Profiling
Gas and plasma steel profiling are two methods of cutting steel to a specific shape. Gas cutting uses a stream of oxy propane for cutting the steel, while plasma cutting uses a high-temperature plasma arc to do the same.
Gas cutting is a relatively slow process, but it is the most economical method of profiling steel. It is often used for cutting thick steel or for cutting shapes that do not require a high degree of precision.
Plasma cutting is faster and can be a more precise method of profiling steel than gas cutting. It is often used for cutting thin steel or for cutting complex shapes.
The type of method used for steel profiling will depend on the desired shape and the thickness of the steel.
Advantages of gas cutting:
- It can be more economical using multi-head cutting when appropriate
- It can be used to cut thick steel
- As precise as plasma cutting
Disadvantages of gas cutting:
- It is a slow process.
- More complex to learn than plasma cutting
Advantages of plasma cutting:
- It is a faster method of cutting than gas
- It can be used to cut thin steel
- Produces less heat than gas cutting
Disadvantages of plasma cutting:
- Cutting consumables are more expensive than gas cutting
- It requires more specialized equipment

High-quality steel blanks, rings, and almost any steel shapes can be plasma cut up to 35mm thick using our latest computer-controlled high-definition plasma cutting machines. Whatever shape you require we can cut it from either a dimensional drawing, DXF, DWG, or NC1 file.
If the requirement is for thicker steel profiles, our ESAB 4-head oxy-propane machine can cut up to 180mm thick steel plate.
Call our specialist steel processing team on 01422 833993 for further information.
ESAB COMBIREX
Gas profiling machines capable of cutting 25mm to 180mm thick plates. The maximum plate size the machines will cut is 4000mm x 2000mm. These machines can cut with either 1 or up to 4 cutting heads at the same time.