Hi all, my robotics team has recently started using a Cross Fire, i have been learning how to use it. My team also has some sheets 1/8" alloy titanium we got donated to us a few years back but haven’t been able to used it due to difficulty machining. Now that we have a plasma cutter we have been hoping to cut titanium.
When ever I look into how to cut it i get mixed awnsers to weather or not to use gas. And what settings to use. So do I need gas to cut Titanium with a plasma cutter? Or is air just fine?
(Idk if its related but my team has Spectrum 375 X-TREME with XT30 Torch)
Not a good idea. I have never done it, but. Titanium changes chemical composition when heated to plasma temps. The preferred method would be a water jet or a band saw. You can cut it, but use fast IPM speeds like aluminum with comparable power settings. Trial and error
Please let us know how you make out. It’s not every day that I come across a free sheet of Titanium.
Air should be sufficient. A nitrogen gas stream would not hurt or help, although it may shield the edges from oxidation. F5 gas would add Hydrogen molecules to the plasma and make it even hotter.
Your water pan may not like it. Titanium has a high Magnesium content, and will make the backside flame stupid hot and may increase the “afterburn”
There is also a potential off gassing from cutting hazard if memory serves…I think.
From a mfg link - The best arc quality is achieved using a mixture of argon and hydrogen gases. Nitrogen gas can be substituted for hydrogen gases, but the cut quality will deteriorate slightly. Shop air or any oxygen bearing gases should be avoided when plasma cutting these alloys.
I would not cut Titanium with ANY heat process. You will destroy the very properties you are probably using it for. It can definitely can be cut with a plasma cutter and is done to rough cut sheets down but the edges that were cut on the plasma are usually cut off as a margin with another process like a band saw or water jet.
If it is grade 5 Titanium you need sharp high grade carbide to machine it. It chews up tooling fast as once dull it will not cut. I have found it is not as bad as many stainless grades to machine as long as your tooling is sharp and use fairly slow speeds. You can drill holes with good grades of cobalt using a cutting fluid specified for Titanium. Boelube works very well as a cutting lubricant for Titanium.