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| | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 265 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 265 | What are the operational differences between an arc welder and a plasma cutter? Is it possible to use a plasma cutter head with a regular arc welder? | | | | | Joined: Jan 1970 Posts: 365 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 1970 Posts: 365 | A plasma cutter uses high voltage/high frequency to superheat air (or oxygen) to the 4th state of matter, which is plasma. The plasma arc then cuts through anything that conducts electricity.
An arc welder will have something on the order of 40 - 70 open current volts, and when the arc is struck the voltage drops and the current rises to where you have the control set. I don't have any plasma cutter specs in front of me, but it seems like a plasma cutter generates 400 volts at a high frequency like 1000 hz. Again, I am not sure about the plasma cutter specs, so someone needs to jump in here to straighten me out.
However, to answer your question, I do not believe there is any way to use an arc welder power supply to operate a plasma cutter. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,552 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,552 | Plasma cutters also employ compressed air to clear the kerf created by the plasma arc. As you know, an arc welder does not employ compressed air. | | |
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