15 Ways to Improve Parts Life

This article is reproduced with permission
of Canadian Machinery and Metalworking

Here are 15 tips and procedures that can help you improve the lifetime of your torch parts

1. Ensure proper gas pressure and flow.

The pressure and flow of your plasma gas is extremely important to consumable life. If your gas pressure
is too high, your electrode life will be significantly reduced. If your gas pressure is too low, your nozzle life will be adversely affected.

2. Use the appropriate standoff.

Use the standoff chart to determine the proper distance between the torch nozzle and workpiece when cutting.
For hand-held cutters, use standoff devices. For mechanized systems, manually set the standoff or Torch Standoff Chart

use automatic height control. When piercing, set the standoff to 2X the height used for cutting or the
maximum height that will allow arc transfer, if possible.

3. Pierce within your system's limit.

Don't try to pierce metals that are too thick for your plasma
cutter. You can usually pierce up to half the thickness rating of your system. For example, a 100-A
system that is rated to cut 1-in. carbon steel should only be used for piercing 1/2-in. steel.

4. Don't overpower your nozzle.

Overpowering a nozzle (running at an amperage level that exceeds
the rating) will quickly cause the nozzle to fail. Set the amperage at 95% of the nozzle's rating. For example, run a 100-A nozzle at 95-A.

5. Keep your plasma gas clean and dry.

Your plasma system needs a clean, dry gas or air supply to operate correctly. Contaminated gas is often a
problem with compressed air systems. It can cause short consumable life and premature torch failure. To test gas quality, purge gas through the
torch in the test mode and hold a mirror under the nozzle. If any water vapor or oil mist appears on the mirror, track down and correct the problem.

6. Use edge starts.

Whenever possible, use edge starts rather than pierce starts to begin a cut. Edge starting
can significantly improve your consumable parts life. Use proper techniques. Start the plasma arc with the
nozzle orifice centered directly over the edge of the workpiece.