| Tips and Operating Advice |
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| Tips For Longevity Plasma Cutting |
| Using a Longevity Plasma Cutter with either High Frequency or Pilot Arc technology is very easy to use, and since each Longevity unit is quality tested at our in house testing facility before it is shipped , most of our customers take right out of the box, plug it in and get to work. Naturally, it is easy to understand how excited you would be to see the delivery truck pull up with your brand new Longevity Plasma Cutter and you should be. Congratulations is in order and we want to ensure you have the best experience with your Longevity Plasma Cutter. However, excited as we are you can't wait to put your Longevity Plasma Cutter into action, we would like you to consider these helpful tips and examples that will enable you to get the most out of your Longevity Plasma Cutter and it's consumables. So, before using your Longevity Plasma Cutter it is extremely important to read the owner's manual all the way through regardless of your experience level. Even if you are a seasoned veteran, give it a once through and keep it near by in case you, someone you know or someone you work with has a question about the use or specifications of your Longevity Plasma Cutter. |
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| At this point, let us assume that you have purchased the Longevity Plasma Cutter that is right for you, and even though you did your research already, it is always a good idea to revisit the safety precautions, specifications and unique options ensuring you achieve the most with your Longevity Plasma Cutter while staying safe. In case you have not decided which Longevity Plasma Cutter is right for you, please visit the Help Me Choose section and take advantage of the Longevity Smart Selector. |
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| In terms of safety, the price of carelessly cutting corners can be extremely costly, not only to your health but to the people around you as well. So, before you get started using your Longevity Plasma Cutter to create your master piece, build a bridge, or whatever you want to do, make sure you have a quality safety checklist you follow after you read the manual and before you get started. Below are a list of tips and safety measures you might find useful in developing your safety checklist. Remember, in no way shape or form does this checklist or any other check list ever replace the necessity of thoroughly reading the owner's manual of your Longevity Plasma Cutter. |
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| Check List Suggestions |
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Always start with the power cord. You want to make sure the power cord of your Longevity Plasma Cutter is in quality condition before use. This should rarely be the case, as every single Longevity product is personally tested and inspected by the Longevity Facility Testing Team before it is shipped. Still, check your power cord and consult your Longevity Plasma Cutter owner's manual to ensure you are plugged into the correct type of primary power supply. Most Longevity Plasma Cutters use either 110V or 220V, but some contain Longevity Powerline technology which allow you to select 110V or 220V with your Longevity Plasma Cutter. |
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Connect the air supply to your Longevity Plasma Cutter and consult your owner's manual to ensure the correct psi. |
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Each Longevity Plasma Cutter, regardless if it uses Pilot Arc or High Frequency technology, comes with an air flow regulator and water catcher. Reference the owner's manual of your Longevity Plasma Cutter for specifications and care instructions of your air flow regulator and filter. |
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Check the torch of your Longevity Plasma Cutter and make sure everything is in order. Reference the owner's manual of your Longevity Plasma Cutter to make sure all of your consumables are clean, correct, and pieced together securely before you begin cutting. |
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Gouging or piercing can be achieved by simply lowering the amperage output and keeping with the recommended psi. Examples on how to achieve the desired results can be referenced in the owner's manual of your Longevity Plasma Cutter. |
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Now you are ready to use your Longevity Plasma Cutter safely and efficiently. Turn the machine on and enjoy the satisfying experience of a quality Longevity Plasma Cutter. |
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Double check your air supply, air flow regulator and water filter. (More on this below.) |
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All Longevity Plasma Cutters require a solid ground connection as close to the work piece as practical. Remember, even though your Longevity Plasma Cutter can cut through paint and other coatings on the metal, the ground connection requires a clean, flush connection to the work piece. |
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Utilizing the proper safety equipment is just as important as understanding how to properly operate your Longevity Plasma Cutter. Consult the owner's manual of your Longevity Plasma Cutter to be sure you are using the correct gloves, eye protection, welding leathers, face shield, etc. You can find all of the necessary equipment as stated in the owner's manual of your Longevity Plasma Cutter in the a ccessories section of our website. |
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The old adage says to measure twice and cut once, but we want to go ahead and suggest you make a sample cut (of the same caliber as the intended use) with your Longevity Plasma Cutter before you get started. Use this rehearsal just to be sure you have correctly calibrated all the settings to work as desired. If you are going to be cutting for a large piece of metal, it can sometimes be difficult for even the most experienced metal worker to cleanly stop and start. We recommend you use the sample cut to thoroughly rehearse the intended cut with your Longevity Plasma Cutter. |
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| Longevity Plasma Cutter Tips |
| In order to successfully execute a clean cut with your Longevity Plasma Cutter you must consider a combination of elements involved in the cutting process: |
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The tip of your torch is designed to focus the plasma stream to the work piece in accordance with the appropriate setting (see owner's manual). Trying to use a 80-amp torch tip at a 40-amp setting will not focus the energy of your torch accurately and thus lead to a wider kerf. And the opposite scenario of using an 80-amp setting with a 40-amp tip will abuse your torch tip and require it to be replaced sooner than intended. |
