How Do Plasma Cutters Work?

History of the Plasma Cutter

A plasma cutter is a tool used to make cuts in very hard materials like metals. The plasma cutter isn't as futuristic as it might sound and in fact has its roots in technology developed during World War II. In an effort to speed up the production of airplanes, U.S. welders began using a layer of inert gas around the cuts they were making to prevent the weld from oxidizing. That same technique over the next 10 years developed into the modern plasma cutter.

What Is Plasma?

Most people learned in grade school about the first three forms of matter: solid, liquid and gas. But there is actually a fourth form of matter, and one that is more common in our universe than each of the other three. It is called plasma and it's what gas becomes when it is heated to very high temperatures. On the molecular level the electrons break free from, but still move with, their nucleus. All of the loose electrons bang around against other particles, which releases massive amounts of energy.

Plasma Cutter

By taking gas, usually nitrogen, argon, oxygen or just plain air, and sending it through a very small opening, then sending an electric arc through the stream of gas, the gas becomes super-heated to the point of becoming plasma. As the electrons hit against other particles and release energy they create massive amounts of heat that give the plasma cutter its outstanding cutting power.

References

• Plasma Cutter History
• How Plasma Cutters Work