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We have shared some of our Frequently Asked Questions to help you out!
Flame Cutting (3)
Flame cutting is using a flame with oxy-acetylene material that cuts the metal by burning it.
The benefits of flame cutting are the ability to cut thicker material at a very low cost. This is the cheapest way to cut. One of the negatives is this type of cutting has to be cleaned after the cut.
The tolerance for flame cutting is plus or minus 1/16 to 1/2 in.
General (1)
Lead times are normally a few days to a week depending on the type of cut.
High Definition Plasma Cutting (2)
The benefits of high definition plasma cutting (HD plasma cutting) are the fairly tight tolerance but with a better price than waterjet cutting or laser cutting. We can only cut up to 2 in thick material this way and there is also some clean up after the cut.
The tolerance for Hi-Def plasma is plus or minus .020.
Laser Cutting (2)
The benefits of laser cutting are the tight tolerance and the speed of cutting. It also has a low heat affected area around the cut. Also little or no clean up.
The tolerance for laser cutting is plus or minus .005.
Other Services (5)
Our machine can bend and form up to 1″ thick material and 144″ long.
Bending and forming is taking the flat sheet of material and putting it in a machine to bend it at a 90 degree angle or form it at a couple of different angles.
Edge beveling is taking the material and putting it through a machine to take some of the material off the edge and make a bevel on the flat plate. We then usually take the beveled pieces and weld the two parts together. This makes the material fit better.
Plate rolling is taking the flat material and putting it in a machine to roll it into a circle. We can only roll up to 1/4 in material and 49 in wide.
The simple machine service that Source Metals provides is putting a tap thread or drill a hole in the flat plate.
Waterjet Cutting (3)
The benefits of water jet cutting are the tight tolerance and the ability to cut thicker material without having a heat affected zone around the cut. By not having a heat affected zone it is easier to finish machining the parts at a machine shop. This is also the slowest way to cut material.
Waterjet cutting is using water with an added abrasive in the material that cuts the metal.
