Comparison of Different Material Cutting Technologies in Terms of Their Impact on the Cutting Quality of Structural Steel

Definiranje problema Developments in the field of the material cutting technologies are stimulated by engineering requirements for production, and include: improvements in productivity, high operational reliability, universality, enhancing of quality parameters, and last but not least, environmental criteria. In addition to the conventional material cutting technologies, the advanced cutting technologies with a high power density, such as plasma arc, laser beam, and so on have been generated in recent years. Due to different energy sources many experiments related to their suitability of usage were carried out. Therefore it is desirable to recall that the advanced cutting technologies do not compete with traditional technologies but help to expand opportunities for engineers and technologists. Neither cutting technology is universal; each has a limited field of application. To choose an appropriate technology it is needed to know the familiar patterns of technologies in relation to science – engineering – production. Each production company has a desire to improve its productivity. These improvements may also require considerable investments. The competitiveness of engineering enterprises today depends mainly on quality improving and price undercutting of products.