Our Capabilities

Plasma Cutting for the Toughest Metal Fabrication Projects

SMF Inc.’s plasma and flame cutting tables are ready to cut out your thickest parts. Our experienced engineers and operators employ a host of burning software and procedures. This allows SMF to fill up our 13′ by 23′ tables and burn your parts to the highest quality possible.

What is Plasma Cutting?

The plasma cutting process (also known as plasma arc cutting) is a metal cutting method that utilizes high temperatures to cut through materials. Using a jet of ionized gas, material is melted and expelled from a cut, creating precision and smooth edges (much like laser cutting).

Plasma Cutting’s Advantages

Plasma cutting is similar to laser cutting in that its function is the same. However, there are some cut jobs for which laser cutting cannot rise to the challenge. As such, plasma cutting has unique advantages over other metal cutting processes. Some of these advantages include:

• Thicker Cuts – Metal fabrication projects with thicker or stronger metal components laser cutting cannot reliably cut through. