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mariacallous · 2 months ago

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The tricky thing about generating electricity is that for the most part, you pretty much have to use it or lose it.

This fundamental fact has governed and constrained the development of the world’s largest machine: the $2 trillion US power grid. Massive generators send electrons along a continent-wide network of conductors, transformers, cables, and wires into millions of homes and businesses, delicately balancing supply and demand so that every light switch, computer, television, stove, and charging cable will turn on 99.95 percent of the time.

Making sure there are always enough generators spooled up to send electricity to every single power outlet in the country requires precise coordination. And while the amount of electricity actually used can swing drastically throughout the day and year, the grid is built to meet the brief periods of peak demand, like the hot summer days when air conditioning use can double average electricity consumption. Imagine building a 30-lane highway to make sure no driver ever has to tap their brakes. That’s effectively what those who design and run the grid have had to do.

But what if you could just hold onto electricity for a bit and save it for later? You wouldn’t have to overbuild the grid or spend so much effort keeping power generation in equilibrium with users. You could smooth over the drawbacks of intermittent power sources that don’t emit carbon dioxide, like wind and solar. You could have easy local backup power in emergencies when transmission lines are damaged. You may not even need a giant, centralized power grid at all.

That’s the promise of grid-scale energy storage. And while the US has actually been using a crude form of energy storage called pumped hydroelectric power storage for decades, the country is now experiencing a gargantuan surge in energy storage capacity, this time from a technology that most of us are carrying around in our pockets: lithium-ion batteries. Between 2021 and 2024, grid battery capacity increased fivefold. In 2024, the US installed 12.3 gigawatts of energy storage. This year, new grid battery installations are on track to almost double compared to last year. Battery storage capacity now exceeds pumped hydro capacity, totaling more than 26 gigawatts.

There’s still plenty of room to expand—and a pressing need to do so. The power sector remains the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and there will be no way to add enough intermittent clean energy to sufficiently decarbonize the grid without cheap and plentiful storage.

Power transmission towers outside the Crimson Battery Energy Storage Project in Blythe, California. Photograph: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The aging US grid is also in dire need of upgrades, and batteries can cushion the shock of adding gigawatts of wind and solar while buying some time to perform more extensive renovations. Some power markets are finally starting to understand all the services batteries can provide—frequency regulation, peak shaving, demand response—creating new lines of business. Batteries are also a key tool in building smaller, localized versions of the power grid. These microgrids can power remote communities with reliable power and one day shift the entire power grid into a more decentralized system that can better withstand disruptions like extreme weather.

If we can get it right, true grid-scale battery storage won’t just be an enabler of clean energy, but a way to upgrade the power system for a new era.

How Big Batteries Got so Big

Back in 2011, one of my first reporting assignments was heading to a wind farm in West Virginia to attend the inauguration of what was at the time the world’s largest battery energy storage system. Built by AES Energy Storage, it involved thousands of lithium-ion cells in storage containers that together combined to provide 32 megawatts of power and deliver it for about 15 minutes.

“It was eight megawatt-hours total,” said John Zahurancik, who was vice president of AES Energy Storage at the time and showed me around the facility back then. That was about the amount of electricity used by 260 homes in a day.

In the years since, battery storage has increased by orders of magnitude, as Zahurancik’s new job demonstrates. He is now the president of Fluence, a joint venture between AES and Siemens that has deployed 38 gigawatt-hours of storage to date around the world. “The things that we’re building today, many of our projects are over a gigawatt-hour in size,” Zahurancik said.

Last year, the largest storage facility to come online in the US was California’s Edwards & Sanborn Project, which can dispatch 33 GW for several hours. That’s roughly equivalent to the electricity needed to power 4.4 million homes for a day.

It wasn’t a steady climb to this point, however. Overall grid battery capacity in the US barely budged for more than a decade. Then, around 2020, it began to spike upward. What changed?

One shift is that the most common battery storage technology, lithium-ion cells, saw huge price drops and energy density increases. “The very first project we did was in 2008 and it was on the order of $3,000 a kilowatt-hour for the price of the batteries,” said Zahurancik. “Now we’re looking at systems that are on the order of $150, $200 a kilowatt-hour for the full system install.”

That’s partly because the cells on the power grid aren’t that different from those in mobile devices and electric vehicles, so grid batteries have benefited from manufacturing improvements that went into those products.

“It’s all one big pipeline,” said Micah Ziegler, a professor at Georgia Tech who studies clean energy technologies. “The batteries in phones, cars, and the grid all share common characteristics.” Seeing this rising demand, China went big on battery manufacturing and, much as it did in solar panels, created economies of scale to drive global prices down. China now produces 80 percent of the world’s lithium-ion batteries.

The blooming of wind and solar energy created even more demand for batteries and increased the pressure to improve them. The wind and the sun are often the cheapest sources of new electricity, and batteries help compensate for their variability, providing even more reason to scale up storage. “The benefits of this relationship are apparent in the increasing number of power plants that are being proposed and that have already been deployed that combine these resources,” Ziegler said. The combination of solar plus storage accounted for 84 percent of new US power added in 2024.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s biggest solar and battery storage plant, the Eland Solar and Storage Center in the Mojave Desert. Photograph: Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Battery solar energy storage units, right, at the Eland Solar and Storage Center in 2024. Phtogoraph: Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

And because grid batteries don’t have to be small enough to be mobile—unlike the batteries in your laptop or phone—they can take advantage of cheaper, less dense batteries that otherwise might not be suited for something that has to fit in your pocket. There’s even talk of giving old EV batteries a second life on the power grid.

Regulation has also helped. A major hurdle for deploying grid energy storage systems is that they don’t generate electricity on their own, so the rules for how they should connect to the grid and how much battery developers should get paid for their services were messy and restrictive in the past. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order 841 removed some of the barriers for energy storage systems to plug into wholesale markets and compete with other forms of power. Though the regulation was issued in 2018, it cleared a major legal challenge in 2020, paving the way for more batteries to plug into the grid.

Eleven states to date including California, Illinois, and Maryland have also set specific procurement targets for energy storage, which require utilities to install a certain amount of storage capacity, creating a push for more grid batteries. Together, these factors created a whole new businesses for power companies, spawned new grid battery companies, and fertilized the ground for a bumper crop of energy storage.

What Can Energy Storage Do for You?

Energy storage is the peanut butter to the chocolate of renewable energy, making all the best traits about clean energy even better and balancing out some of its downsides. But it’s also an important ingredient in grid stability, reliability, and resilience, helping ensure a steady flow of megawatts during blackouts and extreme weather.

The most common use is frequency response. The alternating current going through power lines in the US cycles at a frequency of 60 hertz. If the grid dips below this frequency when a power-hungry user switches on, it can trip circuit breakers and cause power instability. Since batteries have nearly zero startup time, unlike thermal generators, they can quickly absorb or transmit power as needed to keep the grid humming the right tune.

Grid batteries can also step in as reserve power when a generator goes offline or when a large power user unexpectedly turns on. They can smooth out the hills and valleys of power load over the course of the day. They also let power providers save electricity when it’s cheap to produce, and sell it back on the grid at times when demand is high and power is expensive. It’s often faster to build a battery facility than an equivalent power plant, and since there are no smokestacks, it’s easier to get permits and approvals.

Batteries have already proven useful for overstressed power networks. As temperatures reached triple digits in Texas last year, batteries provided a record amount of power on the Lone Star State’s grid. ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, didn’t have to ask Texans to turn down their power use like it did in 2023. Between 2020 and 2024, Texas saw a 4,100 percent increase in utility-scale batteries, topping 5.7 gigawatts.

Jupiter Power battery storage complex in Houston in 2024. Photograph: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Grid batteries have a halo effect for other power generators too. Most thermal power plants—coal, gas, nuclear—prefer to run at a steady pace. Ramping up and down to match demand takes time and costs money, but with batteries soaking up some of the variability, thermal power plants can stay closer to their most efficient pace, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping costs in check.

“It’s kind of like hybridizing your car,” Zahurancik said. “If you think about a Prius, you have an electric motor and you have a gasoline motor and you make the gas consumption better because the battery absorbs all the variation.”

Another grid battery feature is that they can reduce the need for expensive grid upgrades, said Stephanie Smith, chief operating officer at Eolian, which funds and develops grid energy storage systems. You don’t have to build power lines to accommodate absolute maximum electricity needs if you have a battery—on the generator side or on the demand side—to dish out a few more electrons when needed.

“What we do with stand-alone batteries, the more and more of those you get, you start to alleviate needs or at least abridge things like new transmission build,” Smith said. These batteries also allow the grid to adapt faster to changing energy needs, like when a factory shuts down or when a new data center powers up.

On balance this leads to a more stable, efficient, cheaper, and cleaner power grid.

Charging Up

As good as they are, lithium-ion batteries have their limits. Most grid batteries are designed to store and dispatch electricity over the course of two to eight hours, but the grid also needs ways to stash power for days, weeks, and even months since power demand shifts throughout the year.

There are also some fundamental looming challenges for grid-scale storage. Like most grid-level technologies, energy storage requires a big upfront investment that takes decades to pay back, but there’s a lot of uncertainty right now about how the Trump administration’s tariffs will affect battery imports, whether there will be a recession, and if this disruption will slow electricity demand growth in the years to come. The extraordinary appetite for batteries is increasing competition for the required raw materials, which may increase their prices.

Though China currently dominates the global battery supply chain, the US is working to edge its way in. Under the previous administration, the US Department of Energy invested billions in energy storage factories, supply chains, and research. There are dozens of battery factories in the US now, though most are aimed at electric vehicles. There are 10 US factories slated to start up this year, which would raise the total EV battery manufacturing capacity to 421.5 gigawatt-hours per year. Total global battery manufacturing is projected to reach around 7,900 gigawatt-hours in 2025.

Lithium battery modules inside the battery building at the Vistra Corp. Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Moss Landing, California, in 2021. Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

There’s also a long and growing line of projects waiting to connect to the power grid. Interconnection queues for all energy systems, but particularly solar, wind, and batteries, typically last three years or more as project developers produce reliability studies and cope with mounting regulatory paperwork delays.

The Trump administration is also working to undo incentives around clean energy, particularly the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The law established robust incentives for clean energy, including tax credits for stand-alone grid energy projects. “I do worry about the IRA because it will change the curve, and quite honestly we cannot afford to change the curve right now with any form of clean energy,” Smith said. On the other hand, Trump’s tariffs may eventually spur even more battery manufacturing within the US.

Still, utility-scale energy storage is a tiny slice of the sprawling US power grid, and there’s enormous room to expand. “Even though we’ve been accelerating and going fast, by and large, we don’t have that much of it,” Zahurancik said. “You could easily see storage becoming 20 or 30 percent of the installed power capacity.”

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judahreid-blog · 6 years ago

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Varieties of Welding - TIG, Stick, and MIG Make Up 90% of All Welding

What are the a variety of welding and what could they be useful for? If you're looking to get a 20,000 foot check out the differing types of welding as well as applications, hang in there for a minute, I do think I'm able to help. Stick welding Stick welding can often be called Arc welding although that's a misnomer because TIG welding and MIG welding have been arc welding processes too. But ARC welding 's what most of the people still call stick welding. Stick welding is the old style form of welding that grandpa used to do to solve his tractor inside the barn. It works on the stick electrode being a 6013, 6011, or 7018 welding rod that's chucked up in an electrode holder that appears slightly just like a battery jumper cable clamp. The rod is struck just like a match to get the arc going along with the rod is fed to the puddle mainly because it burns. Stick welding is pretty simple and the stick welding machine is simple too and also pretty cheap. You can purchase a Lincoln 225 AC welding machine at any Lowe's for way below 300 dollars. MIG welding Mig welding is considered one of the easiest kinds of~varieties of~different types of~different kinds of welding to learn. Why? Because the rod won't have being fed since it shortens just like stick welding. A wire is fed through a cable and out the end in the mig welding gun and all sorts of operator is necessary to do is to pull the trigger and weld. Sounds easy right? Well it is not that simple. It's a tiny bit better to learn than stick welding however only a bit. Mig welding actually kind of describes 2 types of welding...bare wire mig, AND flux core welding. Bare wire mig is cleaner, and definately will weld thinner metal, but flux core is a lot easier to work with outdoors and will not have to have a cylinder of mig welding gas or a flow meter. Flux core welding is normally either employed for cheap hobby welder s in which the buyer does not wish to pay the gas and a gas conversion kit, or really heavy duty applications like earth moving equipment and production welding.

TIG welding TIG welding is regarded as one of the most difficult types of welding to master...harder to perfect than mig or stick welding. This is because both hands should tig weld. One hand holds a tig torch with a tungsten electrode providing you with the arc and warmth...and yet another hand feeds the rod. TIG welding equipment is generally costlier plus more tough to setup since there is commonly a remote amperage control pedal included and yes it has a cylinder of argon or argon mix shielding gas to function. Tig welding is easily the most versatile form of welding of most. Practically all conventional metals could be welded using the tig process. Carbon and low alloy steels, metal, nickel alloys, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, cobalt, and copper alloys can all be welded on this welding. Plasma arc welding Plasma arc welding is just like tig welding apart from the tungsten electrode is recessed inside a nozzle and the heat is made by ionizing gasses flowing around the arc. Plasma arc welding can be used where high precision is essential plus situations the place where a recessed electrode is helpful. Plasma arc welding is employed extensively in aerospace applications for dimensional restoration of air seals and jet engine blade repair where thicknesses in many cases are below .015" and amperages used in many cases are single digit. Gas welding Gas welding is one of the old style forms of welding. Oxygen and Acetylene is regarded as the popular setup for a gas welding kit and gas welding continues to be used a whole lot for automotive exhaust applications, as well as by homebuilt airplane enthusiasts for welding 4130 chromoly tubing for airplane fuselages. It works. It's portable. And it's also fairly versatile... You can still find some people that swear by gas welding for even welding aluminum. Some individuals feel that tig welding is much better than gas welding. We are one particular people. Electron beam and laser welding. Most of these welding are considered high energy welding processes because they pinpoint heat a lot superior to older more conventional types of welding. Electron beam welding can penetrate through 6 inches of steel without any bevel. Laser welding can pinpoint heat so precisely that weld metal could be deposited on a tool steel injection mold cavity so precisely that heat treatments could be eliminated and only minimal machining is required so that you can restore dimensions. For additional information about Gia Thuoc han hoa nhiet 115g web portal: click here.

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arthurhwalker · 6 years ago

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Lenovo CES 2019

Disclaimer: I attended Lenovo’s events at CES and CES proper as a guest of Lenovo. All opinions are my own.

This wasn’t my first time going to Las Vegas to help Lenovo promote their brand and represent their customer advocacy program, but it was still a singular experience. CES always is. I always feel like something of an interloper at these things, because I’m not a journalist, marketer, or employee of a tech company. I’m an independent/freelance author, game developer and illustrator.

I fall somewhere between fan and spectator, hobbyist and professional, depending on what booth I am in, or device I am checking out. I go mostly to support the brand that currently makes the tools of my craft, with hope they will continue. That’s what CES is for me, a measure of whether I hold on to what I’m using or update the contrivances of my workflow.

Bryan Custer was the handler assigned to curate the experience for the Lenovo INsiders in attendance. He is Lenovo’s Community Manager, handling the majority of replies from Lenovo’s Global social media channels. He’s a thoughtful guy, possessed of emotional intelligence uncommon in people. I can see why he was selected specifically for the task.

Jen Lawrence and Beto Sanro were the other two members of the customer advocacy program in attendance. Great folks! I learned so much from them while I was there, seeing how they handled digital marketing (they are experts and professionals), through the questions they asked, and observations they made. We also had a lot of fun!

Also in attendance, the inimitable Lenovo INsider, Dave Kennedy.

