Research on arc cutting mechanism and procedure of flux-cored cutting wire in water

As an efficient underwater cutting method, flux-cored arc cutting’s mechanism is not well studied because it is hard to directly observe the process. To reduce the interference from water, air cutting process was studied at first. We studied the impact of parameters on the cutting process by capturing cutting workpiece’s edge images with a high-speed camera. The results showed that the arc moved up and down and meanwhile it moved with the torch in cutting direction. Secondly, a sandwich structure was designed to observe the underwater cutting process. The characteristics of air and underwater cutting were analyzed and compared. It was found that underwater cutting process was similar to that in air. Thirdly, a pressure vessel device was used to simulate conditions at different water depths up to 100 m, and the influence of main characteristics was analyzed according to the cutting mechanism. As water pressure increases, the kerf shape becomes narrower, melting speed of cutting wire accelerates, and the stability of the arc gets worse in deep water. The relative research on cutting mechanism and process is significant to further cutting automation and engineering applications.