In the field of pipeline processing, intersecting circular pipe cutting machines have become key equipment in industries such as petroleum, chemical, and construction due to their precise ability to cut irregular shapes. The implementation of its core functions relies on a stable and efficient cutting heat source. The principle of heat source generation under different technological paths directly determines the cutting accuracy, efficiency, and applicable scenarios of the equipment. Below, we will analyze the mainstream cutting technology types.
The current heat source generation methods for intersecting circular pipe cutting machines are mainly divided into three categories: plasma cutting, laser cutting, and flame cutting. These three methods generate high-temperature energy based on different physical and chemical principles, and are suitable for processing circular pipes of different materials and thicknesses.
The heat source for plasma cutting comes from the generation process of the "plasma arc". The equipment generates a high-voltage electric field between the electrode and the nozzle through a high-frequency arc ignition device, causing the working gas (such as argon, nitrogen, or mixed gas) to be broken down and ionized, forming a plasma composed of positive ions, negative ions, and free electrons. These plasmas are compressed into high-speed jet "plasma arcs" under the dual action of magnetic field and airflow, and the center temperature of the arc column can reach 15000-30000 ℃. When the plasma arc acts on the surface of the circular tube, the metal material is instantly melted, and the high-speed airflow blows away the slag, completing the cutting. The core advantage of this method lies in the concentrated heat source and fast heating rate, especially suitable for cutting refractory or high thermal conductivity circular pipes such as stainless steel and aluminum alloys, and can maintain stable heat output during the trajectory of intersecting lines.
The heat source for laser cutting comes from the energy conversion of the focused laser beam. The laser generator in the device (such as fiber laser, CO ₂ laser) generates laser of a specific wavelength through the excitation medium. The laser is transmitted to the focusing mirror through the optical path system and converged into a very small diameter spot (usually only 0.1-0.3mm). At this point, the energy density at the spot increases sharply, reaching 10 ⁶ -10 ⁸ W/cm ². When used on the surface of a circular tube, light energy is rapidly converted into heat energy, heating the metal above its melting point in a very short period of time, and even directly vaporizing it. At the same time, auxiliary gases such as oxygen and nitrogen will promptly blow away the melted or vaporized materials, and with the precise movement of the cutting head along the intersecting line trajectory, high-precision cutting can be achieved. This heat source generation method has no mechanical contact and a small heat affected zone, making it more suitable for thin-walled or high-precision circular tube processing.
The heat source for flame cutting is based on the combustion reaction of combustible gases. The equipment ignites a high-temperature flame at the cutting nozzle by mixing flammable gases such as acetylene and propane with oxygen, and the flame temperature can reach 3000-4000 ℃. This flame can heat materials such as low carbon steel to the ignition point, and then the high-pressure oxygen sprayed will undergo a violent oxidation reaction with the high-temperature metal. The generated slag is blown away by the oxygen flow, thus completing the cutting. The principle of heat source generation relies on the synergistic effect of combustion and oxidation, with lower cost but larger heat affected zone, making it more suitable for extensive cutting of thick walled low-carbon steel circular pipes. In intersecting line cutting, precise control of flame size and oxygen pressure is required to balance cutting speed and cutting quality.
In summary, the principle of heat source generation in the intersecting line circular pipe cutting machine is essentially to concentrate energy into high temperature through different technical means to meet the needs of irregular cutting of circular pipes. Whether it is the ionization energy of plasma arc, the light energy focusing of laser beam, or the combustion heat energy of flame, they all need to be selected reasonably based on the characteristics and accuracy requirements of the processing material in order to fully utilize the cutting efficiency of the equipment.