Rens Design Engineering

In layman’s terms, an electric arc is created on a working gas, such a compressed air that is sent through a small hole. The arc creates a high temperature gas in a state of matter called plasma and the small hole cause the gas to flow at high speed. The electric arc is then transferred to an electric conductive material being cut. The combination of the electric arc and high temperature and high speed gas cuts the electric conductive molten material.

Hoe werk plasma snywerk:

‘n Elektriese vonk word voortgebring in ‘n gas soos saamgepersde lug wat deur ‘n klein gaatjie gepers word. Die vonk verander dan die saam gepersde lug om in ‘n vorm van materie genaamd plasma en die klein gaatjie veroorsaak dat die plasma teen baie hoë snelheid vloei. Die vonk word ook na die werkstuk metaal gelei wat dan gesny word. Die kombinasie van ‘n elektrise vonk en hoë spoed plasma sny dan die elektriese geleidende materiaal.

The tolerance of plasma cutting is +/-1mm but is most of the time less than this. It must also be noted that plasma cutting can produce some degree of a bevel angle normal to the cut profile which can sometimes be eliminated to a great extend with proper settings.

Wat is the toleransie van plasma snywerk:

Die toleransie van plasma snywerk is +/-1mm maar meeste van die kere is dit mider veral op plaat diktes onder 12mm. Daar moet ook gelet word dat plasma snywerk ‘n taps hoek tot gevolg kan hê op die sny oppervlak. Deur die sny parameter verstellings te maak kan die hoek tot die minimum beperk word.

• Tolerance
• Taper tolerance
• Holes and internal features should be at leat 1.5 times the plate thickness to be cut.
• Plasma cutting is a 2-dimensional process, thus the cutting head moves in a lengthwise and width wise direction and any combination thereof.
• If there are internal features and it needs to be retained as part of the main part, it needs to be attached for example: The internal triangular part of the Letter A if this letter is cut. The same hold true for art where an internal feature must be attached to the main part otherwise it will become a drop-out.

Wat moet inag geneem word met plasma snywerk:

• Toleransie
• Taps hoek toleransie
• Gate en binne figure moet ten minste 1.5 keer die plaat dikte wees om netjies gesny te word.
• Plasma snywerk is ‘n 2-dimensionele proses, dus beweeg die snykop in ‘n lengthe en breedte rigting en enige kombinasie daarvan om ‘n vorm te sny.
• Indien daar ‘n binne fatsoen is wat deel van part moet vorm, is dit noodsaaklik dat die binne fatsoen aan die part moet vas wees byvoorbeeld die binne driehoekige deel van die letter A as dit gesny word. Netso is dit nodig om die binne fatsoen van ‘n kuns stuk aan die hoof plaat gedeelte vas te he ganders gaan dit weg val.

A plate is bent along a bend line to a specific angle to create a formed shape. Plate bending process involves the use of a press brake machine to create a force to shape the plate and tooling that guides the shape to be bent. Tooling in turn consists of a V-block that guides the shape and angle to be bent and a blade that force the plate into the V-block. 

Hoe plaat buigwerk gedoen word:
‘n Plaat word op ‘n denkbeeldige buiglyn gebuig teen ‘n spesifieke hoek om ‘n gebuigde vorm voort te bring. Om ‘n plaat te buig gebruik die buigmasjien ‘n lem en V-blok. Die lem oefen die buig krag op die plaat uit terwyl die die V-blok die plaat se vorm gee wat gebuig word. 

• The distance between two consecutive bends cannot be narrower than the height of the flange being bent. It is also dependent on plate thickness ant the tooling available on the press brake.
• The length of bend on a plate is dependent on the bending force capability of the press brake.
• The internal and external bend radius that is achieved is determined by the tooling and V-block used as well as the plate thickness and type of material.

Wat moet inag geneem word vir plaat buigwerk:

• Die afstand tussen twee opeenvolgende buie, kan nie smaller wees as die flens wat gebuig word. Die plaatdikte wat gebuig word asook lem profile en V-blok moet ook inag geneem word. 
• Die lengte van die buig hang af van die plaat dikte en die krag kapasiteit van die buig masjien. 
• Die binne en buite radius van die buig wat verkry word, word bepaal deur die plaat dikte, materiaal en lem en V-blok.