: Introduction During many manufacturing processes it is often necessary to cut metals to size or to shape their edges with a bevel ready for welding, This chapter describes the various processes that can be em- ployed for this purpose. Gouging is a method that allows removal of a layer of metal, forming a groove, without cutting all the way through. It is often used to remove a section of weld that contains a defect, in order that it can be re-welded, Oxy-fuel gas cutting and souging For cutting and gouging, it is only neceséary’to raise the metal to a bright red heat before directing’ the stream of high-pressure oxygen at the hot Cutting onvaen q lever WGGE ing ‘connection Cutting attachment Oxygen Oxygen ‘Cutting control yaar Acetylene control fans the” wer sare cs Fames, fares Figure 10.1 One type of cutting blowpipe, which is made by fitting an approved cutting attachment to the appropriate blowpipe shank. metal, It is therefore possible to use fuels that provide a lower flame temperature than acetylene (See Table 12.1 in Chapter 12). ‘The basic precautions for this process are the same as those for gas welding, but you must take care to support work correctly, so that it will not collapse after being cut and cause injury. Cutting is often used in demolition work and for cutting up scrap, and so you should pay particular attention to what scrap containers may have contained, or ‘may still contain. This is of course to avoid the risk of explosion when cutting up drums and tanks. Nozzles for gas cutting have either six or eight holes, to give six or eight neutral preheating flames, and one central hole for the high-pressure oxygen, which is released when the cutting oxygen lever ‘on the blowpipe is depressed (Figures 10.1 and 10.2) Gas cutting is often used to prepare the edges of thicker plates for welding, by cutting to the appro- priate level. Outer holes for six oF fight neutral preheating flames, Central hole for cutting oxygen (released Scanned with CamScanner94 Practical welling tions involved in-cutting ‘There are two operations involves in oxy.f.5 cutting amu ing flames are directed on to the metal y, a ae unl it is raised t0 a bright red ha’ This is called the Ignition temperature: ayy, We °C. 2, etncam of high-pressure oxygen is dircteg (eg ‘onto the hot metal. This immediately oxidise. o the metal and, as the melting point of 1, oxide is below the melting point of ste, si Figure 10.3 Drag tines on cut plate: melted and blown away. Uines ~ zero drag; (b) drag measured against pl thickness ~ for example, 10 per cent drag me: 8 lag of 10 per cent plate thickness. oxide ‘The metal is therefore cut by a chemical acticn Good cut ‘Sharp top and bottom edges Vertical drag tines No adhering dross ‘Square face. Light, easily removed oxide scale Cutting speed too fast ‘Top edge not sharp Rounded bottom edge, which may not be completely severed Drag lines uneven, sloping backwards. Irregular cut edge Cutting speed too siow Rounded and melted top edge ‘Bottom edge rough. Dross on bottom edge dificult to remove. Lower part of cut face irregularly gouged. Heavy scale on cut face ‘Nozzle too high Excessive meting of top edge. Undercut at top of cut face lieguarcuting speed Wavy cut edge. Uneven drag tines Prefating flame too high Rounded top edge. regular cut edge. Melted metal fang into k Excessive amount of eoss adoring stngly to bottan ease reheating lame too low ‘Bed gouging of lower pant of cut face. Cutting speed slow Figure 10.4 Examination of flame-cut edge: Scanned with CamScannerCatting and gouging, 2 Allow adequate prohoat bofore daprassing Maintain correct distance Figure 10.5 Some tips for achieving good cut. the iron or steel is not melted. The heat needed to keep the cut going is provided partly by the heat- ing jets and partly by the chemical action. Blowpipes are usually of the injector type, so that they can be used on both high- and low- pressure systems. The modern type of cutting no2- zle has the mixing chamber incorporated in it, 50 that a ‘blowback’ usually only goes as far as the nozzle; the high velocity of the gas tends to pre- vent it from going any further. The size of the cutting blowpipe varies with the thickness of work; special heavy-duty blowpipes are available. Nozzle sizes also vary to suit diffe ent thicknesses of plate. Cutting machines, in which one or several cut- ting blowpipes can’be employed, are faster and ‘more accurate than hand cutting Because cutting is essentially an oxidising pro- cess, little or no steel is melted. The kerf (the width of cut) should therefore be quite clean, and the top and bottom edges should be square. On examining melted oxides after cutting, it has been’ found that they contain up to 30 per cent unmelted steel, which has been scoured from the sides of the cut by the high-pressure oxygen stream, This scour- ing can be seen if the sides of the kerf are in- spected, because drag lines will be faintly etched on the faces of the metal. For an incorrect cut, these drag lines will be more pronounced (Figures 103 and 10.4) Figure 10.5 shows some tips for achieving a good cut Oxy-fuel gas cutting by hand. Intakes a fair amount of skill to maintain a constant rate of travel over the work (Figure 10.6). The ‘Make sure edge of plate Cutting onygen 3 Romove rust and scale before commencing Adjust pressures Correctly at regulators general quality of cut produced with a hand-held cutting torch is therefore usually inferior to the quality of cut made with a correctly adjusted cut- ting machine. Cutting guides can help to keep the torch on the correct line of cut. A roller attachment can be used to maintain the correct nozzle-to-work distance (Figure 10.7). Stack cutting can be used to cut more than one plate at once, if the same shape is required (Figure 10.8). ©: Modern cutting machines are capable of making high-quality cuts within close limits. Many ma- chines prepare bevelled edges for welding without cutting by machine Figure 10.6 Oxy-fuel gas cutting freehand. Thi ‘can be made much easier by the uso of g and attachments (see Figures 10.7~10. 