Plasma Cutting & Accessories

Plasma Cutter + Accessories Selection — Quick Reference

Plasma cutting uses ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE IONISED GAS to cut electrically-conductive metals — STEEL + STAINLESS + ALUMINIUM — at speeds + thicknesses oxy-fuel cutting can't match. For fab shops + auto panel + maintenance.

Critical: CLEAN DRY AIR mandatory — water + oil in air supply destroys consumables + poor cut. Use air dryer + filter on compressor output. Replace consumables PROACTIVELY — worn tips = ragged cut + electrode damage. PPE — face shield + leather gauntlets + welding jacket. Brands: Bossweld, Tecmen. Companion: welding, welding safety, plasma cutter guide.

Plasma Cutting and Accessories

Plasma cutting uses an electrically-conductive ionised gas to cut electrically-conductive metals — steel, stainless, aluminium — at speeds and on thicknesses that oxy-fuel cutting can't match. For fabrication shops, automotive panel work, and maintenance teams, a plasma cutter is the right tool when oxy-fuel is too slow, mechanical cutting is too rough, and the metal in question is anything but mild steel. AIMS Industrial supplies plasma cutters, torches, consumables, and accessories for trade and industrial customers.

What's in the plasma range

• Plasma cutters (power sources) — inverter-based units in workshop sizes, with cutting capacity rated by amperage and clean-cut thickness
• Plasma torches — hand torches and machine torches for manual and automated cutting
• Consumables — electrodes, nozzles (tips), shields, swirl rings, and retaining caps — the parts that wear in service
• Accessories — cutting guides, circle cutters, gouging tips, and protective gear
• Compressed air filtration — plasma cutters need clean, dry air; an oil-and-water filter is essential

Sizing a plasma cutter

Plasma cutter capacity is rated by amperage and the matching clean-cut and severance thickness. As a starting point: 30A handles up to 8mm clean cut; 40-50A handles 10-12mm; 60-80A handles 16-20mm; 100A+ handles 25mm and beyond. Severance cut (the maximum thickness it'll cut through, even if not cleanly) is typically 1.5-2x the clean cut thickness. Match amperage to the heaviest material you'll routinely cut.

Compressed air supply — the often-overlooked spec

Plasma cutters need clean, dry compressed air at the cutter's specified pressure and flow rate. Workshop compressors that handle air tools without thinking can run out of capacity when feeding a plasma cutter — the cutter draws continuous high-volume air during the cut, not the intermittent air a tool uses. Check your compressor spec against the plasma cutter's requirement; a coalescing filter and dryer in the air line is essential for consumable life.

Consumables — what wears and how often

Plasma consumables are the wear parts that take the heat and arc damage. Typical change schedule: nozzles wear faster than electrodes (replace nozzles when the cut quality drops, electrodes when arc start becomes unreliable). Shields protect the front of the torch — replace when damaged. Keep a rotation kit on hand: running out of consumables mid-shift kills production.

Brands stocked at AIMS

Bossweld is the core brand for plasma consumables in our range — Australian-supplied and matched to the plasma cutter brands and models commonly running in this market. For specific cutter brands and torch types, we cross-reference consumables to OEM specifications.

Cutting practice

Maintain consistent torch-to-work distance (1.5-3mm typical), travel speed (matching the amperage and material), and cutting angle (90° to the work for square cuts, with adjustment for bevels). Drag-style nozzles let the torch tip rest on the work; standoff nozzles maintain a gap. Match technique to nozzle type. For straight cuts, a guide rail or cutting jig produces results that hand-held cuts can't match.

Need help speccing a plasma cutter or sourcing consumables for an existing machine? contact our team — we'll work through the spec.