How to cut stainless steel?

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.