensive by comparison. There is a huge amount of information to further explain/justify this and there are plenty of idiosyncrasies tied to each process where one is possibly better than the other for a particular use or instance. Likely others will include many of them here for you. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:A plasma that can plug into someone's garage can't cut 2 or more inches of steel.   A torch doesn't need electrical power or dry air.  If the need is for Al or SS like said above the plasma is better but if you need to heat and bend then the torch is it.
Reply:There are many different plasma system sizes and capabilities....from 12 amp air plasma systems all the way up to 1000 amp argon / hydrogen plasma systems. Capability for thickness with plasma ranges from about 28 gauge to 6" thickness, depending on the system being used.The 3 main classes of plasma: 1. Air cooled, air plasma systems. These plasma systems range from 12 amps to 120 amps, in most cases are portable inverter based units, and rang in price from $400 to $6000. Can be used for hand held or mechanized cutting applications. Maximum severance capacity up to 2", maximum production capacity to 1". Production cutting means the torch has the ability to pierce without damaging consumables. Duty cycles are limited in most cases.2. Liquid cooled conventional plasma systems. These systems range from 130 amps to 1000 amps. Most are for mechanized cutting only (no hand torches available) and have thickness capability from 28 ga to 6". There are multiple gases used for plasma and shield in order to fine tune cut quality and cut edge metalurgy. Duty cycles are 100%. Price ranges per torch are from $20,000 to $85,000.3. Liquid cooled, high definition class plasma. These systems range from 130 amps output to 400 amps. High definition proides for cleaner, squarer cuts with virtually no dross and a very narrow kerf width. Consmable life and cut speeds are optimized, and many of these systems can be fully automated...taking all of the setup procedures away from the operator. Cut thickness ranges from 28 ga to 3", 100% duty cycle, extremely high productivity. Price ranges from $30,000 to $80,000 per torch.Plasma adantages vs oxy-fuel:- faster speeds on materials to 2" thickness.-ability to cut steel, stainless steel, aluminum as well as other conductive metals.-can be fully automated, little machine operator expertise required.-Hand torch cutting can be done effectively with very little training.-hand cuts can be done while dragging the torch on the plate-plasma is far less expensive to operate on a cost per foot of cut basis-no preheat required for piercing-smaller HAZ (heat affected zone) due to faster, higher temperature localized arc.-no explosive gases required.Oxy-fuel adantages:-can be operated without electricity or generator-has the ability to cut very thick steel. Typically faster than plasma above 2" thickness-is less expensive from a capital equipment cost standpoint-oxy-fuel hand torch fits in tight spots for demolition type work.Jim Colt   Hypertherm
Reply:Thanks Jim, even though this information was directed to the OP, I will try to make note of your response, great information that I can share with my students. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:I will add one advantage of O/A to Jim's list. The ability to easily remove bolt heads, shanks, and even cut a nut off of a bolt without damaging the bolt threads. The beauty of it is that you can only cut whats hot enough to oxidize where as the plasma cuts whatever is conductive, and in the way! I use my plasma for sheet cutting where there is nothing behind the sheet I need to save, and the torch for "restoration" type work. A good example is cutting off an autobody skin, without damaging the stamped structure thats 1/4" behind it. Every tool has its use where it shines, if one could do it all, we wouldnt have barn size garages.
Reply:I use a hand plasma to remove rusted bolts.....but you are right, they are destroyed. I used to be pretty skilled with any oxy-fuel torch in my hand before my first plasma (about 25 years ago!). The plasma torch is so handy for 99% of the work I do in my shop, so my skill level with oxy-fuel has dropped off. I primarily use it for heating and bending applications, but I would not have a shop without oxy-fuel.Jim Colt
Reply:fully read all posts, much appreciated, and thanks for the elaborate details