How to cut stainless steel?

Cutting stainless steel needs to choose the appropriate method according to the material thickness.

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Cutting stainless steel needs to choose the appropriate method according to the material thickness, accuracy requirements and equipment conditions, the following are common process and operation points:

Mainstream cutting methods and operating steps

Laser cutting

Principle: High energy laser beam partial melting or vaporization of stainless steel, with auxiliary gas blowing slag.

Application scenario: Thin sheet with thickness ≤20mm (up to 16mm with oxygen), suitable for precision parts and complex patterns (such as kitchen carving).

Operation steps:

① Clean the surface of the plate and fix it;

② Set parameters (power 500-2500W, cutting speed 30-80cm/min);

③ Use nitrogen to prevent oxidation, or oxygen to enhance the cutting thickness;

④ Start the CNC program to complete the cutting, and the incision accuracy is up to ±0.1mm.

Plasma cutting

Principle: The high temperature plasma arc melts the metal, and the high pressure air blows away the melt.

Application scenario: Medium thick plate (3-100mm), suitable for rough processing of building structural parts.

Operation steps:

① Adjust the current (60-400A according to the thickness), gas (air /H35 mixture);

② Keep the torch 2-5mm away from the plate;

③ The cutting speed is controlled at 30-50cm/min (8mm plate), and the incision is figure-shaped and needs to be polished later.

Water cutting (high pressure water jet)

Principle: High pressure water flow (3000-4000Bar) mixed abrasive impact cutting, no thermal deformation.

Application scenario: Plates less than 20mm, especially precision parts that need cold cutting (such as medical equipment).

Operation steps:

① Add alumina/silicon carbide abrasive;

② Set the jet speed to 800m/s, and cool the water temperature to 50-60℃;

③ Cutting accuracy of ±0.2mm, can be directly used for welding.

Mechanical cutting

Grinding wheel cutting: high-speed grinding wheel blade grinding, suitable for pipe or 10mm or less thin plate, need to cooperate with coolant to reduce dust.

Cutting machine/guillotine cutting: linear cutting ≤3mm sheet, cutting austenitic stainless steel needs to reduce the power by 20%.

Band saw cutting: sawtooth frequency 50-200 times /min, suitable for profiles and thick plates, need to lift the saw to avoid cold hardening.