This probably comes as a surprise to most people, but the fist plasma cutters were invented in the late 1950s by a company named Union Carbide Corp.
Today plasma cutting is one of the most popular methods for cutting metal plate for many different industries.
The First Plasma Cutters
The first plasma cutters were used mostly for cutting aluminum and stainless steel plate. The majority of these plasma cutters were automated with sensors to follow a line drawn onto the metal to be cut.
The 1960s
In the 1960s more improvements were made to the plasma cutter. Things like improving the quality of cuts and also making the plasma cutter parts that wear (nozzles and electrodes) last longer.
Near the end of the 1960s water injection was added to the plasma cutting process. Water injection improved the process by focusing the arc and also cooling the nozzle. This improved the cutting speed and quality of cuts.
The 1970s
In the 1970s plasma cutting replaced a lot of the oxy-fuel processes for steel. For cutting thicker steel (over 1 inch) the oxy-fuel process was still more cost effective.
The water muffler and water table were also introduced in the 1970s for fume and smoke control.
The 1980s
In the early 1980s oxygen based plasma cutters helped the process create better cuts for welding and allowed higher cutting speeds with less power.
In the late 1980s more oxygen based plasma cutting advances were made that further reduced the power required for cutting. This allowed for more practical hand cutting since machines were more portable.
The 1990s
Plasma cutting advances continued into the 1990s at an even faster rate than previously. Plasma cutter power supply improvements led to more portable hand held plasma cutters.
Microprocessor technology was added to better optimize the gas delivery. This advancement increased the life of nozzles and electrodes by up to six times. In addition these microprocessors were used to further optimize gas control to make plasma cutting machines more easy to set up properly.
The 2000s to Now
Since the 1990s improvements have continued. Modern portable plasma cutters can now be purchased that run on regular household current that can sever metal up to 1/2 in thick. These units can be as small as a toaster. There are even more powerful units that are larger which still run on household power that can sever metals a little over 2 inches thick.
These days they even have portable plasma cutters with built-in air compressors.
Judging by the early days of plasma cutters it is amazing that now people are routinely searching for the best plasma cutter under $300.
