General Cutting Information - ESAB CIGWELD CutSkill 60 Operating Manual

CutSkill 60
Bottom Dross Buildup
Molten material which is not blown out of the cut
area and resolidifies on the plate. Excessive dross
may require secondary cleanup operations after
cutting.
Kerf Width
The width of the cut (or the width of material re-
moved during the cut).
Top Spatter (Dross)
Top spatter or dross on the top of the cut caused by
slow travel speed, excess cutting height, or cutting
tip whose orifice has become elongated.

4.05 General Cutting Information

WARNING
!
Disconnect primary power at the source before
disassembling the power supply, torch, or torch
leads.
Frequently review the Important Safety Precau-
tions at the front of this manual. Be sure the
operator is equipped with proper gloves, clothing,
eye and ear protection. Make sure no part of
the operator's body comes into contact with the
workpiece while the torch is activated.
CAUTION
!
Sparks from the cutting process can cause dam-
age to coated, painted, and other surfaces such as
glass, plastic and metal.
NOTE!
Handle torch leads with care and protect them
from damage.
Torch Standoff
Improper standoff (the distance between the torch
tip and workpiece) can adversely affect tip life as
well as shield cup life. Standoff may also signifi-
cantly affect the bevel angle. Reducing standoff will
generally result in a more square cut. Always use
the standoff guide on the torch to keep the distance
between torch tip and work piece.
OPERATION
OPERATING MANUAL
Edge Starting
For edge starts, hold the torch perpendicular to the
workpiece with the front of the tip near (not touch-
ing) the edge of the workpiece at the point where
the cut is to start. When starting at the edge of the
plate, do not pause at the edge and force the arc
to "reach" for the edge of the metal. Establish the
cutting arc as quickly as possible.
Direction of Cut
In the torches, the plasma gas stream swirls as it
leaves the torch to maintain a smooth column of
gas. This swirl effect results in one side of a cut
being more square than the other. Viewed along
the direction of travel, the right side of the cut is
more square than the left.
Left Side
Cut Angle
Figure 4-9: Side Characteristics Of Cut
To make a square - edged cut along an inside
diameter of a circle, the torch should move coun-
terclockwise around the circle. To keep the square
edge along an outside diameter cut, the torch should
travel in a clockwise direction.
Dross
When dross is present on carbon steel, it is com-
monly referred to as either "high speed, slow speed,
or top dross". Dross present on top of the plate
is normally caused by too great a torch to plate
distance. "Top dross" is normally very easy to
remove and can often be wiped off with a welding
glove. "Slow speed dross" is normally present on
the bottom edge of the plate. It can vary from a
light to heavy bead, but does not adhere tightly to
the cut edge, and can be easily scraped off. "High
speed dross" usually forms a narrow bead along
the bottom of the cut edge and is very difficult to
remove. When cutting a troublesome steel, it is
sometimes useful to reduce the cutting speed to
produce "slow speed dross". Any resultant cleanup
can be accomplished by scraping, not grinding.
4-6
Right Side
Cut Angle
A-00512
0-5574