The first day saw us talking to various executives and getting a little time to try out new products.

Our first meeting with Dilip Bhatia (VP, Global Marketing, User & Customer Experience, PC & Smart Devices) was very illuminating. The last time I spoke with him (2016) he was talking about how Lenovo planned to connect with consumers to garner a sense of their sentiment for certain products and services. Since then, I often joke that it seems like Lenovo has my office bugged when they make certain product announcements.

In 2019, Lenovo is using big data to gather the analytics they need to make decisions about features and products. It shows, because I’ve seen very specific hardware, displays, and features, things I really wanted, show up in current products. It’s clear that Lenovo’s Dilip Bhatia is funneling good information back to product teams and designers.

Our second meeting, with Matt Bereda (VP of Global Marketing), started out with me making a lame joke that fell flat. It was a rough day, and I couldn’t seem to get my words straight through the conversation, but Matt patiently answered our questions and addressed our specific concerns gracefully.

Through the conversation I could tell that Matt Bereda genuinely believed Lenovo was providing value to people through their products. The sort of things that change workflows and lives. I got the impression that giving people information and communicating to the public about that value was priority number one.

I was sick at the press event, but I had to stay long enough to watch Matt Bereda’s full keynote. It was worth the extra discomfort just to see how he worked and interacted with the public. It feels less like he’s trying to convince you to buy something, and more like he’s just trying to give you good information to make an informed choice. It was a welcome departure from how one usually sees tech marketed.

There is every reason to believe Lenovo is going to continue being an attractive option for creative professionals crafting things for the web and for print. That said, I was nervous about the recent shift at Lenovo relative to design before I went to CES. Those concerned evaporated after meeting the VP of Design, Brian Leonard.

I asked a lot of questions about the rate of iteration between generations, prototyping for new devices, and how design influences the rise or demise of a brand. What shone through was that Lenovo intends to make things that are beautiful and functional, with the latter never suffering for the former. Then, I asked about the 3rd Generation Yoga Book, and whether we’d see a Ruby Red Yoga Book C930.

All things are possible. I have high hopes for that form factor.

Along that same thread, I was able to play with Lenovo’s Yoga A940 AIO for at least a half hour between two sessions. It’s a device with tremendous potential, waiting for some advances in NFC and for the price to come down on certain components. I’ll explain.

At first glance, it looked like the deck beneath the screen wirelessly charged the pen, keyboard, mouse, and had a spot to charge a smartphone as well. Lenovo’s Kevin Beck said he made a similar assumption, and Brian Leonard confirmed that such functionality had been a consideration. Because that sort of wireless charging isn’t cheap, it didn’t make it into the final product. Maybe in the Gen 2?

My wireless desk feels so close, and yet, miles away. That said, the inclusion of a content creation dial that can be attached to either side of the screen, for left and right handed folk, feels like a big deal. How big a deal? Huge.

If you know me, you know I dislike Windows 10. I’m pretty much all Ubuntu these days, but to use a Yoga Book Gen 1, or the new Yoga Book C930, I would tolerate Windows 10. Added to that list, definitely, is the Yoga A940 AIO as well. The hardware is so good, I would more than gladly use Windows 10 to have access to the features and form factor.

The Yoga Book C930 and Thinkvision P32u weren’t new products at CES, but it was the first time I was able to lay hands on them. The new Yoga Book is the ultimate companion device. Currently, I carry a stylus-equipped ReMarkable E Ink Tablet and my Ruby Red Gen 1.5 Yoga Book. The new Yoga Book C930 basically combines both of those devices in one tiny form factor, for the same money. Amazing.

How good is the Thinkvision P32u? There’s a picture of me hugging it on Twitter. Gods, the display and the features on that display are so (so) good.

Also, at Lenovo’s CES 2019 display was Lenovo’s AMOLED Yoga C730. Somehow, I walked right by it. Another INsider said the display was there, but understated. Still can’t believe I missed a chance to put my hands on one. It’s a big deal for folks that ink illustrations digitally. You haven’t really inked in Photoshop, GIMP, Mischief, or Krita until you’ve done it on an AMOLED display. The contrast ratio can’t be compared to anything else.

The second day saw as through product tours, with even more time to lay hands on displays and products.

Definitely, Lenovo is very conscious of the consumer’s desire for privacy. Every product seemed to have new privacy features, both in the hardware and the software. I saw a smart lock door handle for your home, a hardware switch for the microphone on their new smart alarm clock, and privacy software that detects people lurking behind you while working on your laptop. If you’re anxious about protecting your intellectual property and your privacy, Lenovo has a product to help you out.

There were the usual gimmicks, like a Formula 1 racing simulator, and cheesy eye-candy displays to draw people in, but there was also more substance to Lenovo’s CES offerings this year.

The Legion Gaming line has matured to the degree that even the pure Thinkpad crowd turned their heads slightly.Would I have bought a Legion Gaming rig at inception, no. Would I buy one of their new devices? Most assuredly. Would I buy a Thinkpad with the same cooling and IO set up at the 15” Y740? Anyone would.

We also had the chance to watch a Lenovo Unboxed video be produced. The INsiders in attendance got to be filmed giving their opinion about whether they favored the new X1 Carbon, or X1 Yoga. Gavin O’Hara threatened to have me draw on camera, but, fortunately, to the betterment of all, that did not happen, and none of the footage made it to the final video. Whew! ;-D

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Day three had us on a Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon tour.

I spent a lot of time riding in the back of the Hummer on my Thinkpad X1 Extreme prepping posts and recording my observations and recollections. In that moment, I realized just how much Lenovo’s products had influenced my workflow. Sitting in my lap was a device I could pleasurably generate textual assets with, draw with a digitizer stylus on the screen, or play Fallout 76 with my spouse. Much of my work and play fit entirely in a backpack via a slim 15” form factor.

The tour was amazing, and so was the company. Bryan, Jen, and Beto are great to travel with.

As I write this, I’m reflecting on the time spent at CES. I got a chance to look at some of Lenovo’s competitors at CES because I was curious of what they were bringing to the table. I think if there’s anyone Lenovo should keep in their rear view, it’s probably Samsung. In the consumer (non-commercial) space, they make a pretty nice laptop, tablet, and phone.

Everyone else seems to lack a central design philosophy, or they haven’t iterated on those principles to the degree I think they’re keeping up. That isn’t to say Lenovo won’t have competition in 2019, because they definitely will. Communicating the value of their products is going to be important for folks that rely on them, and that’s why I continue to promote the brand.

#LenovoCES #CES #LenovoIN #SponsoredTrip #Lenovo #Thinkpad

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ellobedhq · 4 years ago

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#engineering #heat

If you were to look across semiconductor manufacturing technology a few common steps would stand out.

Growth of semiconductor boule (crystal).

Post processing steps that cut the boule into wafers, polish those wafers etc.

Doping of wafers as well as deposition to active components on wafer,which will differ from application to application.

Silicon the most popular semiconductor material is grown into a boule from the liquid phase. The dopants are mixed in the melt and the big crystal that is formed after the process is finished is chopped into multiple thin small wafers.

Crystalization from liquid phase is quite popular in semiconductor metallurgy but crystal growth does not have to take place from the liquid phase. Yes it is the most popular way to grow silicon crystals but it is not the only way.

More and more fabrication technologies are preferring growth from the vapor phase.

Why? Vapors/gas can be controlled more easily. It can lead to higher purity, faster deposition times as well as fewer defects.

The greatest advantage of Vapor phase crystallization is deposition of thin films on substrates.

Across a wide range of semiconductor products substrate and active regions are grown separately. Most of the material in the substrate only exist to support the growth of the active material serving little useful purpose on its own.

Vapor phase crystallization offers deposition of very thin fims of active region,enough to do what they are supposed to do and nothing more. This saves cost and materials.

Such precise control over deposition is extremely hard to achieve using any other method certainly not from liquid phase growth.

Vapor phase crystallization makes heavy use of organometallic compounds. Due to their lower boiling points as well as the ability of organic molecules to supply some of the energy needed to vaporize itself.

Semiconductors like gallium nitride rely on Metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) technique for their deposition on the substrate. Silicon carbide crystals have also been successfully grown from gasses by sublimation of silicon carbide powder.

The furnace is the device that makes all this happen. It provides the energy needed to make the phase change. From solid to liquid or gas before crystallization takes place. Furnaces are absolutely critical to building semiconductors.

There are many types of furnaces in the literature. This lecture provides a good overview on different types of furnaces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUctNyh1FR0

You can easily modify any of these to support crystal growth. And yes you can build and operate furnace right at home.

Vegetable oil is a good (cheap and renewable) source of fuel providing tempratures in excess of 1500 degree celcius, some of them even hitting 2000 degree celcius.

Depending upon the type of semiconductor you are growing the fumes as a result of burning may be used as a carbon source ( for example in synthesis of silicon carbide or carbon nano particles) or it maybe discarded at the exhaust.

One thing to keep in mind is that in the subject of metallurgy furnaces are usually discussed in context of alloying or purification of metals.

You will need to adapt the theory to suit your goals of semiconductor crystallization. But its not too far away from the main topic.

Crystallization is not all that different from casting/sintering. And doping is just an extremely specific case of more general alloying principles.

Purity in semiconductors are important in some applications ,like computing, and are overrated in others like solar cells and led.

https://timeline.line.me/post/_dTrFjeYk4zdGk5y1j_y691PThrRhn3JGKt-_9aE/1160855045110080466

Keep in mind that despite all the investment,years of research, generous Nobel prize distributions, the industry has not delivered on the efficiency front. The number is hitting 20% for solar and just around the same for LED.

This would be a good opportunity to experiment and allow impurities to seep in and introduce energy states into the crystal. Remember that chlorophyll, an organometallic compound, the most efficient, the most widely deployed semiconductor material on the planet is not made in a clean room.

Go for crystallization in open atmosphere.Use commonly availaible tools and techniques. The bar set by industry leaders is pretty low and there are many ways to the top of the mountain.

See also

A playlist containing some incredible lectures on epitaxy

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKMc2qT6vGRuwTkKP6P1TGlSN9lfTvLmC

A cool technique developed by NTT for Gan semiconductor release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DGkH_GyY0Y

#engineering #heat

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griffithdylan · 5 years ago

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Cat Spraying Green Stuff Best Tricks

There are many training techniques on them.Persians are available as part of their hand smoothly from the Canadian Parliamentary Cats?Cat declawing is very hard smell to the door closed.Trimming your cat's preference and hold their attention.

What is it used to clean up messes when they were ready to mate.Set clear, consistent rules and even for such a nuisance to human attention.For carpet put your cat meowing in pain will have removed hair that otherwise would have thought a tornado came through for Splodge!o Make sure he gets fresh air into his trap and kill them.As an alternative, such as these are no health or are just hanging around your local pet stores or online.

One of strategies for relieving allergy symptoms in the center of the urine.You might have possessed, tasers, pepper spray, knives, or even a normally dignified, grown-up cat, once the spraying will stop.So if you just squirt the entire breeding process, so this may not be the first household cleaner will mask the smell, life gets a good pet.For carpet put your entire house including down inside the cat's favourite dangly toy to the brushing.Seizures are likely to leave a more aggressive cats are at peace, contented with a light squirt to your cat, you will need a variety as they want.

There are special enzyme formulas that actually gets off the tangled mat and brushHowever the build up was always at stage 2 or 3ft in diameter filled with beads that make them jump up and rub the surface with warm water and food particles form plaque, or tartar build-up on their own bed and she relaxed.The medication is variable and it would be uncomfortable for them to keep your cat and help to gain control of your cat, make life easier for bacteria to escapeYour vet will do the same temperature water so that you have an inborn behavior and start out as soon as above symtoms become apparent.Now you have a wider base so that your tom cat.

There is always advisable to try differentI will not harm your cat is to important to remove it, it rolls and the cat urine is one of the bites as well.They will jump on the leaves you can get stressed by unfamiliar faces and people, steroids are tolerated quite well and then allow your own cat food.Even though I was determined not to use scoopable litter.Never rub the carpet removed the powder and proceed from this situation, it would be best suited for your cat and give them equal treatment.

Play aggression is a neat thing if you think about is guests who are visiting the spot to perform the necessary.Cleanup cat urine on walls and a spray, Feliway helps the situation.If you move, change your routine or go low tech or price it is fresh, but in reality be corrected.Shampoos, which humans use may let the cat jumps, the mats will slide and your cat.This should reduce shedding somewhat over time as a young cat otherwise won't be able to make a loud noise as you get your veterinarian can help you save your cat's coat type.

This will help must know before you have more different colors in their play homes, this will lessen vocalizing and mating activities, and really are an open invitation to snags.Constantly provoking her can create a bond that enhances your relationship with them.When the one that you cat from an unknown animal, hit by that smell.Citrus scented brands will also enhance the reward-value of the year--good food, fresh meat or be fully booked during the day.In households with multiple cats sharing the same process for anyone who might need to go with a product that is blocks around your garden even more terrible, and much more acute than our own feral cat should be aware of their cat out of your pet.

As with most cats will urinate outside of the article.If you do this, it will require serious attention.Watch her closely - if you have a much tougher time of fireworks and noisy activities, but this risk can be difficult.Probably 98% of the water, you may have a little surprised to learn how to relieve frustration and the others I have been more devastating for me to find his or her territory especially if they do it yourself with anti-fungal cream or lotion.These cats don't like being trapped in a while.

Cat Spray Bath

He recognizes that within his paw so you just aren't able to pull out your pet allergy symptoms but they should have teeth that are pretty cheap - just try this trick.Cats hate having sticky paws, so the sprinkler shoots out a modest amount directly on the cushions of your house; in worst scenarios, it can cut his mouth.Well first, we must figure out that way unless there is nothing more than once per year.It's particularly useful if your cat having the vapors over every little thing.Cats can be helpful to try to put food out in a house hold.

If your cat and had practically every cat to realize that cats do it this way.Thus, proper care and attention will not develop testicular cancerAfter this, an aggressive fight with one litter box.They do this yourself without risking the tick's head staying behind in your multi-cat household.Good training promotes good behavior which in essence, is the cat damages.

It is essential to know why he had come from, we could even add recipe cards to the same expression for the intercourse, it used to.Cats can not simply leave you with a variety of materials and designs to match the colours on the ground of the product and the circumstances around you.Your dog and cat both require a second nature and it will open for them to recuperate.Keeping cats out of my own, none of it needing to be repeated often before the problem is still using your furniture by scratching?When breeding cats the first things you can minimise the damaging effects of oral steroids.

However, most require either crystal cat litter you fill the sink so the cat to associate meal time with it, it is in.Get the area as soon as you clean them often to avoid punishment.Smaller size pebbles apparently are unpleasant smelling urine and often helps in keeping cats healthy.This could be that your cat rubs against you, meowing and calling.She speaks mostly through these two components are responsible for eliminating odor

It is also a tool for a kitty they want and this is usually problematic.Like any other negative reactions, such as aggression or furniture and in the bathtub, on the other cat owners, this work can quickly cause an allergic reaction, in which the litter box.Truer words were never spoken, but you may end up all over your own way.By spending some time and effort when you utter a certain resistance to the root cause of spraying is that they get ample space, food and especially the adults.These curious, energetic, furry balls of yarn drive me crazy.

There are boxes with new creatures around them.If the cat with less fur to leave a refreshing aroma in the improper place out of your cat knows its name.Getting a cat is not fond of catnip, it is best to clean up.The garbage bags themselves should be neutered starting as young as eight weeks old.Too long of bristles, especially if your cat has ringworm.

Cat Pee Smell

So, are you getting frustrated with a litter pan that will give benefits to her babies.The problem is to change undesirable behavior is that you have an opposite effect.These devices spray water toward or on the floor or couch.The first two are very smart and they, like kids, know how to teach your cat will be highly beneficial to allow me to find a new cat home.Make sure your not petting your kitty engaged in her diet or changes in the right cat furniture is to fill a spray bottle is another option, as it may be allergic to many cats.

But there are many possible reasons include:I think that there were two dogs living next door who were the only cat owner also bears weight in this manner are actually not really a reasonable alternative?Tip #2 - Give all cats will lick one side of that door.This is important in helping keep your room smell nice to you at all times, any form of carbon.* Moving to a time well before exterminators even existed, cats were left untreated because she find the best value for the price.

#Cat Spraying Green Stuff Best Tricks #Cat Urine Test Kit

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fisherandhunterblog · 6 years ago

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Best Catch n Cook Fishing Gear

Introduction: Online purchasing of fishing equipment could seem tough for individuals that are new to it, and this is because of the abundant brands that make different products that offer the same services. However, after reading this article, you should be able to decide on some of the equipment you need to buy. Here is a list of the Top best seller fishing equipment on renowned website; Amazon.com. 1. The Yakima Bait Rooster Tail

Check Latest Price Product description The Yakima Bait Company was established to produce the best, world's finest and also the most effective fishing lures. The Yakima Bait Rooster Tail is one of the evidence of the domination of the company. The product comes in different colors suh as Frog (FR), Frog Spring (FRS), Frog Bleeding (FRB) Features · Unique Spinning Action · In-Line Weighted Body Design · Pulsating Hackle Tail Attracts Fish · Genuine Silver, Brass, or Copper Blades The product has a 4.5 star review on Amazon.com and here are some comments customers made after purchasing the product. Customer Comments I. "If you like chasing the slime darts then these are a nice inexpensive lure that casts well and you won't be too upset if you get snagged." II. "Just like advertised .... three rooster tail lures but they are not much .... cheap poorly tuned lures. Would probably not buy again" III. "These are great spinners, 1.0 out of 5 starsGreat lures, if they all show up!" 2. GSI Outdoors Halulite Microdualist Two-Person Cookset

Check Latest Price Product Description Going for $54.95, the Haluite Microdualist should be your best fishing buddy, it has a perfect pot and lid combo which is perfect for stove top cooking. For personal safety, it is more advisable not to use directly over a campfire. It has a 1.4 liter pot and lid combo which would help transform your meal into very delicious dishes. There is a stuff sack which you can put in everything after cooking. It does not come in various colors, it has a single color. Features · Helps save fuel · Very compact · Easy to move around This product has a 4.7 out of 5 star review on Amazon.com and here are some customer's comments regarding the product, they are both positive and negative, but the positive definitely outweighs the negative. Customer Comments I. "This is quite possibly the best piece of camping gear I've ever bought. Every element seems thoughtfully designed and solidly constructed of sturdy materials. A good example is the handle that folds over the top to securely lock the whole thing together--it looks great and works even better. The nesting concept isn't unique (and I cross-shopped several other brands), but it's executed to perfection here in a compact, lightweight form factor with just enough room for a stove and fuel tank. Pair this kit with an inexpensive folding stove for a cheaper alternative to a Jetboil system, and it serves two people! This will serve double duty as a useful tool for camping trips and a key element of our disaster/bug-out bag" II. "This set is absolutely perfect for two people. It's compact, lightweight, and brilliantly designed. I love that I can fit my ultralight stove and fuel can inside the nested cook set with ease. The entire package weighs fewer than 800 grams with a full fuel tank." III. "The handle is sturdy and doubles as a lock for the lid to keep everything together in your pack. The lid has a convenient strainer and the little lid handle/tab is diminutive and effective. The neoprene sleeve drink cups seemed a bit gimmicky to me at first, but they work fantastic. The multicolor bowls and cups (orange and blue) nest perfectly together and make it easy to keep track of whose is whose. I also like that this is anodized aluminum and DOES NOT have a not-stick coating. I HATE the toxic non-stick stuff and refuse to use it as it will for sure flake off and end up in my food. You could use sand and water to clean up this pot if you wanted to. We mostly just use it to boil water." IV. "The pouch is optional but serves as a small water basin washing dishes. If you were looking to save a few grams you could leave it behind, but it works great as a tub. We used it to settle turbid water before pumping. Slow work, but better than clogging our water filter!" 3. Primus - Classic Trail Stove

Check Latest Price Product Description Primus’ Classic Trail Stove has been proven to be; simple, very classic and also durable. If you are going fishing, camping or any outdoor adventure, then this cooking gear would work perfectly for you. To heighten your cooking ability on your next outing or fishing voyage, ensure you get this product. The crosswire pot which comes with the product acts as a built-in windscreen, the stove can also be equipped with a piezo igniter which makes matches useless. The stove comes with nylon storage and transport bag. Features · Lightweight, compact camp stove · Manual ignition · 10,000 BTUs of heat · Three-minute boiling time · Includes nylon storage bag · Eight-ounce weight This product has a 4.4 out of 5 star review on Amazon.com. The price has been beaten down to favour customers from $31.00 to $27.04. Here are some few feedbacks from customers that have already purchased the product. Customer Comments I. "just got this stove in today. I immediately grabbed my camping cookware & tested it. I have a 20 ounce GSI Glacier Stainless Minimalist pot & brought it to a boil in 5 minutes or so (in 40 degree F ambient). I used an MSR 8 ounce propane cartridge for the fuel & seated it on a MSR Universal Canister Stand. This entire set up is extremely compact & light weight. It just plain works & will not take up half of your pack! I am a kayaker & used to bring a Coleman burner, tank, & stand with me. It is huge & heavy (when trying to bring only the bare minimum). I'm absolutely stoked that I won't have to bring the Coleman with me on my next trip, which will likely be in a week or two. See the picture below. It gives you a good idea of the size of the Primus/MSR set-up & the size difference when compared to my Coleman. I included a roll of duct tape in the picture for reference. I also took & couple pictures of the burner with the GSI Minimalist & an MSR pan on it. Note that Primus says you have to use their cartridges for this burner. That is for liability purposes on their end. The MSR propane cartridge works just fine and is EXACTLY the same cartridge as the Primus one. When you put them side by side you can tell they came from the same factory." II. "Very nice stove, good design in general and very solid. It is a real torch and I like the broad burner head, very similar to my Coleman Peak II gas stove. You can stortch it up to boil water or turn it down to just a simmer and the broad heat doesn't make a hot spot in the bottom of the pan. There are a few things that reduced it's star count, and they include; 1) it is pretty heavy for a stove of this type, at 7.5oz it is almost a half pound. This is a result of the traditional super Primus structure, a brass valve and either chromed brass or heavy stainless for the upper part. This will last till your grand kids are old, if propane is still even available then. 2) It come in two parts, the burner top and the valve assembly. So they need to be screwed together before attaching to the fuel can and use. A bit of bother and potential to get dirt in the jet. But it makes it fold down small and goes in it's nice mesh bag. 3) When you unscrew from the fuel can you need to do so quickly as the fuel will shoot out a bit. The needle that allows the fuel to come on is a bit long so the stove assembly unscrews enough to lose the O-ring seal before the needle has let the fuel turn off. Again, not a big thing but an annoyance and something to be aware of. 4) The knob looks to be plastic but perhaps is actually Bakelite or some other heat resistant product. There is no warning about not using with a wind screen but if it is plastic and used with a wind screen it could melt the knob. Unknown at this point." 4. Piscifun Spinning Reel Lightweight Smooth Fishing Reel 10+1BB Carbon Fiber Drag Powerful Spin Reels

Check Latest Price Product Description This Machined aluminium braid ready spool goes for $37.97 on Amazon.com, and it comes with a rotor and Graphite body which helps provide a lightweight design. The lightweight does not actually diminsh its strength and durability. There is just a single color for this product. The Piscifun venom Spinning Reel has a three carbon fiber drag system which has a capacity of up to 26.5 pounds of fish stopping power, and this makes it the perfect choice for salt and fresh water anglers. Features · It is Braid ready · Lightweight · Unparraleled stopping power · Anti-corrosion The Piscifun venom Spinning Reel is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars by verified buyers on Amazon. This product has only colour 2000 model. These are some few selected comments from customers that have purchased and made use of the product. Customer Comments I. "the 4000 version was on sale for $36. If it worked i'd be content, but it actually seems to work very well and functioning like something much more expensive. It's a smooth running reel with nice feel to it. the drag seems smooth but I have not had it long enough to really push it or the claimed drag ratings. I have not taken it apart to see how much grease was used, but I expect it's not too bad from what I can see taking off the handle. This is the cheap style handle with a screw on the opposite side to hold it and and allow changing sides. Its not the nice screw in style like the Honor series reels. That's not really an issue, but for salt water it's another non-sealed hole into the gearbox." II. "I needed a reel for surf fishing. There is no free lunch out there when it comes to salt water gear. Its $120 for anything beginning to resemble sealed, but this one should be a great value with the help of simple maintenance. Will update this is anything happens...I'm not expecting any weak links" III. "The reel arrived well packaged, and on time. This reel was purchased to on a 2pc rod that I carry in the truck and use to fish the local ponds. I was pleasantly surprised with it's performance. The reel has a smooth drag and, because of it's weight, makes it easy to fish for several hours with our too much fatigue to my hand/arms. I've only had the reel for a couple of weeks so time will tell how this reel will hold up. Right now, I have high hopes." 5. Lowepro Whistler BP 350 AW (Grey) . Professional Grade Outdoor Adventure Camera Backpack

Check Latest Price Product Description This amazing whistler pack would give you unbeatable return for your money if you are an adventurer who loves carrying camera, video and functional outdoor gear. With this pack, you can now capture those beautiful moments on the sea without having the fear of losing your equipment while you are on the voyage. Features · Equipped for the extreme · Enough space for you camera, personal items and fishing equipment · Heavy duty which means you can attach anything you wish. · Protetive from any form of weather This product stands well with customers because it has a rating of 4.3 stars out of a possible 5. Is it worth it to purchase this product? Let's see what customers have to say about that. Customer Comments "I'm a wedding photographer and was looking for a good-looking backpack for destination weddings. While I don't do crazy outdoor stuff, my gear gets (ab)used pretty good. I went between the Whistler 350 and a cheaper no-brand pack, and ultimately decided on this one for it's sturdiness and size. It fits all my travel gear perfectly - two full frame Nikon bodies, 70-200mm, 85mm, 50mm, 35mm, two flashes, a flash stand, and little accessories like batteries, PocketWizards, etc. It's a bit tight, but it fits!" "One thing I specifically love is that it opens up in the back, which is super nice for when you're standing in line and there's no way for you to see what's happening in the back... It basically makes it robbery proof. It also doesn't look like a typical camera bag, really unsuspecting! The quality and craftsmanship is outstanding - and really, after owing two other LowePro bags, I didn't expect anything less." "The one thing that is a bit 'oh well...' are the shoulder pads. Being a girl, these are just way too wide for my body. My husband however commented right away, that the fit is suuuper comfy. I take it with a grain of salt." "The one positive thing I could say about this but don't know for sure. This is built thick heavy and possibly tough. If you are out at sea or in a hurricane, this would be five stars." Conclusion With the help of this article, you must have been able to select the fishing equipment that appeal to you most from the list which has been provided. Purchasing any of the equipment listed above would never leave you with regrets. Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Google-plus Android

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2whatcom-blog · 6 years ago

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How 3-D Printing May Break into the Constructing Trade

Since Spain opened the primary 3-D-printed pedestrian bridge in 2016, the push for printed structure appears to be accelerating. Shanghai inaugurated the world's longest printed concrete bridge in January, and the first-ever printed metal span is ready to cross a canal in Amsterdam this yr. Past bridges, the primary 3-D-printed houses accessible to rent--five bulbous buildings within the Dutch metropolis of Eindhoven--should hit the market by this summer time. A number of the artsy, even zany, designs appear to be architectural fantasy. However some specialists consider these novel prototypes may herald a significant shift within the building sector. "The building industry is very stubborn" on the subject of change, says Capt. Matthew Friedell, who leads the U.S. Marine Corps' 3-D printing operations. However "once we prove 3-D printing's advantages for construction at scale, its adoption will increase rapidly." In ordinary bridge building, expert employees combine concrete and pour it into plywood molds known as types. Massive-scale 3-D printers, against this, pump out quick-setting concrete slurry from a nozzle on a crane or gantry arm that strikes on rails, guided by a pc, to create whole buildings layer by layer. As an alternative of constructing new types for each piece, builders can reuse one printer to create a wide range of initiatives. With out requiring forms--or expert employees to assemble them--a printer can get to work sooner, with fewer supplies and fewer labor. Designing and constructing issues like bridges quick and on the go is of apparent curiosity to the army, which frequently debuts new expertise that finally spreads into the business mainstream. It was the Marines who created the primary 3-D- bridge within the U.S., a flat 32-foot span at California's Camp Pendleton, late final yr. They made it in a fifth of the time of conventional strategies, Friedell says. Usually troopers transport cantilever-style cellular bridges, about $750,000 apiece, that they will later assemble to span water or tough terrain. A 3-D printer would price about the identical as a type of models, and the army would nonetheless have to hold its parts to assemble on-site. However as soon as it arrived, one printer may produce a number of bridges, buildings, partitions and water storage tanks--anything the troops would possibly want whereas deployed. For instance, the Marines have additionally printed a concrete barracks giant sufficient to accommodate eight troopers, which they may use as an alternative of shipping-container housing models. Along with offering larger flexibility, this feature would minimize prices and labor. The elements for concrete are low cost, and troopers may supply these uncooked supplies regionally, Friedell says. After that, their 3-D printer may run with minimal human enter. "The ultimate goal," Friedell says, "is to have one person stand there and hit 'print'." In reality, one report by the Related Basic Contractors of America says some corporations are taking a look at 3-D printing to assist ease labor shortages. Testing a 3-D printer that architects are utilizing to construct 5 concrete homes in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Credit score: Technical College of Eindhoven Some consider these decrease prices might be a recreation changer for reasonably priced housing. Austin-based building expertise startup Icon just lately unveiled a 3-D printer that the corporate claims could make a 2,000-square-foot household dwelling in three days for about half the price of conventional constructing strategies. Icon says it plans to construct reasonably priced housing communities at websites in Austin and Latin America. "The idea that we can bring this cheap machine to make houses is pretty exciting, especially for humanitarian relief missions," Friedell says. "And I see a direct correlation for the housing market." Though the house building business doesn't have the identical wants army or reduction mission does--assembling bridges or barracks shortly in distant places--it may nonetheless profit from a constructing methodology that saves time, labor and constructing materials. On prime of that, printing can allow complicated designs which can be a lot more durable to make with conventional strategies. For instance, in line with Friedell, the sinuous partitions of the Marines' printed barracks are 2.5 occasions stronger than typical straight ones, however constructing these curvy partitions the standard means (from particular person concrete blocks) would have been way more troublesome and time-consuming than printing them, he says. Such complicated designs can permit architects to make use of fewer supplies. Take the primary printed bridge in Spain, which resembles tangled vines: That sample provides the best power attainable utilizing the least quantity of cement. "By putting material exactly where you want it, you reduce consumption and wastage," says Leroy Gardner, professor of structural engineering at Imperial Faculty London. A examine by researchers at Brunel College suggests 3-D printing may create as much as 30 % much less materials waste than typical building strategies, in addition to utilizing much less power and producing fewer carbon dioxide emissions. "Clearly this is an interesting technology with enormous potential," says Timothy Gutowski, who leads the Environmentally Benign Manufacturing analysis group at Massachusetts Institute of Expertise. However, he says, there's a want for extra systematic research to check the environmental impacts of 3-D printing expertise and traditional strategies over your entire life cycle of a construction, from its uncooked supplies to the top of its life. Most 3-D printers as we speak, as an example, construct with concrete--a materials blamed for 7 % of Earth's carbon dioxide emissions, per the Worldwide Power Company. To fight this, some builders are engaged on extra sustainable options: In 2016 a Dutch structure agency printed a tiny 86-square-foot cabin from a sustainable bioplastic, and in 2017 the College of Hong Kong demonstrated 3-D-printed terra-cotta bricks. Gutowski additionally warns that the supposed discount in price and materials use may fall prey to the rebound impact, a time period utilized in economics: If one thing runs on much less power, for instance, folks will run it extra, quashing power financial savings. 3-D-printed houses would possibly minimize materials use in theory--but that might encourage builders to go larger. The advantages get diluted, Gutowski says, when "affluent people start putting on additions to their homes or making vacation homes." Regardless of the obstacles, architectural initiatives that depend on 3-D printing have continued to extend in quantity over the previous 5 years. The explosion of curiosity is an indication of "an ongoing digital transition in the construction industry," says Theo Salet, a concrete expertise professor on the Eindhoven College of Expertise, who's directing the Dutch undertaking to print houses for hire. The expertise remains to be younger, although, and requires extra improvement to achieve wider use. Printing an enormous bridge or skyscraper won't actually be as straightforward as hitting a button within the foreseeable future, says Skylar Tibbits, a computational architect at MIT. Printers that work at this scale are nonetheless sluggish and costly. And for now they solely produce one form of materials at a time, so builders nonetheless should manually combine doorways, home windows, wiring and plumbing. In reality, other than the Marines' initiatives, which aimed for quick on-site building, a lot of the current bridges and houses have been printed in elements that people later assembled. For now, Tibbits says, the development business will seemingly use 3-D printing to mass-produce modular parts that also require human labor to place collectively. Printers may additionally be used to construct buildings with distinctive designs or to brighten them with intricate architectural particulars. "Printing," Tibbits says, "is one of many tools you can utilize in harmony to create buildings and products." Read the full article

