Oxyfuel Gas Cutting

THE AMERICAN WELDER FACT SHEET
Oxyfuel Gas Cutting

Oxyfuel gas cutting (OFC) processes cut or remove metal heat sustains the continued oxidation of the metal through-
by means of the chemical reaction of oxygen with the metal out the cut. The oxygen stream and combusted gas trans-
at elevated temperatures. The necessary heat is provided by port the molten oxide away, and the metal in the path of the
a flame of fuel gas burning with oxygen. These cutting stream burns, producing a narrow cut known as a kerf.
processes are often referred to by various other names, in- The torch directs the preheat flame produced by the con-
cluding burning, flame cutting, and flame machining, but trolled combustion of fuel gases and controls the cutting oxy-
the standard term designated by the American Welding So- gen. Because the cutting oxygen jet has a 360-deg cutting
ciety is oxyfuel gas cutting. edge, it provides a rapid means of cutting straight edges or
Oxyfuel gas cutting and its variations are important curved shapes to required dimensions without expensive
processes commonly used in structural fabrication, ship- handling equipment. The cutting direction can be continu-
building, the manufacture of heavy machinery, and the fab- ously changed during operation.
rication, repair, and maintenance of pressure vessels and The oxyfuel gas cutting process is illustrated in Fig. 1.
storage tanks.
Oxyfuel gas cutting processes can be used to cut structur- Advantages of Oxyfuel Gas Cutting
al shapes, pipe, rod, similar materials for construction and
maintenance, and scrap in salvage operations. In a steel mill A comparison of OFC to other metal-cutting methods
or foundry, extraneous projections can be quickly severed such as sawing, milling, and arc cutting reveals a number of
from billets and castings using OFC processes. In disassem- process advantages and disadvantages. The following are
bly operations, these processes can also rapidly sever bolts, several advantages of OFC:
rivets, and pins. 1. Steels can generally be cut faster with OFC than by me-
Mechanized and automated OFC processes are used in chanical chip removal processes;
steel warehouses and many other industrial settings to cut 2. Section shapes and thicknesses that are difficult to cut
steel to size and pierce or cut holes, as well as to cut various by mechanical means can be severed economically by OFC;
shapes from plate. An important application is preparing 3. Basic manual OFC equipment costs are low compared
plate edges for welding. The processes are also used in the to machine tools or the equipment used in other cutting
fabrication of machine parts such as gears, clevises, frames, processes;
and tools. 4. Manual OFC equipment is portable and easily deployed
in the field;
Oxyfuel Gas Cutting Operations 5. Cutting direction can be changed rapidly on a small ra-
dius during operation;
The OFC operation begins by using a fuel gas flame to 6. Large metal plate sections can be rapidly cut in place
heat the area of the workpiece to be cut to the ignition tem- by moving the OFC torch rather than the plate; and
perature of approximately 870°C (1600°F). The actual cut- 7. Oxyfuel cutting is an economical method of plate-edge
ting is performed by an oxygen stream that is directed at the preparation for bevel and groove weld joint designs.
preheated location on the workpiece, resulting in the oxida-
tion of the heated metal and the generation of heat. This Disadvantages of Oxyfuel Gas Cutting
The following limitations are inherent to the OFC of
metals:
1. Dimensional tolerances achieved may be greater than
those attained with mechanical cutting;
2. The process is essentially limited to the cutting of
steels and cast iron, although other readily oxidized metals
such as titanium can be cut;
3. Preheat flames and expelled red-hot slag constitute
fire and burn hazards;
4. Fuel combustion and oxidation of the metal require
proper fume control and adequate ventilation;
5. Hardenable steels may require preheat or postheat, or
both, to control their metallurgical structures and mechani-
cal properties adjacent to the cut edges; and
6. Special process modifications are required for the cut-
Fig. 1 — Schematic view of the oxyfuel gas cutting process. ting of high-alloy steels and cast irons. WJ
Excerpted from the Welding Handbook, Ninth Edition, Volume 2, Welding Processes, Part 1.
WJ
80 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2020

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THE AMERICAN WELDER FACT SHEET

Oxyfuel Gas Cutting

80 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2020

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