10 }. 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Cutting and gouging 97 ‘With all these machines, you should ensure that the work is correctly supported during cutting 80 that it will not collapse after being cut, thus reduc ing the risk of injury to the operator or damage to. the machine. \S 0 Gouging Gouging is often used to remove defects from welds, to prepare a 'U’ groove, or to remove the heads from rusted rivets or bolts. Flame gouging uses a special curved nozzle (Figure 10.13) to modify the oxy-fuel cutting process into a process that will produce a groove in the surface of metal. A cutting blowpipe is used in conjunction with this curved nozzle, designed to deliver a high volume of oxygen at relatively low velocity. By using nozzles of different size and by varying the nozzle angle and travel speed, grooves of speed electric motor (Figure 10.11). various width and depth can be produced. Figure Other machines, often called profiling ma- 10.14 (a) and (b) shows the different angles re- chines, can guide’ the cutting head or heads by quired for starting gouging. Once the gouge com- following a template. Some guiding systems have a mences, the angle of the nozzle should be lowered ‘magnetic wheel device that will follow the outline Figure 10.14 (©), @).. of a steel template, while others contain a photo- Always ensure that sparks fall in a safe area, electric cell that will follow the black outline of a away from other people and away from anything drawing (Figure 10.12). that may catch on fire. This is particularly impor (Oxygen and fuel gas hoses. Height control adjuster for cutting head Machine body housing Straight guide track” Handwheel to adjust lateral movement of ‘cutting head Figure 10.11 Typical straight-line and circle-cutting machin constantspeed electric motor with Scanned with CamScanner98 Practical welding. Kouted whee! even by , 4 variable-speed electc : Motor (sometimes magnetic aa wheels 0 wea) Ww "U-arm arrangement o 510° Template . 350" Work, plate to be cut WM Figure 10.12 'U' arm type of profile-cutting ® machine. The wheel follows round the template a on the upper table; the cutting head moves over a a the work on the lower table, cutting the same — shape as the template. Alternatively a ers Photoelectric cell can be used to follow the black ‘outline on a drawing. Figure 10.14 Nozzle angles for gouging: (2) preheating to start gouging at edge of work; (b) gouging in progress; (c) preheating when gouge does not start from edge; (d) gouging when not starting from edge. ———— Figure 10.13 (a) Typical flame-gouging nozzle; (b) acetylene cutting nozzle and end face; (c) end face of @ propane cutting nozzle. Figure 10.15 Always hold nozzle downwards when cleaning with nozzle reamers. Scanned with CamScanner- Cutting and gouging 99 tant, as the sparks from cutting and gouging opera- tions can travel a considerable distance from the actual workstation, Use nozzle reamers t poles clean (Figure 10.15), 10 keep The arc-ai pe. Process _ A de. are welding power source is preferred for the are-air process, although an a.c. power source can be used if suitable electrodes are available. Both dc. and a.c. power sources should have a continuous rating for the current levels to be used. ‘An output of 450 amperes is required for general- purpose arc-air cutting and gouging, ‘The electrode holder (Figure 10.16) is fitted with gripping jaws in a self-aligning rotating head. When the trigger is depressed, and the valve in the holder is opened, twin jets of compressed air are emitted 7 / = L es Air jets Figure 10.16 Aro-air electrode holder. Figure 10.17 Hold the electrode at 40-60° to the plate when cutting. When gouging, start at an angle of 30-40° and then reduce to 20-30" during the gouging operation. parallel to the axis of the carbon electrode. The cable fitted to the electrode holder contains the power cable from the welding power source, and the tube carrying air from the compressor. The electrodes are made from a mixture of carbon and graphite that has been bonded to- gether and wrapped in a thin layer of copper. This thin copper coating reduces heat radiation and reduces tapering of the electrode. Electrodes for use with a.c. are designed to increase the electron emission and therefore improve the stability of the a.c. arc, Electrodes are made in standard 30cm (22 in) lengths, in sizes from 4 mm (5/32 inch) to 20 mm (3/4 inch) diameter. The electrode holder should be connected to the positive terminal when using dic When the travel speed is correct, the process should give off a smooth and continuous ‘hissing’ sound (Figure 10.17). Ax M22 fil protective clothing including safety boots. When cutting, ensure that the detached portion cannot fall, causing in- jury. Sparks can travel long distances; make sure they do not fall on anything that