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The Process of Cutting Steel Beams
August 14, 2017
Steel beams are created in oxygen furnaces where iron ore is melted and then chemicals are introduced into the melted ore. The melted steel ore is then put into molds to form the steel beams seen on the market today. When produced from the foundry, steel beams come in standard sizes. Customizing these steel bars requires cutting into the steel itself.
Here are some of the ways that steel bars are customized for proper use.
- Bandsaw. This is the most common way that steel beams are cut. Depending on the thickness of the steel beams, the bandsaw’s speed would cut through. Since this is metal on metal contact, heat is produced by friction. Thus, it is important that in cutting steel beams with a bandsaw, the heated areas need to be properly ventilated and properly handled.
- Beam Drill. This is the most common manner of cutting through steel beams. Cutting through means drilling holes as well as mill slots and channels on the steel beam’s surface. The diamond tipped drill bit is used to bore a hole into the steel beam at places where necessitated.
- Cutting Torch. When cutting through steel beams, one of the quickest and most efficient ways to do so is by using a cutting torch. The most common torch used is fueled by oxy-acetylene gas mixture. The recent technologies allow the use plasma torches to cut through steel beams much more quickly.
Steel beams are produced according to specific measurements and density. To customize it for use by the buyer, it has to be cut and fashioned accordingly. Cutting steel beams can be done using a bandsaw, a beam drill or a cutting torch. It is best that the proper cutting tool is used to avoid any issues regarding safety and quality of the cut done.