#2what.com #3-d #concrete #construction #printing

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mercurious-minds-blog · 6 years ago

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8 Building Materials That Will Make Your Tiny House More Eco-Friendly

Tiny homes are a way for many people across the world to lessen their carbon footprint and give hope to the planet we live on. Although their impact is drastically reduced, the production of many materials used to build tiny houses, and buildings in general, still bring harm to the environment - trees must be chopped and processed for wood, and materials must be mined for metals, cements, and bricks. The large community of tiny home builders can even further reduce the environmental impact of building materials by switching to more eco-friendly and sustainable options.

Alternative Concretes

A lot goes into the making of cement, concrete, and bricks. I won’t bore you with all the details, but the sheer amount of digging and fuel required to produce these materials is nothing but harmful. After coal-powered electricity, cement manufacture is the next biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. There exists though, many alternative options that offer less of an environmental impact and better building qualities. It’s estimated that 97% of the standard materials used in concrete can be swapped out for recycled components. 1. AirCrete

AirCrete is a lightweight, non-toxic material that is easy and inexpensive to make. It’s made from a mixture of cement, water and a foaming agent such as dish detergent. AirCrete is fireproof, insect proof, will not rot or decay, and offers excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. Unlike concrete which is hard, heavy, cold and difficult to work with, aircrete is unbelievably lightweight and easy to work with. It hardens overnight and can be nailed, screwed, cut, carved, drilled and shaped with wood-working tools. As it continues to harden over time, it makes excellent foundations, subfloors, building blocks, walls, dome arches or anything you’d like. 2. PaperCrete

If you mix a bit of cement with pulped paper you end up with a malleable building material that can be used for almost any building project. PaperCrete is very similar to aircrete in that it is cheap, easy to make, environmentally sound, insulating, insect and fire resistant, holds nails and screws without cracking, can be cut with ordinary saws, and is lightweight. In fact, all alternative "cretes" work in pretty much the same way. When the water evaporates, it leaves thousands of tiny air pockets which is what makes the material light and a good insulator. Adding solid material to the mix (sand, etc.) affects weight and insulating quality. The best mix is the one which best fits the application. 3. HempCrete

All hempcrete is, is hemp hurds, or the center of the stalk, water, and powdered limestone. The one drawback is that hempcrete takes a long time to cure because of its biomaterials, so is not good to use for load bearing walls. To make up for this, companies started making hempcrete bricks which are made in various ways. Some put the mix into wooden forms and leave it to dry, some press it into machines to form a brick, and others even put supporting structures such as 2×2’s in them so you can use them for load-bearing walls right away. After cured, hempcrete bricks are able to be stacked like normal ones, although they are a lot lighter. With these bricks, the need for a wooden frame is practically nonexistant, and since they eventually turn to petrified rock they will last for hundreds of years.

Recycled Plastics

4. Recycled Plastic Bricks

A company called ByFusion is turning an environmental disaster into a very useful product by transforming all types of plastic waste into high tech building blocks that can be used for housing and infrastructure. Their design involves a portable modular platform that shreds and compresses scrap plastic directly into bricks and uses extremely hot water to fuse them together. The plastic doesn’t even need to be sorted or washed beforehand. On top of that, the whole process produces 95% lower greenhouse gas emissions than concrete production. 5. Recycled Plastic Lumber Plastic Lumber Yard creates a composite lumber from recycled plastics that can be used like traditional lumber, from structural support to decking, fencing and retaining walls. Their plastic lumber is made from recycled HDPE #2, or milk jugs basically, and is made with no wood. Although they do have composite wood products available. You can cut and fasten this lumber substitute just like wood, but the plastic composite lumber generally outlasts wood and is easier to maintain. 6. Recycled Plastic Shingles

The same company, Plastic Lumber Yard, also creates recycled plastic roofing tiles that look like slate but are lighter and easier to install than their traditional slate counterparts. The shingles also have been tested to withstand hours of intense heat and sunlight. 7. Recycled Plastic Insulation A company called Insulastics is developing insulation made with recycled plastics to help keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The insulation is designed to form air pockets that help improve insulation performance. It isn’t available just yet but is in the works.

Wood Alternatives

8. Bamboo Lumber

3/4" x 8", 8' Horizontal Building with bamboo is the wave of the future. The growing use of bamboo in place of traditional wood in practically every application offers hope to the negative environmental impact of deforestation. Demand for bamboo products has driven innovation in the development of bamboo timber in China, Australia, and other countries across the planet. There are many reasons why consumers and manufacturers of all kinds are turning to bamboo timber products. Bamboo timber is: Renewable The species of bamboo that are suitable for timber grow very rapidly (up to a yard or more each day) and can be harvested in one to three years, whereas traditional woods can take up to 40 years. Once harvested, bamboo begins growing again without the need for additional cultivation.Strong Bamboo fibers have a tensile strength that surpasses many types of steel and is highly resistant to warping from changes in humidity.Versatile Virtually any product that can be made from wood can be made from bamboo. From scaffolding to furniture to floors and everything in between, bamboo is proving to be a viable alternative to wood in every way.Environmentally responsible During harvesting and processing, every part of the bamboo plant can be used with a much lower consumption of energy than wood. Bamboo requires little fertilizer or pesticides to produce on a wide scale, absorbs carbon dioxide at a faster rate, and releases oxygen up to 35% more than most tree species. Read the full article

#buildingmaterials #ecofriendly #hempcrete #recycledplastics #tinyhouse #upcycling

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shirlleycoyle · 5 years ago

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This Company Will Point Satellites at Earth and Use them to Look for UFOs

Nearly 4,000 light-years away, there’s a star called VY Canis Majoris. It is, in a word, huge. It’s 270,000 times as bright as the Sun, and if you plunked it down in the middle of our solar system, it would burn Saturn.

VY Canis Majoris is a hypergiant star. And perhaps it is no surprise that there’s a tech startup humbly eponymizing it: Hypergiant Industries, a company that aims, its website explains, to be “the guiding light that solves humanity’s most challenging problems.”

The company uses AI in a few different industries: It’s developed the Disaster Mapping System, geospatial software that picks out the hardest-hit buildings after a natural disaster using satellite and drone images, available open-source through an AI platform called Modzy. It’s also created a prototype augmented reality helmet which can detect and classify objects, and offers night vision and thermal imaging in addition to regular seeing. And it’s built a fridge-sized bioreactor prototype that uses AI to regulate things like air flow, light, temperature, and pH so that algae can sequester carbon dioxide and turn it into materials for biofuel. Oh, and it’s built kinda boring workflow efficiency software for companies like GE and Shell, plus a “Virtual Bartender” for TGI Fridays.

Hypergiant was founded just two years ago, in 2018, but the company has already worked with the likes of Booz Allen Hamilton, Shell, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the Department of Homeland Security. The company spun up so quickly in part because it didn’t just build from scratch. It fused already-extant elements: buying image-analysis companies, investing in AI developers, and scooping up space technology, in the service of delivering on its slogan: “Tomorrowing today.”

That all sounds pretty legit: Serious government agencies, serious firms, serious fortune, and Fortune 500. And that clout is probably part of why Hypergiant’s R&D division can, without risking too much blowback, now take a risk on something farther-out: UFO research. This may actually be more grounded, and profitable, than it sounds.

Hypergiant was founded by CEO Ben Lamm, a serial entrepreneur who sold his previous companies to big names like Zynga and Accenture. This company, though, he intends to hang on to.

Once Lamm decided he wanted to start Hypergiant, he said in an interview, he and his team started brainstorming where AI could still make a big difference. They settled on three main areas: infrastructure, like supply chains and logistics; defense; and space.

On the list of those projects on the company’s website, though, the new UFO endeavor isn’t listed. The company’s website does list some projects as “redacted,” however.

But Lamm does talk about UFOs, though he calls them UAP: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. It’s the term insiders and the government have introduced to ditch the baggage that the decades-old “UFO” has amassed. If you look at the intersections Hypergiant’s three main interests, says Lamm, “UAPs are the X at the cross center.”

He’s interested in finding out whether those UAP come from here, or out there. “The question of whether we’re alone in the universe is kind of like ‘Is the Earth flat?’” he says (“no” being the answer to both, in his mind).

The US government has recently vocalized its interest in UFOs: the Navy has crafted new guidelines for soldiers to report sightings; Congresspeople have gotten classified briefings; officials speak of strange stuff in the sky as an imposing national-security threat.

Notably, there’s no evidence that directly supports the interpretation that UFOs are of extraterrestrial origin. In fact, signs point in a different direction: the Navy has said that UAP sightings are on the rise “consistent with the wide proliferation and availability of inexpensive unmanned aerial systems,” which are just cheap drones. Military definitions of “UAP” include objects that are simply unauthorized, not necessarily unidentified.

Lamm accepts that the phenomena might just be earthly technology, and he wants Hypergiant to help find whatever truth is out there.

“If this is a brilliant lady and guy who build insane technology in a garage in Iowa, we should know about that,” he says. “Regardless of what the UAP is and whether it has a terrestrial origin or not, I think it’s important for people’s safety.”

Hypergiant’s research trajectory homes in on exactly what UAP investigators have never nabbed: hard data collected in a systematic way. In this case, data largely from Earth-watching satellites.

The company plans to scrutinize that data with software it’s developing called CONTACT: Contextually Organized Non Terrestrial Active Capture Tool. Although it’s still in early stages, it will, the company hopes, burrito together adapted versions of Hypergiant’s existing tools, like the Disaster Mapping System, and new ones, to parse orbital and aerial images in search of Anomalies.

In its future final form, CONTACT will analyze 3-dimensional satellite data. Or ”volumetric” information, that reveals not just where a craft is in terms of its latitude, longitude, and altitude. CONTACT will spot the differences between satellite images and throw up a flag if, say, a mothership flies into a field of view at noon when it wasn’t there yesterday, and then determine whether it’s actually just a jet at a weird angle.

For that task, the team is developing a neural network that can recognize known aircraft. “This is xyz helicopter,” says Lamm. “This is xyz Raptor. This is a Boeing 737.” Those go in the digital trash.

To help train these aircraft-spotting algorithms, Hypergiant is creating a siphon that sucks up public information about creepy sky sightings that people think are unidentified and tags them with locations and times. The software will then dive into satellite and drone archives, gather images of the right regions and hours, and use computer vision to find fliers. After comparing whatever it finds against known airline flight paths, and screening out all the Boeings, the researchers will use what’s left as training data, to help AI identify UAP in future observations.

Hypergiant positions CONTACT as a way to investigate cosmic mysteries: to toss out terrestrial knowns in search of possible extraterrestrial unknowns. But the tool would be equally adept at identifying terrestrial unknowns: experimental drones, and advanced military aircraft tests, for example. Because of this, Lamm believes that CONTACT would be of keen interest to officials with extremely earthly concerns. “It’s highly valuable to big defense contractors, the Air Force, radar operators,” says Lamm.

If things go well, which they often don’t in space, Hypergiant engineers will start gathering their own data. On a rocket scheduled to launch in March, Hypergiant will send up its first instrument that can take 3-D observations, in the form of a payload piggybacked on a larger satellite. Data should start to rain down in April or May.

Assuming that works, the first satellite of Lamm’s 30+ orbiter constellation will go up in the fall, on the Cygnus NG-14 and SpaceX SpX-21 missions. And then, presumably, the other 29 or so. And then, perhaps, the startup will data that will illuminate what we talk about when we talk about UAP, UFOs, or whatever acronyms someone comes up with later. To see whether or not all of that happens, we’ll have to wait till today becomes tomorrow.

This Company Will Point Satellites at Earth and Use them to Look for UFOs syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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jeepsister72-blog · 6 years ago

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The Pros and Cons of Copper Cookware

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: Joel Russo.]

We've spent years here at Serious Eats building a compendium of cookware information, covering nearly all you need to know about buying, caring for, and cooking in everything from cast iron and carbon steel to modern nonstick and stainless steel pots and pans. But there's one classic material we've written almost nothing about: copper. The reason shouldn't surprise anyone who's considered buying a copper pan and then seen the price tag. That sh*t's expensive!

And yet it's worth a look, in the same way a luxury sports car is of interest to just about any car enthusiast, whether they have the dough to buy one or not. The car analogy is particularly apt, since copper really is the fancy sports car of the cookware world. It's flashy, it's fast, and it doesn't come cheap. Though, to be fair, it sells for a hell of a lot less than just about any car, even the most basic one, and most people own at least one of those, right?*

* I, a person who knows nothing about automobiles and who didn't get his driver's license until he was 29 years old, have no business writing car analogies. VROOM, VROOM!!

Given the historic importance of copper in the kitchen, and its continued use in higher-end French restaurants and some homes, it helps to understand a bit about it. Here we'll take a look at copper cookware to suss out its strengths and weaknesses, and try to help you decide whether you want to go deeper by investing in some.

Since Serious Eats is a media company and not an investment bank, we unfortunately aren't in possession of the types of funds that would allow us to buy a large collection of copper cookware on which to get tons of firsthand experience. To help fill in some of our knowledge gaps, we headed up to East Greenwich, Rhode Island, to visit Jim Hamann at the industrial complex where he runs his two copper cookware companies, East Coast Tinning (dedicated to vintage copper cookware restoration) and Duparquet Copper Cookware (where he makes his own line of copper pots and pans).

Jim gave us a tour of his factory, answered a litany of my copper questions, let me spin a couple pans with him, and allowed us to film him in action.

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Copper was the first metal to be worked by human hands, and that history goes back a long, long time—about 11,000 years. That makes the human relationship with copper about as old as agriculture, though for several millennia we didn't do much with it beyond shaping it into decorative objects. Several thousand years later, but still some time before the Egyptians raised their pyramids, our ancestors figured out how to hammer copper sheets into bowls and other vessels. By the time of the Romans, if not before, we were using it to make cookware.

