Pipe cutting or pipe profiling is a mechanized

industrial process Industrial processes are procedures involving chemical, physical, electrical, or mechanical steps to aid in the manufacturing of an item or items, usually carried out on a very large scale. Industrial processes are the key components of heavy ...

that removes material from pipe or tubing to create a desired profile. Typical profiles include straight cuts, mitres, saddles and midsection holes. These complex cuts are usually required to allow a tight fit between two parts that are to be joined via

arc welding Arc welding is a welding process that is used to join metal to metal by using electricity to create enough heat to melt metal, and the melted metals, when cool, result in a joining of the metals. It is a type of welding that uses a welding power ...

. Pipe cutting is used in industries such as offshore operations, pipe processing,

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

and

pressure vessel A pressure vessel is a container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure. Construction methods and materials may be chosen to suit the pressure application, and will depend on the size o ...

manufacture. This technology is valued for its ability to produce the intricate cuts and profiles often required in these fields. Common applications include pipework, offshore jackets, steel frameworks, cranes, and demolition of structures offshore.

Hot cutting

Hot cutting refers to a process in which materials are cut using a thermal torch. One of the most common techniques is

oxy-fuel Oxy-fuel combustion is the process of burning a fuel using pure oxygen, or a mixture of oxygen and recirculated flue gas, instead of air. Since the nitrogen component of air is not heated, fuel consumption is reduced, and higher flame temperatur ...

gas cutting, which is used extensively for cutting carbon and low-alloy steels. However, its efficiency diminishes as the alloy content of the material increases, limiting its applicability for high-alloy steels. Arc-based cutting methods are used for cutting these materials. Among these, plasma arc cutting is the most commonly employed technique, owing to its precision and ability to cut through high-alloy steels efficiently. Thermal cutting creates a shallow region contaminated material adjacent to the cut surfaces - the heat affected zone. For some applications it is necessary to remove this material by mechanical means, such as grinding or machining, prior to use or further fabrication by welding. The cutting torch can be integrated into a machine to perform precision cutting operations. In multi-axis machines, the movement of the axes is powered by

electric motors An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate Laplace force i ...

and synchronized to guide the torch and the pipe being cut along a programmed path, resulting in the desired cutting profile. The

synchronization Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the Conductor (music), conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are sa ...

of axes is accomplished either mechanically, via

cam Cam or CAM may refer to: Science and technology * Cam (mechanism), a mechanical linkage which translates motion * Camshaft, a shaft with a cam * Camera or webcam, a device that records images or video In computing * Computer-aided manufacturin ...

s, levers and gears, or electronically with

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor (computing), processor for which the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit (IC), or a small number of ICs. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, a ...

s , which is

computer numerical control Computer numerical control (CNC) or CNC machining is the Automation, automated control of machine tools by a computer. It is an evolution of numerical control (NC), where machine tools are directly managed by data storage media such as punched ...

(CNC).

Cold cutting

Where the high temperatures and sources of ignition required by hot cutting are not desirable, air- or hydraulically-powered pipe cutting machines are used. These comprise a clamshell or chain-mounted cutting head holding a tool steel and feed mechanism which advances the tool a set amount per revolution round the pipe. Tools may be styled to cut and/or prepare the bevel for welding in a single or multiple passes. High pressure abrasive water jets can be used for cold cutting. This technology is employed for the decommissioning of offshore structures.

References

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