COMPARISON OF AIR AND WATER-AIR PLASMA CUTTING OF SHEET SHIPBUILDING STEEL

To perform submerged arc welding of carbon steel sheet edges immediately after plasma cutting, it is necessary to improve the formation of these edges. Such improvements include reducing edge roughness and non-perpendicularity, as well as minimizing their gas saturation, particularly with nitrogen. It has been established that the degree of non-perpendicularity is not stable under the same operating conditions and depends on the shape of the plasma column. Poor mechanical processing of the nozzle, misalignment of the nozzle and electrode cathode insert can cause the plasma jet to deviate from a cylindrical shape, resulting in variable cut profiles along the coordinate axes.