Plasma Arc Machining

Plasma-arc machining (PAM) employs a high-velocity jet of high-temperature gas to melt and displace material in its path. Called PAM, this is a method of cutting metal with a plasma-arc, or tungsten inert-gas-arc, torch. The torch produces a high velocity jet of high-temperature ionized gas called plasma that cuts by melting and removing material from the workpiece. Temperatures in the plasma zone range from 20,000° to 50,000° F (11,000° to 28,000° C).

It is used as an alternative to oxyfuel-gas cutting, employing an electric arc at very high temperatures to melt and vaporize the metal.

Applications -

The materials cut by PAM are generally those that are difficult to cut by any other means, such as stainless steels and aluminum alloys. It has an accuracy of about 0.008".