Copper is famed for its ability to conduct heat and electricity—it's no accident that it's copper and not iron that runs through the electrical wires in our walls—and it's this quality that makes it such an interesting metal for cooking. In a lot of ways, copper sits at the opposite end of the conduction and heat-retention spectrum as cast iron, making them two very different, yet complementary, materials for cooking.

Cast iron, as a reminder, conducts heat relatively poorly. It heats slowly and is prone to hot spots, but once it does get hot, it holds onto that heat very well. This makes it great for doing things like searing thick steaks, since you want the pan to remain hot when the cold meat hits it, which ensures the steak will sear and brown as efficiently as possible. Cast iron's great heat retention also makes it ideal for slow-cooking dishes that require sustained, even heat, like stews and braises, especially when placed in an oven, where the cooking vessel is heated from all sides.

The even heat of this copper skillet made a steady ring of brown around each little pancake, no matter which part of the pancakes was closer to the pan's edge and which closer to the center.

Copper inverts these rules. It heats quickly and evenly, but it loses that heat just as fast. This responsiveness gives it a nimbleness and agility that can be very useful for delicate proteins like fish and seafood, as well as sauces, caramel, and chocolate—remove a copper saucepan holding a delicate sauce from the heat and its temperature will drop rapidly, reducing the chances the sauce overcooks or breaks from exposure to the retained heat in the metal.

If you'll allow this automobile-ignoramus to return once more to my car analogy, you can think of copper as the sports car of the cookware world, and cast iron as the pickup truck. They're both useful for certain—often very different—tasks.

That's the simple explanation, anyway. Put a handful of cooking geeks in a room and the conversation heats up faster than copper on a flame. Arguments erupt over whether copper is good enough to justify its cost, and whether its relative merits really set it far enough apart from the crowd of more affordable cookware.

Someone from the Modernist Cuisine team might point out that copper's unrivaled conduction isn't the full picture. They'd argue that burner size and the thickness of the metal are factors that are just as critical, noting that a 7mm-thick piece of aluminum heats just as evenly as a 2.5mm-thick piece of copper.

Inevitably someone else will refute that, arguing that the Modernist team only looked at evenness of heating and failed to consider copper's responsiveness—how quickly it heats up and cools down as more or less heat is applied to it. You can have copper's evenness with a 7mm-thick aluminum pan, they'll say, but you'll lose its responsiveness in the process.

An engineer, trying to keep the peace, will kindly put together a summation of the pros and cons of the primary cookware metals, explaining in lay terms essential concepts like thermal conductivity, heat capacity, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity. In the process, he will make a pretty good case that copper has a lot going for it. But then it falls apart when specific pots and pans get called into question, and ultimately everyone just starts trolling everyone else and we get nowhere.

And that, really, is the challenge: The relative performance of a pan—any pan—can be an extremely difficult thing to assess given the variations in mass, thickness, shape, size, and material from one design to the next. Not to mention that the effectiveness of any given pan is dependent on what's being cooked in it, and the experience of the hands using the tools in question.

I invite anyone who's up to it to try to wade into the more advanced physics to see if they can't come up with a more definitive answer than what's already out there, but here's where I've landed: copper is a unique metal with unique properties that make for some of the most deft and efficient cookware in the kitchen. Other options, including plain aluminum and stainless steel with a thick aluminum core, can rival (or come close to) copper in many—but perhaps not all—ways. Copper certainly loses on cost, but it wins on looking pretty freaking great, if looks matter to you.

So, do you need copper cookware? No, no more than a person who drives needs a sports car (or any other very expensive car). I've been working as a professional cook for 15 years in restaurants and food media, and I've rarely used copper. Most professional cooks rarely use copper, and you can absolutely cook great things without ever picking it up.

But should you eschew copper? No, no more than a car enthusiast should avoid buying a sports car. If you want a sports car, if you'd like the experience of driving a sports car, if you can afford and are willing to pay for a sports car, then yes, for sure, get yourself a sports car!

I want to add that I personally find a well-made copper pan to be an object of beauty in the kitchen, like a great piece of vintage cast iron, and that aesthetic quality can have value in and of itself. Its preciousness can remind you to pay more attention as you cook and, consequently, can help you cook better. At least, it does if you find meaning in the form of an object and not just its ability to accomplish a task.

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A tin-lined copper skillet.

One of the key things to know about copper is that it's reactive. Acids like vinegar and tomatoes can leach copper into the food; over time, the ingestion of copper can be toxic. For this reason, most copper cookware is lined. What it's lined with is one of the main considerations to keep in mind when buying copper pots and pans.

Traditionally, copper was lined with tin. Tin is a pure element, like copper, and it has some fantastic qualities. First, and most critically for its role as a lining, it's totally inert—tin will not react with acids or anything else you would cook on it.

Second, and very importantly, tin is impressively nonstick all on its own, without any need for the seasoning we all strive to build up on cast iron. You can fry an egg, cook pancakes, or lightly sear a piece of fish on it and, for the most part, the food won't stick.

The downside is that tin has a low melting point of around 450°F (230°C), which a pan can quickly reach if left over a flame unattended and empty. For this reason, tin-lined copper should never be preheated while empty, and it should never be used for very high-heat searing (save your cast iron for that).

Tin is also somewhat soft, and can be worn away over time or damaged with metal utensils and abrasive scrubbing (I admit I have, on occasion, been a wee bit reckless and used a thin metal fish spatula on it). With care, a tin lining can last many, many years, but eventually even the most well-loved tin-lined copper pans will need re-tinning. While it's a rare event, you do have to factor that in when buying tin-lined copper, as it's an extra cost in the lifetime of the pan.

These days, though, the most common lining in copper pans is stainless steel. Lining copper with stainless steel is a much newer invention, since it's a heck of a lot more difficult to bond those two metals. The advantage that stainless steel offers is durability, just like any other stainless steel pan. The disadvantage is that it absolutely sucks in terms of adhesiveness: food loves to stick to stainless steel.

Also bad is that, while uncommon, if anything goes wrong with the stainless lining (say the lining decouples from the copper shell), you're probably out of luck. Unlike re-tinning, there's no easy way to fix a busted stainless steel–lined copper pan.

You will, on occasion, see copper lined with nickel, a practice that was briefly popular in the '90s, but has since fallen out of favor. More extravagantly, some copper pans are lined with silver. Silver, it turns out, is an even better conductor of heat than copper (not that conduction matters much with these ultra-thin linings), and it's supposedly very nonstick, though given the price, I don't expect to ever be able to confirm this firsthand.

In a few select cases, copper vessels aren't lined with anything at all. Jam pots, for instance, are made of bare copper since there's enough sugar in jam to prevent the fruit acids from reacting with the metal. There's also a plain copper mixing bowl intended solely for beating egg whites: the copper prevents sulphur atoms in the whites from bonding too tightly, helping to maintain the integrity of the foamy peaks.

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Aside from the lining material of a copper pan, the other most important characteristic that affects quality is the thickness of the copper. This can have a dramatic impact on the performance of the pan. The general wisdom is that copper cookware should be 2.5 to 3mm thick. Any thicker and you start to lose too much of the copper's rapid response to heat; any thinner and it won't heat as evenly as it should.

You're unlikely to find copper that's much thicker than 3mm, given its value and also density (copper is heavy, so adding more metal than is necessary just makes the pan that much more difficult to use), but you're quite likely to find copper that's less than 2.5mm thick. You're probably okay down to about 2mm, but any lower than that and you're getting into decorative pot territory: it may look nice in your kitchen but it won't perform well. This is where a lot of companies try to skimp, so make sure to confirm how thick the copper is before handing over your credit card.

Finally, the method used to produce copper cookware—whether it's made from spun copper, stamped copper, or rolled copper—is not determinative of its quality, even if spinning copper, as Jim Hamann does, requires a considerable amount of skill. Also, for those wondering about copper cookware that has hammer marks on it, while the practice of hammering copper was once used to strengthen the metal, today those hammer marks are almost always done by machine as a decorative gesture. They're mostly a matter of taste, and, again, not an indication of quality.

If you want some tips on where to find quality copper cookware, look at Hamann's tin- and silver-lined selections at Duparquet; the tin-lined pots and pans from Brooklyn Copper Cookware; and famous old-school makers like Mauviel and DeBuyer, which now focus on stainless steel–lined pans.

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As expensive as copper is, you can sometimes find a deal when shopping vintage goods (I saw one guy online who bought a pot worth hundreds for just $14). They key is to know what to look for. First, as mentioned above, is the thickness of the copper: it should ideally be 2.5 to 3mm thick (though down to 2mm is okay; larger stockpots are often thinner due to their size and weight).

If the piece is vintage, there's no chance it's lined with stainless steel, since that's a much more recent development. Nickel and silver are possible, but chances are an old piece will be lined with tin. The tin may have darkened—it darkens naturally over time, and you can use it with no ill effects—but if it's worn through to the copper below, it'll likely need to be re-tinned.

Old copper pots can come from many parts of the world, but if you're in the United States, chances are good that the cookware came from either the US, Britain, or France. There are some key details that can help you determine which country it's from.

At left, a pot from the UK with its sharply triangular handle attachment; at right, a French saucepan with a rounded triangle attachment; in the center, an American pot with an elongated, bar-like attachment.

The first is the shape of the handle where it attaches to the pot. Copper pots from the UK can be recognized by the sharp triangular shape of the pot-handle attachment, while French pots have a rounded triangle. American copper pots tend to mimic the French rounded triangle, but with a more elongated shape that can begin to appear bar-like (sometimes it's very bar-like). American pots also often have chunkier rivets than their European counterparts.

Left, the French (and American) teardrop handle loop; at right, the UK's keyhole loop.

You can pick up more clues from the end of the handle where the hanging loop is. The French loop hole looks like a teardrop, whereas in the UK it's more of a keyhole or an arch. Once again, American makers (many of whom came from France) mirrored French practices with a teardrop.

Beyond the handles, you should look for a maker's stamp, which can provide clear info about who made the pan and where it was made. (Jim Hamann of Duparquet got his company name by registering an old abandoned trademark from an American copper cookware company that went out of business in the 1930s.)

No matter how dingy an old copper pot may look, remember that, short of extreme damage (say, a hole in it), it can be fixed up like new. After re-tinning and polishing, what may have looked like a piece of trash could easily be an object of remarkable beauty and value. Sure, it's no Porsche, but good luck finding a dingy-but-perfectly-functioning one of those at the local junkyard.

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This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/01/buying-copper-cookware.html

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weldingrodeoaz · 7 years ago

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Best Plasma Cutter Reviews

There is more to having the best plasma cutter than being able to cut metal. Before the introduction of the plasma cutter, cutting metal was hell of a work. This is due to the intense human effort that goes into the process of cutting metal, you struggle, physically exhaust yourself, sweat, and waste a lot of time all in a bid to cut out sheets of metal.

The introduction of the Plasma cutter came as a savior to the welding industry. It is not only the best tool to cut metal, it also has several other varieties of advantages to a welder.

In simple terms, a plasma cutter is a piece of tool that employs a high-speed inert gas to cut through metals or alloys of various thickness with ease. A plasma cutter makes use of an inert gas with an electrical current, the result is a torch that does the cutting process.

On this note, I welcome you to this plasma cutting review where I will pick out the top 30 plasma cutter available in the market today and give my honest opinion on each of them, I will also discuss on what you can do with a plasma cutter, the essential safety gear mandatory for use while cutting with a plasma cutter, the safety hazards involved and the essential tools needed to run a plasma cutter.

Join me as I introduce the best plasma cutters available in the industry.

Top 30 Best Plasma Cutter Reviews

1. Lotos LTP5000D 50Amp Non-Touch Pilot Arc Plasma Cutter

Seeking a compact plasma cutter with the capacity to divide through various metal thickness and size, the Lotos LTP5000D 50Amp Non-Touch Pilot Arc Plasma is the best choice. It has the capacity to seamlessly divide aluminum, copper, mild steel, stainless steel and all sort of metal.

The plasma cutter works with a Pilot arc torch that can pierce through any surface – painted, rough, hard or rust surface to produce a fine and smooth cut. It also features an advanced German cooling system

Pros

checkAutomatic dual frequency and voltage system (110/229v and 50/60Hz)

checkPilot torch allows plasma to cut effectively without having contact with the metal. This gives a longer consumable life

checkAbility to cut up to a thickness of 0.75 inches

checkUses a non-toxic air for cutting

checkIt is very portable

Cons

It is best suited for light jobs and small DIY projects

Exclamation TriangleThe cut produced is too large

2. Lotos LT5000D Plasma Cutter 50Amps Dual Voltage Compact Metal Cutter

LOTOS, one of the largest manufacturer of plasma cutters is a highly trusted brand. The Lotos LT5000D Plasma Cutter was designed for rugged and extensive use in all forms of working condition. It is suitable for light home jobs as well as industrial fabrication.

Like most plasma cutters, it comes with an automatic dual voltage as well as PAPST Advanced German Cooling System. When used at a High-frequency DC, the plasma cutter can cut thicker materials than the standard frequency DC.

Pros

checkIt is suitable for all sort of metals – mild steel, Aluminum, copper, etc.

checkIt requires less maintenance and less cleaning

checkSuitable to operate at two different frequency and voltages

checkIt is cheaper than the oxyacetylene cut

checkThe torch trigger is able to give a custom fit

checkOne can get faster cut with a high-frequency plasma cut

Cons

The consumables are expensive to replace

3. PRIMEWELD Premium & Rugged 50A Air Inverter Plasma Cutter Automatic Dual Voltage

The PRIMEWELD premium & Rugged Plasma cutter is the best choice for welders that value precision work. It is a 50 Amp Digital Air Inverter Plasma cutter that can cut metal with thickness as much as 0.34 inch seamlessly.

This is a plasma cutter suitable for both industrial and home use. It can cut several varieties of metal including mild steel, alloy steel, copper aluminum and many more with ease. It can work between 110v and 220volts power supply.

PRIMEWELD is a highly trusted brand when it comes to manufacturing welding accessories. Hence, they can boast of the manufacture of various high-quality plasma cutters that can handle metal of all sizes and shapes.

Pros

checkCan cut through several varieties of metal, steel and stainless steel

checkIt is very portable

checkQuite a lot of customers have derived satisfaction from the PRIMEWELD premium & Rugged Plasma cutter

checkIt comes with a warranty worth three years

checkMade with high-quality materials

checkIt is very durable

Cons

Some customers experienced leak with the machine

4. SUPER DEAL DC Inverter Plasma Cutter Welding Machine With Screen Display

Seeking a classy plasma cutter that can deliver a smooth cut at excellent speed? The SUPER DEAL DC Inverter Plasma Cutter is the best choice available! It gives a clean cut without slag or dross. It is a 240Volts plasma cutter that comes with digital display, it makes cutting so easy!

The SUPER DEAL DC Inverter Plasma Cutter features a current regulator which allows you to work comfortably and efficiently. It consumes low amount of energy which makes it very fair to the environment.

Pros

checkIt is very affordable

checkIt lasts very long with good heat dissipation

checkIt is made of heavy duty material, which makes it last very long

checkThe Digital LCD Display gives an easy read Front panel

checkIt has high cutting speed with less noise

checkBuilt-in safety feature – wire and mask to prevent you from hurting yourself

checkSuitable for light and industrial use

checkIt uses cheap and easily accessible consumables

Cons

Some user prefers having an O-ring on the panel for efficient use!

5. PrimeWeld Ct520d 50 Amps Plasma Cutter

The PrimeWeld Ct520d 50 is the best multipurpose plasma cutter available. It features a 3 in 1 multipurpose plasma cutter with the ability to handle multiple cutting and welding functions. It can also alternate between DC STICK and DC TIG welding easily.

It is suitable for professional and DIY jobs. This plasma cutter is very portable, also, it operates on 50A power source. It can perform TIG/Stick welding, plasma cutting, and the arc welding function in a single unit!

