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SELECTING AN OXYFUEL CUTTING TIP
By
J. Jones
Oxy-fuel
cutting tips have several things in common.
They all have a center cutting oxygen hole and the
openings around the center hole are for the pre-heat flames.
These openings may be holes or splines.
Cutting tips are constructed of various metallic alloys
by numerous manufactures but they are all intended to cut metal. So how does one know how to choose the best tip for the job?
When
choosing a cutting tip, one needs to know three basic things.
The first item is the type of torch being used in the process.
The torch determines the design of seating surface the
cutting tip must have. The
torch’s design also mandates the maximum oxygen flow.
The oxygen flow determines the thickness of metal that
can be burned. Note:
Placing a cutting tip that is rated to cut 10” in a torch that
is designed to cut 6” is a common mistake.
The
second item to consider is the fuel gas being used. Fuel gases have different burning rates and the cutting tip
must be designed to match the burning rate. The end of the
cutting tip is recessed to match the type of fuel gas. Fuel
gases also have different temperatures and BTU ratings.
Tips designed as two-piece with splines to carry the
pre-heat gases deliver many more pre-heat flames.
One-piece tips with pre-heat holes are available for many
types of fuel gases. Keep
in mind that a two-piece tip offers many more pre-heat flames
than does a one-piece tip however when using acetylene
additional pre-heat flames are not necessary.
The
third item to consider is the application.
What is to be cut? What
is the size of the cut or it may not be a cut at all rather a
gouge. The material
must be capable of being burned with the oxy-fuel process.
The cut size will determine the size tip needed.
Manufactures often provide literature that recommends the
proper size tip to do the job with approximate flowing pressures
and gas consumption (SCFH standard cubic feet per hour).
Gouging, de-seaming, scarfing and rivet washing are
applications where special designed cutting tips assist the
process.
Choosing
the proper tip is just one of the many decisions the operator
makes when using the oxy-fuel process.
The equipment’s performance relies on the operator’s
skill.
J.
Jones is Training Specialist,
 Equipment
Company
www.victorequip.com
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