could catch on fire, t The oxygen-are process Either ac. or d.c. manual metal arc welding power sources can be used, although d.c. will give a faster cutting speed. An output of up to 300 amperes ‘with continuous rating is desirable. The oxygen supply is normally taken from a cylinder fitted with a high-pressure regulator, as used in the oxy-fuel ‘gas cutting process. The electrode holder is in the form of a gun (Figure 10.18) with a trigger to control the oxygen valve, The electrode is inserted through an oxygen seal washer, to ensure that there is a gas-tight seal between the oxygen supply tube and the end of the electrode. Coated tubular steel electrodes are used. The ‘cutting oxygen goes down the tube, with the coat- ing helping to stabilise the arc, The usual sizes of ‘electrode are 5mm (3/16 inch) with 1.5mm Q/16 inch) bore and 7 mm (5/16 inch) with 3.5 mm, (ZB inch) bore, Scanned with CamScanner~~ no, Practical welding Oxygen Power Electrode grio supply lever Oxygen flow control Figure 10.18 Gun electrode holder for the oxygen-arc process, Portable screens should be used with both the are-air and oxygen-arc processes. Any cutting Buides used with these processes should be electri- cally insulated from the work. The oxygen valve kept closed when striking the arc and then opened once the arc is established For cutting with oxygen-are, point the electrode downwards and away from the body at an angle of 55-65° to the surface of the plate, bringing it vertical at the finish of the cut. Keep the heel of the electrode coating in contact with the plate surface, When gouging, commence the gouge wih the electrode angle at around 30-40°, lowering i to around 5-15° during the gouging operation. Again, keep the heel of the electrode coating in contact with the plate surface. [The The equipment used for manual metal arc welding can be used for cutting and gouging. There are electrodes specifically designed for this purpose, but you can use Class 1 or Class 2 mild ‘steel electrodes that have previously been dipped in water, (Take full protection against electric shock risk.) When cutting, hold the electrode downwards and away from the body at an angle of 60-70° to the surface of the plate. Strike the arc in the normal manner. When the edge begins to melt, move the electrode down and up in a sawing movement, Make certain that the sawing movement is deep enough to cut through to the underside of the plate and keep the molten metal flowing away by the movement of the electrode and the are force, When approaching the end of the cut, gradually meneame manual metal ar: increase the electrode angle until it is held Veria at the finish of the cut. For gouging with this method, stan wit yy, electrode at around 20-30° and then lower jc around 10-15" once the molten pool has’ bec? established. Start the movement of the electrode immediately in the direction of the gouge, sng the heat and force of the are to push the monet metal and slag away. With this method, use a fy rapid rate of travel, but do not attempt to goug, to0 deeply; the quantity of slag and molten mets can get out of control and cause difficulties A carbon electrode connected to the negative ter. minal of a d.c. power source can also be used for cutting operations. The electrode is held at the same angles as for manual metal arc cutting (60. 70° during cut, bring to vertical at finish). When currents above 300 amperes have to be employed weh this method, a water-cooled electrode holder should be used, ‘a CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING © ‘The precautions and safety equipment in oxy- fuel gas cutting and gouging are the same as those used for gas welding. The precautions and safety equipment for arc cutting and gouging are the same as those employed when arc welding. Extrt equipment like that for heavy-gauge welding op- erations, such as canvas or leather spats to cover the lower legs and feet, may be required for heavy- gauge cutting, © Nozzles for gas cutting have either six or eight holes, to give six or eight neutral flames for Preheating, and one central hole for the hight Pressure oxygen. © Gas cutting is often used to prepare plate edges for welding; gouging is often used to remove dlefects from welds, to prepare a ‘U’ groove, of tO Femove the heads from rusted rivets or bolts. Scanned with CamScannerCutting and gouging © ‘There are No operations involved in oxy-fuel gis cutting and gouging: 1. preheating the metal to be cut to ignition tem- perature, about 900% 2. oxidising the heated ‘metal with a stream of, high-pressure oxygen. © Various attachments can be used to assist oxy- fuel cutting by hand, However, modem cutting machines are capable of making high-quality cuts within close limits, and give high production rates. Stack cutting can be used to cut more than one plate at once, if the same shape is required, © There are various arc-cutting processes. These include air-are, oxygen-arc, the manual metal arc process using special cutting electrodes, and car- bon are cutting. 101 REVISION EXERCISES AND QUESTIONS What are the two operations involved in oxy- fuel gas cutting? Explain the term ‘ker? ; Describe the differences between a cutting nozzle and a welding nozzle ‘What is meant by ‘stack cutting? Describe two methods of cutting using an elec- tric are. ‘When might you use a cutting machine instead of a hand cutter? a wa oN (Further practice questions can be found on page 202.) Scanned with CamScanner