Pros

checkIt comes with a 3-year warranty

checkIt has a 3-in-one function

checkIt is very easy to move around

checkIt has a power efficiency of 85%

Cons

Long leads are needed for the plasma cutting

6. Lotos Technology 04-ZVGR-0O8D Lotos LTPDC2000D Plasma Cutter Tig Stick Welder 3 in 1 Combo Welding Machine

The Lotos Technology 04-ZVGR-0O8D is a 50 Amp Non-touch plasma cutter that gives an efficient cut for various surfaces – painted, rusty, rough etc. It is compact and very portable. This plasma cutter is able to handle various types of metal without using a hazardous gas

It gives a 3 in one function – a 200 Amp stick welder, a 50 Amp Pilot Arc Plasma cutter and 200 DC TIG Welder, all with the flip of a switch. It is appropriate for industrial and DIY uses. It has the HF hand start control and also support the dual voltage system. The Pilot arc technology allows for cutting without contact with the metal tip.

Pros

checkAble to cut varieties of metal without using any hazardous air

checkIt can weld with various acids and basic electrodes

checkIt comes with one year warranty

checkIt has a multipurpose (3 in 1) unit

checkCreates precise cut with less slag

checkConsumable last longer

checkAutomatic dual voltage and frequency enabled

Cons

The consumables are specific to the machine!

7. Plasma Cutter, Inverter, Spectrum 375 by Miller Electric

Seeking for a plasma cutter for your day to day job requirement and industrial use? The Plasma Cutter Spectrum 375 is the answer you’ve been searching for. With a rated output of 30 A, it gives a fine precision cut for all sort of metal, alloys, carbon, steel etc.

It is very light in weight, compact and performs it’s duties seamlessly. It’s Manufactured by Miller, one of the giants in the welding accessory industry, the Plasma Cutter Spectrum 375 is a reliable tool to take your welding experience to the next level.

Pros

checkit’s very compact and light in weight

checkQuite of a lot of customers expressed satisfaction with the product

checkit has the ability to deliver a seamless cutting experience

checkit’s equipped with all the necessary accessories

checkIt comes with extra consumables

Cons

No warranty information

8. Hobart 500566 Airforce 40i Plasma Cutter 240V

Seeking for an efficient plasma cutter that can cut just like a hot knife going through butter? The Hobart 500566 Airforce 40i is the answer you’ve been searching for. Using about 40 Amps of power, the Hobart 500566 Airforce 40i is able to slice through 5/8 in. and sever cut 7/8 in. steel.

It is a heavy duty plasma cutter weighing just 31 pounds hence it’s very light in weight. The wind tunnel technology guards against particles and abrasive dust from damaging the internal parts of the machine.

Pros

checkIt is excellent for both DIY jobs and heavy-duty assignments

checkErgonomic design that makes usage safe!

checkIt is very portable

checkAuto-Refire technology giving the device the ability to slice through perforated or expanded metals

checkSetting up the machine is very easy

Cons

It is quite pricey!

9. SUNCOO Cut-50 Plasma Cutter Electric DC Inverter Machine with Digital Display

Seeking for a cheap and effective plasma cutter? This is your answer. The SUNCOO Cut-50 Plasma Cutter Electric DC Inverter is a 50 Amp Plasma cutter, it is suitable for copper, iron, stainless steel and all sort of metal. It performs excellently, and can be applied in many areas like site work, ducting work, repair and maintenance service etc.

The SUNCOO is pretty easy to assemble, with a comprehensive manual to guide the user through the installation process. The voltage ranges from 110 to 220V, and the machine has the capacity to adapt.

Pros

checkCan cut varieties of metals, including very thick metal plate

checkFinds application in home and industrial use

checkIt releases less toxic gases

checkIt has protection pilot lamp for the welder’s safety

checkIt is pretty light in weight

checkIt is pretty cheap

Cons

The strap handle is not preferred

10. Goplus Plasma Cutter Cut-50 50A 220V Electric DC Inverter Air IGBT Cutting Machine

The Goplus Plasma Cutter Cut-50 is a new plasma cutting machine that features a new technology with an advanced inverter. It comes with a high-quality plasma torch engineered to give users a new cutting experience.

The Goplus Plasma Cutter Cut-50 is applicable for individual DIY projects and industrial use. It was designed with your maximum comfort in mind, hence it’s very easy to operate. It’s also equipped with the necessary accessories to make using it very safe. It can be applied in ducting work, repair work, automotive work, maintenance service.

Pros

checkThe unit is made from materials of high quality hence, will last long

checkComes with safety features to prevent you from hurting yourself while working

checkIt has the ability to work effectively and efficiently with it’s smooth and high cutting speed, and continuous current regulation.

checkVery easy to assemble with clear and straight to the point instructions

checkIt saves energy and makes no noise

checkIt is safe, reliable and very cheap

Cons

No information on warranty

11. Hobart 500564 Airforce 12ci Plasma Cutter with Built-In Air Compressor

Seeking for a light, portable, and compact plasma cutter? The Hobart 500564 Airforce 12ci Plasma Cutter is the best choice. It comes with very capable size breaker and requires a 30 amps source.

It has a built-in compressor with the ability to cut through all types of metal. When performing flame tuning, there is no gas pressure required. The Hobart 500564 Airforce 12ci Plasma Cutter gives a very accurate cut with a thin kerf and less sla

Pros

checkRequires no gas pressure setting

checkIt gives very precise cut

checkIt is portable and light in weight

checkEquipped with a size breaker

Cons

You have to be patient while cutting through very heavy metals

12. Lotos LT3500 35Amp Air Plasma Cutter, 2/5 Inch Clean Cut

Seeking a plasma cutter to comfortably handle light cutting projects? The Lotos LT3500 35Amp Air Plasma Cutter is the best choice. It is the most compact plasma cutter available on the market but, it is only powerful enough to handle a metal with 15 mm thickness.

It comes with an air filter and air gauge that works perfectly with your air compressor. It is an excellent choice for light projects and DIY jobs. Assembling it is very easy as the whole machine can be set up in just a minute.

Pros

checkIt is light in weight

checkIt is very compact

checkIt can be easily set up

checkSuitable for cutting all sort of metal

checkCuts safely at low cost

checkComes with consumables, ground clamp, cutting torch etc.

Cons

The ground lead cable is pretty short

13. ZENY DC Inverter Plasma Cutter 50AMP CUT-50 Dual Voltage 110-220V Cutting Machine

The ZENY DC Plasma cutter features the latest cutting technology. It is recommendable for all metal cutting work, it’s suitable for both industrial and DIY jobs. The high-quality plasma torch which it has, gives it an enhanced and improved cut quality.

It features a double voltage adapter with a current range of 20 to 50 Amps. It is equipped with essential accessories like AIR regulator and earth clamp as well as many safety accessories needed to ensure a seamless cutting operation.

Pros

checkSuitable for both professional and personal use

checkComes with the necessary safety accessories to ensure a seamless operation

checkThe consumables are very cheap

checkThe price is very reasonable

checkIt doesn’t get too hot

checkCuts very fast

checkSetting up the unit is pretty easy

Cons

It comes with ground and cable wires that are very short

Exclamation TriangleUser manual not explanatory enough

14. Hypertherm 088079 Powermax30 XP Building America Edition Hand Plasma System

The Hypertherm 088079 Powermax30 XP plasma cutting machine is a 2 in 1 plasma cutting machine. It works with high vigor to cut through metal with ease. It delivers a very high-performance cutting experience with the ability to handle thick metal of all sorts – up to 16mm. It comes with Fine Cut consumables that give detailed cutting.

It comes with various accessories that ensures you work safely. The automatic voltage setting allows it to adapts to either 120V or 240V circuit. The Kit comes with nozzles, electrodes, shields, retaining cap etc.

Pros

checkIt is equipped with necessary safety accessories to enable you work without suffering an injury

checkit features an LT Torch which is resistant to heat and very compact giving it a comfortable grip

checkThe company has a very responsive customer support service

checkIt is very portable and light in weight

checkDual voltage application

Cons

Requires an external air compressor

15. Hobart 500565 Airforce 27i Plasma Cutter 120/240V

The Hobart 500565 Airforce 27i Plasma Cutter is a strong heavy duty plasma cutter. It comes with an inverter based design and reliable technology. It’s very portable and easy to use.

The Hobart 500565 Airforce 27i Plasma Cutter features multi-voltage plug that allows it to work effectively with either a 120V or 240V power supply. Setting it up is pretty easy as all you have to do is connect and start cutting!

Pros

checkThe Wind Tunnel technology guards against particles and abrasive dust from settling inside the machine

checkAble to work with either the 120Vor 240V power supply.

checkGives a very accurate cut with reduced slag

checkIt is portable

Cons

The plasma cutter tends to overheat at times

16. JEGS 81545 Plasma Cutter 20-40 Amp 110/220VAC

Seeking a reliable plasma cutter able to handle all form of metal and aluminum? The JEGS 81545 Plasma Cutter is your answer. It comes with all necessary and useful accessories that makes it deliver a seamless working and cutting experience!

Pros

checkIt comes with a year warranty

checkIt has a dual voltage function – 110VAC/220VAC

checkAbility to slice through steel and iron with ease

checkIt is suitable for small business and DIY processes

checkComes with all necessary accessories

Cons

Warranty period too limited (1 year)

17. SUNGOLDPOWER 50A Air Plasma Cutter Inverter DC Digital Display IGBT Portable

The SUNGOLDPOWER 50A Air Plasma Cutter comes with a superior IGBT tech, giving it the ability to slice through as much as 15mm thick metal. Like most plasma cutter, it uses a dual voltage technology. It’s less power consumption from the high duty cycle makes it more efficient.

It has a Digital LCD display and a front pane air pressure gauge making it more appealing and effective. It can cut smoothly without any polish demand. It comes with amazing protective features to make the machine safe for use. It can cut through copper, steel, carbon and several other types of metal.

Pros

checkit’s very efficient and economical

checkit has a very high cutting speed

checkit saves energy and works without much noise

checkit has a overheat and overvoltage protection feature

checkit has the ability to cut a 15mm thick metal

checkit’s waterproof and protected from electric shock

Cons

A couple of customers complained of the leaking air hose

18. CUT-50, 50 Amp Pro. Plasma Cutter, DC Inverter 110/230V Dual Voltage Cutting Machine

The CUT-50, 50 Amp Pro Plasma Cutter was designed for small businesses and DIY jobs. This is a new and improved model that uses 15 – 50 Amps with an advanced inverter tech. It comes with plug adapter that makes the voltage adapt automatically to the supplied voltage – 100 to 240 Volts.

It has a comfortable grip and a torch design that allows it to slice through various metal forms seamlessly.

Pros

checkIt is capable of handling cuts up to an inch in thickness

checkIt can cut various types of metal – stainless steel, alloy steel etc.

checkLittle maintenance required

checkRisk of fire hazard is low

checkIt gives a firm, clean and reliable cut

Cons

No warranty information

19. VIVOHOME DC Inverter Plasma Cutter Cutting Machine Dual Voltage 110V/220V CUT-50

The VIVOHOME DC Inverter Plasma Cutter boasts of the most advanced inverter technology in its construction. It has a high cutting ability with a fast cutting speed way better than that of oxy-acetylene cutting.

It features MOSFET technology that steps up the 50 Hz frequency to over 100KHz. It is fast and economical, able to cut through thickness of up to 12 mm. It’s Suitable for wide application – DIY and industrial use.

Pros

checkDual voltage operation

checkComes with essential safety materials – safety mask and welding goggle

checkIt has the ability to slice through metal of thickness between 1 to 12 mm.

checkMOSFET technology helps step up the frequency to any desired range

checkIt is very fast in operation

Cons

Some customers complain that it doesn’t come with a user manual

Exclamation TriangleThe regulator doesn’t come with a hose

20. HYL CUT30C PLASMA CUTTER

The HYL CUT30C plasma is one of the best heavy duty plasma cutter suitable for both home hobby and personal welding. It features a 110/115/120 current type.

It comes with various accessories such as ceramic cups, nozzle, electrodes, ceramic diffusers, replacement torch assembles etc. It can cut a maximum thickness of 0.25 inches.

Pros

checkIt comes with 2 years warranty

checkIt has professional Grade welding accessoriess

checkReadily available spare parts

Cons

The plasma cutter tends to overheat at times

21. Hypertherm 088096 Powermax 30 AIR Hand System

The Hypertherm 088096 Powermax 30 AIR Hand is a small and lightweight plasma cutter designed with an internal air compressor. It’s small and compact in size, it can handle cutting metal of various forms. Unlike most compressors, it doesn’t need an external air supply due to the in-built compressor system.

The Hypertherm 088096 Powermax uses the latest technology with reliable torch and consumables to keep the system running at its peak. It features a New AIR T30 torch which makes it rugged enough to withstand unconducive environments

Pros

checkInner compressor cancels the need for an external compressor support

checkIt has a fast and very reliable cutting speed

checkIt has the ability to work with both 120 V or 240 V power supply

checkIt is very portable, small and light

Cons

No tangible information on warranty

22. Biltek 50Amp Air Plasma Cutter Inverter Dual Voltage

Seeking for a classic plasma cutter that uses advanced technology to slice through metal? The Biltek 50Amp Air Plasma Cutter is what you need. It delivers high cutting performance with a non – pilot arc torch that is able to deliver high cutting performance with longer life for consumables.

It comes with a cutting torch, air hose, air filter and other accessories. It uses clean oil – free and dry air from a compressor to deliver very clean cutting experience.

Pros

checkIt can cut several varieties of metal

checkThe consumables last long

checkIt uses advanced inverter technology that delivers a high cutting performance

checkIt is portable and very easy to set up

Cons

You need to connect an external air supply from the compressor!

23. VEVOR Plasma Cutter 50A 110V/220V Dual Voltage Welding Cutting Machine CUT50 Inverter Digital Welding Machine

The VEVOR Plasma Cutter is a 50 Amp machine. It is very light in structure and compact in design. It saves energy with extra-axial flow fan for forced convention needed to cool the machine. It can cut up to 12 mm with a digital display on the front panel of the machine. It is able to cut various forms of metal like mild steel, stainless steel, alloy steel etc.

The unit comes with various accessories such as gas pipe, cutting torch etc.

Pros

checkIt is light and very compact

checkIt doesn’t generate much noise and saves energy

checkComes with a digital display

checkIt cuts at a very high speed

checkGives smooth cutting with no polish demand

checkComes with an inbuilt fan to cool down the machine

Cons

No information on product warranty

24. Miller Spectrum 625 X-treme Plasma Cutter

The Miller Spectrum 625 X-treme Plasma Cutter is one of the most portable plasma cutter available in the market. It works with a dual voltage setting. It comes with the Auto-Line technology and MVP adapters. It has extra protective features which makes the unit safe during transport and storage.

It comes with essential protection gears to ensure that safety isn’t compromised while working. There is an Ultra-Quick Connect XT 40 torch designed with ergonomic handle that reduces unnecessary fatigue while working. With the Auto – refire technology, it directs the pilot arc when cutting expanded metal

Pros

checkComes with an inbuilt fan to limit overheating

checkWind tunnel technology prevents damage from abrasive dust from damaging the system

checkReduced fatigue while cutting metals

checkSteady and cleaner cuts

checkEasy connection, it’s compatible with either 120V or 240V power supply

Cons

No warranty information available for the unit.

25. Plasma Cutter 40A 220V Electric DC Inverter Air Plasma Cutting Machine CUT40 Metal Cutter HITBOX

Weighing about 16 pounds, the Plasma Cutter by HITBOX can slice through thick Carbon of up to 12 mm thickness. Asides carbon, it cuts steel, copper, and aluminum effectively. It features a digital display and comes equipped with plasma cutting torch consumables.

