THE AMERICAN WELDER
Oxyfuel Gas Cutting
Oxyfuel gas cutting (OFC) processes cut or remove metal
by means of the chemical reaction of oxygen with the metal
at elevated temperatures. The necessary heat is provided by
a flame of fuel gas burning with oxygen. These cutting
processes are often referred to by various other names, in-
cluding burning, flame cutting, and flame machining, but
the standard term designated by the American Welding So-
ciety is oxyfuel gas cutting.
Oxyfuel gas cutting and its variations are important
processes commonly used in structural fabrication, ship-
building, the manufacture of heavy machinery, and the fab-
rication, repair, and maintenance of pressure vessels and
storage tanks.
Oxyfuel gas cutting processes can be used to cut structur-
al shapes, pipe, rod, similar materials for construction and
maintenance, and scrap in salvage operations. In a steel mill
or foundry, extraneous projections can be quickly severed
from billets and castings using OFC processes. In disassem-
bly operations, these processes can also rapidly sever bolts,
rivets, and pins.
Mechanized and automated OFC processes are used in
steel warehouses and many other industrial settings to cut
steel to size and pierce or cut holes, as well as to cut various
shapes from plate. An important application is preparing
plate edges for welding. The processes are also used in the
fabrication of machine parts such as gears, clevises, frames,
and tools.
Oxyfuel Gas Cutting Operations
The OFC operation begins by using a fuel gas flame to
heat the area of the workpiece to be cut to the ignition tem-
perature of approximately 870°C (1600°F). The actual cut-
ting is performed by an oxygen stream that is directed at the
preheated location on the workpiece, resulting in the oxida-
tion of the heated metal and the generation of heat. This
Fig. 1 — Schematic view of the oxyfuel gas cutting process.
Excerpted from the Welding Handbook, Ninth Edition, Volume 2, Welding Processes, Part 1.
80 WELDING JOURNAL / MAY 2020
FACT SHEET
heat sustains the continued oxidation of the metal through-
out the cut. The oxygen stream and combusted gas trans-
port the molten oxide away, and the metal in the path of the
stream burns, producing a narrow cut known as a kerf.
The torch directs the preheat flame produced by the con-
trolled combustion of fuel gases and controls the cutting oxy-
gen. Because the cutting oxygen jet has a 360-deg cutting
edge, it provides a rapid means of cutting straight edges or
curved shapes to required dimensions without expensive
handling equipment. The cutting direction can be continu-
ously changed during operation.
The oxyfuel gas cutting process is illustrated in Fig. 1.
Advantages of Oxyfuel Gas Cutting
A comparison of OFC to other metal-cutting methods
such as sawing, milling, and arc cutting reveals a number of
process advantages and disadvantages. The following are
several advantages of OFC:
1. Steels can generally be cut faster with OFC than by me-
chanical chip removal processes;
2. Section shapes and thicknesses that are difficult to cut
by mechanical means can be severed economically by OFC;
3. Basic manual OFC equipment costs are low compared
to machine tools or the equipment used in other cutting
processes;
4. Manual OFC equipment is portable and easily deployed
in the field;
5. Cutting direction can be changed rapidly on a small ra-
dius during operation;
6. Large metal plate sections can be rapidly cut in place
by moving the OFC torch rather than the plate; and
7. Oxyfuel cutting is an economical method of plate-edge
preparation for bevel and groove weld joint designs.
Disadvantages of Oxyfuel Gas Cutting
The following limitations are inherent to the OFC of
metals:
1. Dimensional tolerances achieved may be greater than
those attained with mechanical cutting;
2. The process is essentially limited to the cutting of
steels and cast iron, although other readily oxidized metals
such as titanium can be cut;
3. Preheat flames and expelled red-hot slag constitute
fire and burn hazards;
4. Fuel combustion and oxidation of the metal require
proper fume control and adequate ventilation;
5. Hardenable steels may require preheat or postheat, or
both, to control their metallurgical structures and mechani-
cal properties adjacent to the cut edges; and
6. Special process modifications are required for the cut-
ting of high-alloy steels and cast irons. WJ
WJ
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