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When cutting a thicker material with your Longevity Plasma Cutter it is important to use a torch tip designed for a higher-amp output. Higher-amp tips have a larger opening than lower-amp tips. Attempting to use a 40-amp tip to cut thick metal with a higher-amp output will distort your 40-amp tip meaning it will need to be replaced. |
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Each Longevity Plasma Cutter, both Pilot Arc and High Frequency , allow you to cut different metals at different speeds. For example to achieve a quality cut of 1/2in. thick steel with the Longevity Force Cut LP-40D Pilot Arc your speed will be roughly 7 inches per minute. Where as the Longevity Force Cut LP-80D will cut 1.25in. thick steel at the same rate. |
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Use extended tips on your Longevity Plasma Cutter for tough to reach corners, tracing a pattern, or areas with tight spaces. |
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Pilot Arc technology allows you to ignite the arc without the tip touching the metal. Use a torch guide or tip shield to protect your consumable. The more often you drag your torch tip across the material or stop and restart the Pilot Arc, the shorter the life span of your consumables will be. |
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Using a torch guide or tip shield is a great way to protect the consumables of your Longevity Plasma Cutter. Remember to maintain a 1/16in. - 1/8in. distance from the material when cutting. |
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| * The important things to consider while using your Longevity Plasma Cutter to cleanly execute a cut is correct amperage of the torch tip, thickness of the material, intended speed, proper technique, and ultimately protecting the life of your consumables. |
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| Cutting Posture |
| Sometimes you may find that you are unable to use a guide or shield when operating your Longevity Plasma Cutter. In some instances a project may be a very ornate design with different curves and protrusions or the material is too thick to apply a shield or guard to your Longevity Plasma Cutter torch tip. In order to maintain the quality and consistency of your work we recommend that you use your other hand as a guide. Give yourself a fighting chance to steady your hands and take advantage of the protective gear you have like our guys on the Longevity Facility Testing Team . Notice in the photo below how both hands are utilized to keep the torch at a consistent height. This posture will also allow you to keep the torch perpendicular to the work piece, which is the desired position whenever possible (unless you are beveling). |
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| One of the reasons you purchase a Longevity Plasma Cutter is because of it's quality. Therefor we think you should have a few quality reminders to think about when you are cutting. |
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| If you stop and start an arc in the middle of a cut, often the the quality of your cut will suffer and compromise the integrity of your so far clean cut-line. Remember, even when we do facility testing, a suitable method to apply when using your Longevity Plasma Cutter is rehearsing the cut. Be sure you are going to be able to produce a smooth continuous cut-line all the way through. |
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| Along with rehearsing your cut, another equally good reminder is to protect your consumables as much as possible. Often we can get comfortable piercing right through thin steel with our Longevity Plasma Cutters, but when cutting thicker metal often the intense back splash from initial contact will rapidly wear down your torch tip and other consumables. Even though the seeing the bright sparks show off the awesome power of your Longevity Plasma Cutter, remember we want you to be able to enjoy the results of your work time and time again. So, in situations when you are going to be cutting thick metals at high amperage with your Longevity Plasma Cutter, we recommend you start with the torch pointed at a 45 degree angle. This angled approach allows for the first blast of metal to be released with out back splash on to your valuable consumables. |
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| Know Your Amperage, Know Your Metal |
| The owner's manual of each Longevity Plasma Cutter contains a chart that will illustrate the ratio of specific material thickness to travel speed in inches per minute. A quality example is the cutting performance chart above. |
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| Understanding the amperage in relation to your cut speed is important. Some metals respond differently than others. For example the faster you move on a material such as aluminum, the cleaner your cut will be. Conversely, when using your Longevity Plasma Cutter to cut thicker material, set your unit to full output and vary your travel speed accordingly. Thin material requires you to turn down the amperage and change to a lower-amperage to achieve a narrow kerf. |
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| Figuring out if you are going too slow or too fast can be a daunting task that really only comes with time and experience. However, our guys in the Longevity Facility Testing Team have a few pointers for you: |
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If your cut has a lot of spray back then you are probably going too fast. |
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If the arc exits the material going straight down then you are probably moving too slow and you will have an unnecessary buildup of "dross" or "slag." |
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Your arc should be exiting the material at a 15 - 20 degree angle, but opposite the direction of your cut path. |
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| Using A Cutting Guide |
| First thing in using a torch guide with your Longevity Plasma Cutter is make sure it isn't flammable! Aluminum works as a great torch guide, but be sure it is attached to the torch cup and not the torch tip. Aluminum is a great contact guide because of it's smooth surface but be wary of the torch tip because of electrical conductivity of aluminum. It would be a terrible mess of a cut, loss of consumables, and overall depressing mistake if your torch guide melted to the torch tip or the project at hand. Next you want to mark the material to be cut with either white chalk or a black marker. If you are unsure of how steady your hands are, we recommend you try using a straight edge clamp attached to the work piece or torch guide. |
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| All articles are composed by the Longevity Facility Testing Team and are written with expressed interest of maintain a strong standard in Longevity Global Inc. quality, to help address topics, and answer questions for amateur and experienced users alike. Please remember to always exercise extreme causation and abide by all provided safety specification. |