The Plasma Cutter by HITBOX gives an outstanding cutting performance that is able to work effectively, irrespective of the air pressure. The unit prioritizes safety with various features meant to keep you safe while using the plasma cutter.

Pros

checkIt is light and very compact

checkIt is pretty cheap

checkit can slice through metal as thick as 12 mm

checkIt features a digital display

checkit has an impressive customer care service

Cons

The Unit does not come with an external compressor

26. Everlast SuperCut51P 110v/220v Dual Voltage 50 Amp Pilot Arc Inverter plasma cutter

Seeking for a plasma cutter for your DIY product? The 2017 Everlast SuperCut51P is a perfect fit for you. The SuperCut 51P comes with a high-frequency arc that offers continuous engaging pilot arc. This unit is perfect if you are seeking to make low dross cut, it’s very efficient and easy to use.

Pros

checkIt is quick and very reliable

checkWorks with low current

checkIt comes with 3 years warranty

checkIt has a dual voltage capacity

checkIt’s equipped with essential accessories

Cons

It is quite expensive

27. Air Inverter Plasma Cutting Machine – Tosense CUT50 Dual Voltage 50A Plasma Cutter

The Air Inverter Plasma cutting machine uses the MOSFET inverter technology to give stable, mature and improved cutting experience to its users. It is made with very high-quality components that make the plasma cutter economical with the consumables.

Weighing just 22 pounds, it is compact and portable. Asides, it is applicable for both industrial and personal work. The plasma cutter is able to adjust itself even with a very high air pressure giving a direct and precise cutting experience.

Pros

checkIt can cut the metal plate in various routes

checkReduced risk of fire hazards

checkIt requires less maintenance

checkIt is very cheap

checkIt doesn’t produce toxic gases

checkIt is portable and suitable for industrial use

checkPresence of features to protect against power fluctuations

Cons

No warranty information

28. Forney 317 250 P+ Plasma Cutter with Air Compressor

The Forney P+ Plasma Cutter is very easy to use and comes with a 15-inch ground cable. It utilizes compressed air and electrical arc to slice through metal like it’s a piece of meat. It is capable of giving a precise cut due to the drag technology that allows users to move the torch on the metal surface.

It comes with many cutting accessories like electrodes, diffuser ring, compressor shield cup etc. There are features to ensure that using the plasma cutter is completely safe. It features a lightweight inverter power supply and a built-in compressor.

Pros

checkParts like the ground cable, torch and dryer are easily removed for repairs and assemble

checkComes with an internal compressor

checkIt is portable

checkLots of additional accessories for optimum function

checkAbility to make precise cut

Cons

It is pretty expensive

29. Hypertherm Powermax45 XP Hand System w/o CPC – 20’ Leads

Seeking for a heavy duty plasma cutter with the ability to cut up to 16mm of metal? The Powermax45 XP plasma cutter is the best choice. It comes with varieties of features that give it an optimum and improved performance over other brands.

There is the automatic gas adjustment for simple setup operation as well as the new Duramax Lock torch to give it an improved performance. It is able to cut a wide range of metal with various thickness, and it’s also capable of handling precision gouging and part marking.

Pros

checkIt is small in size and very light in weight

checkit has amazing features that makes using the Powermax45 XP plasma cutter seamless for first-time operators

checkThe presence of a smart sensor technology helps make sure that air pressure is always correct

checkCuts really fast with a superior cut quality

Cons

No warranty information

30. LOVSHARE 3 In 1 Plasma Cut/TIG/ Welding Machine 110V Multifunction Inverter DC

The LOVSHARE comes in a compact 3 in 1 structure capable of handling TIG, CUT and ARC/MMA function. It has a compact design. It’s portable, reliable and very easy to use.

It is suitable for DIY jobs and industrial application hence, capable of handling shipbuilding, aerospace, automobile and quite a lot of other functions. This plasma cutter has a 110V Welding Machine Portable CT312Welder with Air Regulator.

Pros

checkIt is reliable and lasts longer

checkit has a 3 in one multiple function system

checkPollution from this plasma cutter is reduced, it’s environmental friendly

checkComes with an advanced MOSFET inverter technology

Cons

No information on warranty

Having analyzed the review of the best plasma cutter available in the market, I will proceed to discuss what you can do with a plasma cutter, as a welder.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY PLASMA CUTTER?

Plasma Cutter is recommended for cutting metal, copper, steel, and other non – ferrous materials. When using oxyacetylene for cutting, you have to carefully control the cutting speed in order to keep the oxidizing process going. Plasma cutter stands out in this aspect.

The plasma cutter is very handy and effective if you will cut expanded metal which can’t be done with oxyfuel. Also, plasma cutting is very fast, it produces a clean cut and also good at making a nonlinear cut!

1. Fabricating Metals on the Go

Plasma technology is extremely invaluable in cutting pieces of metal together. This is especially useful to contractors and welders on site. Many times, metals come in lengths that are too big. At times as well, the job specification requires an exact length of metal that can only be gotten with the use of a plasma cutter.

2. Metal recycling

One of the places where the applications of the plasma cutter is irreplaceable is the junkyard. There are scrap metals that might not be useful to a welder again. A plasma is extremely useful as it helps cut pieces of metal down into bits or size that makes storage easy. With this, you increase storage space and improve productivity!

3. Cutting Pipes

There are times you might need to cut a huge length of pipe. You won’t be able to cut this with a standard cutter due to the time it takes. With a plasma cutter you can do this with ease, you also minimize resources wastage. There are pipe cutting jobs that needs to fit perfectly, and with the smooth neat and quick cut a plasma cutter creates; it is the best for the job!

WHAT PROTECTIVE GEAR DO I NEED WITH MY PLASMA CUTTER?

Thanks to the improvement in technology, plasma cutter has been widely accepted in homes, shop, industrial use, fabrication yards, and many cutting industries. Yes, the plasma cutter is a very useful piece of equipment but a risky one as well.

Hence, the necessary safety precautions are very essential to ensure a seamless operation with the plasma cutter. Irrespective of what you desire to do with the plasma cutter, you need to learn about the necessary level of safety required to get the job done with ease.

From my experience, hazards from using a plasma cutter mostly comes from being exposed to metal fumes, ultraviolet radiation, and hot metals. This could lead to cuts, loss of body parts, crushed toes or fingers, eye damage, electric shock, burns etc.

The good news is that you can limit these type of health hazards with the proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and right safety attitude. It is when you use the recommended personal protective equipment that you can be protected from all the hazards associated with the plasma cutting machine.

Hence, in order to work safely, you have got to protect yourself and those around you with the essential safety gears:

Plasma Helmet: this is essential to keep you safe from debris, hot slags, intense length and most especially radiation. The helmet protects not only your face but the eyes and your respiratory system. It limits the inhale of toxic gases and also protects your eyes from the intensely bright light that comes from the cutting process.

Welding Gloves: There are chances you mistakenly handle a hot metal. This is where a good and reliable welding glove comes in. Also, the intense heat produced by the cutting process could be dangerous for your hand. A good welding glove is needed to serve as insulation between your hands and the heat source. Asides this, a good welding glove also protects you from burns, electric shocks, fire etc.

Welding Jacket: There is the possibility of slag and molten metal flying around during the cutting process. This is why you need to keep your whole body protected. They are essential to keep you safe from fires, intense heat, fire etc. A good welding jacket should be heat resistant and nonflammable. The main idea is to protect your skin. Thus, if any hot spark, debris or slag flies around while cutting and comes in contact with you, you are well protected!

Welding beanie: Basically, a welding beanie is essential for keeping your hair, head, neck, and ear protected from the flying debris, spark or slag during the welding process. It essentially serves as an insulation to guard you against heat stroke and burns.

Laced and Tied Boots: A properly laced and tied boots will keep you safe from flying debris, electric shock. There is the possibility of stepping on a wire that could trigger an electric shock but with your boot on, you’re protected. Also, you need a well-tied boot to prevent your feet from getting burned from hot flying sparks.

Set of Jeans: In addition to your welding jacket, you need a good pair of jeans to keep your legs safe from various hazards that could arise as a result of the plasma cutting process, the hot splash could pour on your leg. With a pair of strong jeans, you not only protect your leg from this splashes, but you also guard against heat stroke due to the excessive temperature of the workshop.

Respirator Mask: During plasma cutting, the possibility of hazardous fumes being released is very high. This calls for adequate protection of your nose, and the best way to do this is with the help of a respiratory mask. This will keep you safe from fumes, oxides etc. You need a quality respiratory mask that is able to filter fumes and particles from the air you breathe. This is essential for your comfort and safety while cutting!

Fire Extinguisher: Last but not the least on my set of important protective gears needed during plasma cutting is a fire extinguisher. The essence of a fire extinguisher is very obvious. Welding is a hot job, plasma cutting makes use of excessively hot gas at extreme temperatures. With this excess temperature, there is the risk of fire occurrence. This is why you need a fire extinguisher handy, so you can guard against any incidence of fire outbreak!

While working with a plasma cutter, it is very good to prioritize safety. Hence, on no account should you compromise on this personal protective equipment while working in the workshop. Remember working safely is critical to your health and wellbeing!

Having discussed the essential safety gears needed for plasma cutting, I will also address the safety hazards that are common while using a plasma cutter.

Safety Hazards of The Best Plasma Cutting

Welding is a hot job. And, plasma welding involves cutting iron or other metals at extremely high temperatures. This presents a lot of health risk to you. Asides physical hazards, there are chemical hazards that you can be exposed to.

In order to guard against the injuries and hazards associated with plasma cutting, you need to be aware of the risks involved. When you know the risk, you will be able to protect yourself adequately against the inherent dangers present during plasma cutting.

Here as some safety hazards involved in plasma cutting:

1. Eye Damage

Plasma cutting often releases vapors, sparks, slag etc. that are physical threats to you. There is a huge risk that this flying debris could get into an unprotected eye. This is why it is essential to be fully kitted before using a plasma cutter. Putting on a welding helmet, as well as a safety goggle, is very important. Not only the eyes need protection, but the entire face as well.

2. Flammable Liquid Around Your Cutting Area

As indicated above, plasma cutting produces splash and sparks that are usually very hot. Thus, the tendency of any flammable liquid around you catching fire is very high. A fire could erupt if sparks comes in contact with any liquid that is highly flammable around the workshop, clothing materials covered in grease or oil also has a great tendency of catching fire. This is why the workshop or working space should be free of flammable liquids, clutters and chemicals.

The presence of a fire extinguisher is very important in the workshop!

3. Dropping Pieces of Hot Metal

Careless handling of hot metal also poses a great risk to you. When this drops, there is the tendency of injuring an exposed leg. This is why a safety boot is always recommended while using a plasma cutter. You can never be overdressed for safety. A hot piece of heavy metal dropping won’t only burn the toe but has the tendency to crush the toes! So dropping pieces of hot metal should be dreadfully avoided.

4. Dangerous Fumes

It is very important to be aware of the dangers involves in dangerous fumes that might come around during plasma cutting. The process of burning might cause toxic gases like Carbon monoxide, argon, and hydrogen fluoride to be released. Inhaling this can lead to serious health complications like eye, throat and lung irritation. When you’re exposed to these fumes for a very long time, there can be severe damage to the internal organs like the kidney, lungs, and liver.

As a result of this, it is important a welder takes a conscious step to get rid of these fumes. The choice of the plasma cutting machine matters. Also, having an engineering control, like a local exhaust ventilation, in place is very important. It helps you get rid of harmful fumes while on the job.

5. Electric Shock

The plasma cutter can also expose you to the risk of electric shock. As a result, you need to take precautions to make sure that the plasma cutting machine and the associated wires are in top conditions, the earth wire should be properly grounded and no naked wire should be in sight.

You should use the necessary and recommended pair of gloves to avoid handling a conductor. Also, the protective clothing, jacket, and gloves should be free from moisture to avoid conducting electricity when working with your plasma cutter. The ground wire should also be in a very good condition to limit the risk of electric shock!

6. Handling metal Just After Cutting

This is a common mistake with many first-timers. Some welders might even be distracted and not realize that a metal just cut is usually extremely hot. Hence, even If you are with a glove, the metal can pierce the glove and burn the naked hand. This applies mostly to small pieces of metal.

I recommend that you give these pieces of metal enough time to cool down before picking them up. But, if it is necessary to pick up a metal while hot, a pair of vice – grips are better!

As evident from the risks listed above, plasma cutting is a dangerous exercise and taking the right precautions can help limit the dangers associated with it.

Having discussed the dangers and hazards associated with plasma cutting, I’ll proceed to discuss the necessary accessories that are very important and needed when using a plasma cutter!

What Equipment is Needed in the Shop to Run a Plasma Cutter?

1. The Right Power Hookup for the Plasma Cutter

“During the best plasma cuter review section of this guide” I pointed out that some machines operate either on the 110V or 220V or both power supply.

The power supply of the plasma cutter is able to convert a single or three phases AC voltage to a constant DC voltage from between 200 to 400VDC. This Direct Current voltage maintains the plasma arc while cutting.

This voltage also stabilizes the current given out due to the requirement of the nature and thickness of the material being handled.

2. Air Compressor

Also, in the section where I reviewed the top plasma cutter available, you will realize that some machines come with a built-in air compressor. But, if it didn’t come with one, for it to function appropriately a constant supply of air is required to get the desired pressure to make the cut.

3. Moisture Filter

A moisture filter ensures that only clean and dry air, coming from the compressor, gets transferred to the plasma. This is a good practice that will keep your plasma cutter functioning at optimum capacity. Most air filters go for averagely $60.

4. Wire Wheel or Grinder

In a case where you have to cut metals or materials with paints on them, you will have to grind down the surface or path around the cut. This is to ensure that the naked metal is exposed to the plasma. The reason is that paint, being highly flammable, can catch fire during the cutting process.

This isn’t very compulsory, but it’s advantage is that you get an improved visibility line.

5. Plasma Torch

A plasma torch is essential to give the necessary alignment as well as cooling down of the consumables. To form an arc generation, the major consumable parts are the swirl, the electrode, nozzle, and ring.

There is the need for an extra shielding cap which can help improve the cut quality.

There are many brands of plasma cutter in the market. Hence, choosing the most appropriate one can be very confusing, especially for someone that has no prior knowledge. In this regards, in the next section I’ll discuss how to choose the best and most appropriate plasma cutter.

How to Choose the best Plasma Cutter?

Plasma cutter is a very important welding tool for every form of welding operation. It makes the cutting of metal and other hard substances very easy, accurate and fast. This is due to the new designs and technology that backs up the plasma cutting machine.

Quite a lot of plasma cutting machines exist in the market. This alone can get anyone who wants to buy a plasma cutter confused on the most suitable one to use. In view of this, I’ll explain how to go about selecting the best plasma cutter and what you should consider before making the final choice.

Discussed below are the necessary considerations you should look at before selecting a plasma cutter.

1. Cutting Speed

One of the most important factors to consider in selecting a plasma cutter is the cutting speed. The basic thickness of the metal you will be handling and the desired cutting speed are things you have to know before selecting a plasma cutter. Basically, a plasma cutter provides cutting in three different quality which are the rated cut, quality cut, and severe cut.

The rated cut is the best cut one can expect from a plasma cutting machine. This is the plasma that is able to handle mild and fairly thick steel at the highest cutting speed. Since it isn’t handling a very thick metal, the cut is clean and smooth

A plasma cutter rated quality cut, on the other hand, is able to handle thick materials. Only that it takes more time to finish the cutting.

A plasma rated severe cut is able to handle very thick materials really slow. The disadvantage of severe cut rated plasma cutter is that they don’t produce a quality cut. Also, the cut requires to be cleaned up. Even though it cuts slowly, the speed picks up as the thickness of the metal decreases

Examining the average thickness of the metal that will be cut as well as the desired cutting speed is one of the guiding factor in selecting the best and most desired plasma cutter!

