Gas Cutting & Heating
Gas Cutting & Heating
Gas cutting and heating are processes which mix a fuel gas and oxygen to create a high temperature flame, the most common fuel gases being propane and acetylene.
When cutting, the metal is pre-heated until it is made red hot, a trigger is then used to add an additional stream of oxygen which forces the oxidised metal to flow away from the cutting zone.
Heating the metal usually requires a wider, less intense flame; different nozzles are attached to create a wider cone for bending metal. For smaller areas like hard to remove nuts and bolts, welding nozzles are often used for a finer heating flame.
Cutting Gas Selector
| Gas | Preheat Time | Cutting Speed | Ease of Handling | Oxygen Cost | Fuel Gas Cost |
| Acetylene | ■ ■ ■ | ■ ■ ■ | ■ | ■ ■ ■ | ■ |
| Propane | ■ | ■ ■ | ■ ■ ■ | ■ | ■ ■ ■ |
Characteristics for cutting gas
■ ■ ■ = Best Choice | ■ = Worst Choice
The industry standard gases used in combination are;