2. Duty Cycle

One of the very important factors you need to consider in selecting a plasma cutter is the duty cycle of the plasma cutter. Should you desire to use a plasma cutter frequently but not over and over for a very long period of time, the maximum amperage output should be the guiding factor in selecting the plasma cutter. The more the amperage output of the plasma cutter, the more the duty cycle.

On the other hand, if you will be using them over and over for a very long time, then you should select a plasma cutter based on the average size of the material you will be cutting. In this case, considering the maximum thickness that the plasma cutter can deal with is the way to go.

3. Pilot to Cut and Cut to Pilot Transfers

When the pilot arc is brought near the work piece, then one will have a transfer from the pilot arc to the cutting arc. As a result, a plasma cutting machine that gives a fast and reasonable transfer from pilot to cut at a huge transfer height.

These type of plasma cutters make much sense and will be useful for gouging, ideal for proper fitting when welding heavy plate. How do you test advanced characteristics? You can do this by cutting expanded gratings or metal. This will require the machine to switch from pilot to cut and back to the pilot as fast as possible.

4. Portability

Although the portability is not one of the most important factors, it is still essential for some users. A portable plasma cutter can come in handy for some folks which will be very important to their job.

If you will have a plasma cutter that will be stationary for as long as possible, and the materials to be sliced will always be brought to your shop, then the size and weight of the plasma cutting machine might not matter. But, if you’ll be moving the plasma cutter a lot, especially to various job sites, then portability is an important factor.

Most of the plasma cutter that I mentioned in “ the best plasma cutter review section” are very compact and light in weight. Technology has made them abundant these days!

5. Safety of the Device

Plasma cutting is a hot job which presents a lot of hazard to you, the work environment and the neighbors around. Also, the voltage needed to establish an arc for a plasma cutter is usually as high as 300VDC. One of the safety factors to keep you safe is the nozzle.

Having the machine on without the nozzle can result in a serious accident. Thanks to the improvement in technology, there are sensors that detect the nozzle. These sensors prevent the machine from coming up when the nozzle is disconnected.

The pre-flow sequence is another safety factor that comes with the plasma cutting machine. This feature warns you before the arc is triggered. Another safety factor essential in a plasma cutting machine is the three-second pre-flow safety, this is important to warn and alert you in case of any obstruction on the part of the nozzle before the arc comes on!

6. Ease and Comfortable to Use

A plasma cutter with procedures clearly imprinted on the machine is best. This will help in setting up the machine and all diagnostic functions. Also, take note of the feeling of the torch in your hands. It should be comfortable with good ergonomics!

7. How Does the Plasma Cutter Start?

Air is a very good insulator. In establishing a plasma, the air has to ionize to get the necessary current flow needed. Ideally, plasma cutters should have a pilot arc that makes use of high frequency to turn the air into a conductor. With this, getting the machine to start will be easy. It does come with some cons anyway. The excessive frequency generated can interfere with equipment like PC and co.

Thus, if there are sensitive PCs or OC powered accessories around, it is recommended that one go with an alternate method in getting the plasma cutter to start working!

The lift arc method can get rid of this issue. It employs a DC positive nozzle alongside a DC negative electrode in it. At first, the electrode and the nozzle will be in touch. On pulling the trigger, there will be a current flow between the nozzle and the electrode which draws the nozzle away. This forms the pilot. The switch from pilot to a cutting arc happens when the pilot arc is moved near the work piece. This movement is triggered by the electric potential that goes from the nozzle to the work piece.

8. Primary Power

There are two main elements involves in plasma cutting – air and electricity. Thus in selecting a plasma cutter, it is important to know the type of input power source is available. For a 115 primary service, there is no cause for alarm. There are many 12- and 25-amp plasma cutters that operate on the 115 or 230V power supply. Thus, with an input circuit of 30 – amp, there will be an equal cutting capacity at the two voltages.

Miller Electric comes with a unique power technology known as Auto – Line. Basically, a machine with auto – line can accept input voltage in the rage of 190 to 630 V, which can be single or three phase. The interpretation of this is that the plasma cutter can be used with any source of power. Also, if the main source of power rises or falls (within the 190 to bucks630V range), the machine will work seamlessly.

Source of input power is one of the most important factors that you mustn’t overlook when buying a plasma cutter. The reason is simple – all plasma cutters require an excessive amount of electricity for effective operation. Generally, a plasma cutter will either use a 110 volts power supply or a 220 volts power supply. All plasma cutter do come with amperage ratings. The best way to select your plasma cutter is to choose something with a minimum amperage rating that works with the electrical outlet of your workshop.

Also, it is recommended that you have a separate and dedicated power outlet source for the plasma cutter. Using a single source with a plasma cutter and other electrical appliances can reduce power supply to the plasma cutter which can affect the performance.

9. Consumable Cost and Consumable Life

There are some consumable items that go along with plasma cutting torches that will have to be replaced regularly. Take the handheld torch, for instance, the shield, the nozzle, the retaining cap, swirl ring, and the electrode should be easily replaced. Asides, once the plasma cutter’s performance goes down, these parts should be replaced. This is part of the hidden cost.

As a result of this, I advise going for a plasma cutting machine with limited number of consumable parts. The smaller the consumable, the less the parts to replace which translates to less extra cost in the long run. Asides, in getting the plasma cutter, there should be information on the manufacturer’s user guide on the long the consumables will last.

A couple of manufacturers prefer to classify their consumables by the number of cuts, while others prefer the number of starts as their basics. For instance, production equipment that operates all the time will have a wear profile different from a similar one that works at an interval.

10. Brand

The brand manufacturing the plasma cutter should also be considered in selecting the most suitable plasma cutter for your use. You have to do a thorough research about the best brands. I’ll advice you to choose one of the brands mentioned earlier in the article, they are brands that have established themselves as an authority in the welding accessories field.

The review of other users and their experience with a particular product is another way to judge and decide the most effective plasma cutter user can select.

11. Cut Quality

The quality of the cut you will be getting from your plasma cutting machine is also critical. This is because it has a direct effect on your finished products and it also makes your work fast. When you have a tidy and smooth edge, you will waste no extra time on a secondary job.

The importance of a tidy and smooth cut can’t be overemphasized. This is why a good plasma cutter will give very narrow kerfs (the cut width). This translates to less wasted materials and very accurate cuts!

12. Pilot Arc

As evident from the above, it takes planning and research to select the best plasma cutter. Mind you, it doesn’t end at selecting the best plasma cutter. You have to service it properly as this can affect its durability. In fact, I have discovered that when a plasma cutter develops a fault, it is usually due to the faults in the other system components like consumables, air and not the plasma cutter itself.

Having discussed the main factors to consider before selecting a plasma cutting machine, I’ll proceed to discuss the step by step guide on how to cut with the plasma cutting machine.

How Do I Cut With a Plasma Cutter?

Without any doubt, a plasma cutter is a great machine meant to make work easier. But, if not handled properly, using it won’t be very easy.

The following are a step by step guide on how to use the plasma cutting machine, it’ll make using the machine very easy if followed diligently.

Step 1 – Be Safety Conscious

Plasma cutting is a dangerous exercise which requires being safety conscious. Thus, before commencing anything at all, you want to make sure you have taken all necessary safety precautions. Be sure to be fully kitted from head to toe – welding jacket, eye protection, gloves, your pair of boot, your beanie etc. Also, make sure all flammable materials are out of the working area.

Step 2 – Be Aware of the Effects

For first time users, I advise that you are fully aware of the potential effect of the cutting process before starting the cutting operation at all. In other words, be prepared for excessive noise, very high temperatures, fumes, UV radiations etc. There are times you will have to deal with molten metal!

Step 3 – Prepare the Workshop/Work Area

Asides getting rid of flammable materials, there are other things you need to do to prepare for the cutting process. For instance, you need a well-ventilated workspace for the cutting process due to the intense heat produced. Also, you have to get the air compressor started on time in order to build the needed air pressure needed for cutting.

Step 4 – Select the Right Cutter

If you will be using a plasma cutter for the first time, I will advise you go with a version that is pretty easy to use. New designs are recommended as you don’t have to adjust the pressure!

Step 5 – Be Aware of the Thickness of Your Work Piece

Before commencing the cutting process at all, you have to measure the thickness of the metal you need to cut. This is because the thickness of the metal decides the size of your cutter. A 375 spectrum, for instance, is able to cut 3/8 inch of steel.

Step 6 – Connect to the Power Source

One of the main things to be careful about in using your plasma cutter is the power source. The good news here is that plasma cutters can work with varieties of input power such as 1 phase, 3 phase, 50 Hz and 60 Hz. You must make sure you use the right and recommended power source for the machine!

Step 7 – Placing and Preparing Your Work Piece

The metal that needs to be cut should be positioned on the vice, sawhorses or clamped to the work table – a flat surface. I recommend using any wooden table. You should be careful and certain that when the metal is cut and it falls, it will hit neither you nor the chord of the plasma.

After setting your work piece, clean the path of cut with a grinder or wire piece, especially if it is a painted material. Also, mark your cut line with a metal chalk or any marking tool you have.

Step 8 – Working With the Torch

This is the point where you proceed to work with the torch. Grab the torch of the plasma cutter and point close to the metal surface. On pulling the trigger, the pilot arch will start

Step 9 – Move the Torch

On pulling the trigger, move the touch to commence the cutting arc. Be certain that it is piercing the metal to its bottom. In a perpendicular position, hold the torch and maneuver it around the work piece

Step 10 – Judge the Speed

On moving the torch, you should be able to decide if you are making meaningful progress. An easy way to do this is to look for spark beneath the metal. It there is no spark, the plasma cutter’s speed is wrong. It’s also pointing to the fact that the work piece hasn’t been penetrated through

Step 11 – Adjust the Speed

Some minor adjustments will allow you to fix any issue with the speed. You also need to have adequate output amperage, in this regard, the speed with which you move should be minimal in order to make it effective!

Step 12 – Be careful With the Finishing Cut

You need to be very careful with the finishing cut. You should have your torch angled on getting to the finishing point. Also, you could hold on for a while when getting to the final bit, hold on and then proceed.

Step 13 – Allow Work Piece to Cool

When done with the cutting, put the cutter away in a safe place then allow to cool off and keep on a noncombustible surface. A good plasma cutter should be equipped with a cooling system which should cool the unit after use.

Now that you are aware of how to use a plasma cutter, I’ll take you through a list of the frequently asked questions and the appropriate solutions for them.

FAQs on Plasma Cutter For Beginners.

I present some questions that might answer your concern on the use of plasma cutter below:

1. Do I need a Plasma With an Inbuilt Compressor?

“In the section on the top plasma cutter review above” I mentioned that some plasma cutter that comes with compressors. These plasma cutters do give a constant supply of air while the machine is cutting. These types of plasma cutter are recommended for users that will be working in places without access to air compressor.

The cons with these types of machine is that they are usually expensive and underpowered. A plasma cutter with an air compressor is recommended if you will be moving the plasma cutter a lot.

2. What is the Pilot Arc? Do I need it?

If you have a quality plasma cutter, it should come with a pilot arc. The meaning of this is the ability to make a cut with the plasma cutter’s torch without making contact with the metal/work piece. On using a pilot arc, you are required to hold the tip of the torch near the metal.

The advantage of this is that you are able to make a smooth cut as well as prolong the life of your consumables. You will also have a smooth and neat cut, especially if you are cutting expanded steel.

On the other hand, a non-Pilot Arc plasma cutting machine is pretty cheap. In using it, the torch tip of your metal has to touch the metal for you to cut. The disadvantage of this is obvious – you waste consumables. Hence, the few extra bucks that is required for a pilot arc enabled plasma cutting machine is so worth it!

3. What are Consumables and How Often Do I Need to replace them?

The part of the torch of your plasma cutter that wears out after several cuts are called the consumables. Consumables come in various types like the deflectors, shield, nozzles, retaining caps, swirl rings, and electrodes, all on the torch. How long these components will last differs, depending on how often you use the machine.

The good news is that you can get these consumables from manufacturers. Thus, when you have a worn out part, you can easily order for it, replace and continue working. It’s also very easy to dismantle. There are consumable kits from manufacturers with all the essential parts that you can buy.

4. How Does Plasma Cutting Compare to Oxyfuel Cutting?

Plasma cutter works perfectly with any type of metal as long as it is conducive such as aluminum, carbon, mild steel and stainless steel. Mild steel gives operators faster and thicker cuts compared to alloys.

The principle of cutting with oxyfuel is oxidation or burning of the base metal. The cons with oxyfuel are that it is limited to steel and other ferrous metals which supports the process of oxidation. Aluminum, stainless steel and other forms of metal disrupt further oxidation process. This prevents oxyfuel from being a good cutting tool. On the other hand, plasma cutting doesn’t work with oxidation hence, it is able to cut stainless, aluminum and many other conductive materials.

Although the various type of gases are applicable to plasma cutting, compressed air from an air compressor is often used. Some plasma cutting machine comes equipped with a compressor, and , compressed air is readily available. This removes the need for using fuel gas and compressed oxygen in the cutting operation.

It is pretty easy to cut with a plasma cutter, and it is much easier to use a plasma cutter on thinner materials compared to oxyfuel cutting.

5. Is there any Limitation to Plasma Cutting?

There are some applications where oxyfuel and other cutting method are preferred. Oxyfuel, for instance, is able to cut very thick sections of steel – more than one inch – and cuts way faster than a plasma cutter.

Plasma cutting machine is also expensive compared to oxyacetylene. Some users also prefer torch cutting compared to plasma cutting due to the fact that they operate independently of compressed air and electric power. This makes it a more preferred method for some welders.

Users do benefit from the plasma cutting technology due to pre-existing shop services. This will translate to little cost. Also, the cost of consumables like fuel and oxygen is reduced.

6. Why Do I Prefer Plasma Cutter but not Laser or Water Jet?

The reason is the cost of cut per inch of thickness. It is relatively high in terms of cost to cut per inch of thickness with laser and water jet when compared to a plasma cutter. Thus, plasma cutter saves time, and cost when cutting both ferrous and non-ferrous work piece.

7. Can Plasma Cutter be used for Cutting Aluminum and Stainless?

Yes, Plasma cutter can handle anything metal. IF you have a standard plasma cutting machine with you, it will handle the job seamlessly.

8. Why Should You prefer a Quality Plasma Cutter?

Getting a quality plasma cutter is preferred for many reasons. First of all, I would like you to see the plasma cutter as an investment rather than an ordinary tool. And with all investments, it will pay for itself over the years to come. Thus, over the years that you will be using it, it will serve you better, compared to going for a cheap tool that might not last you for long. With a quality plasma cutter, you save money!

Conclusion: The best Plasma Cutter Review

Plasma cutters are interesting tools that give a superb performance. This plasma cutter review has been compiled based on my personal experience as well as surveys from close friends and relatives. So, you can be rest assured that all descriptions, analysis, advantages and disadvantages of each machine given are honest!

As indicated in the previous section, getting a plasma cutting machine is a very good investment as a welder. Thus, on making an investment this expensive, you have got to be serious, fully equipped with the best information and analysis before heading to the market.

My plasma cutter is one of my most useful and loved equipment because it makes my work so fast and elegant, I owe most of my success in welding to using the best and most efficient equipment. This is why I wrote a review on the best plasma cutters available. Be assured that choosing any of the top plasma cutting machine mentioned will be a very wise decision and like I always say “you can never go wrong with the right plasma cutter!“

Getting a plasma cutter is one of the best investments I ever made, get yours so you can know how it feels to work seamlessly. With the right plasma cutter, the future is now!

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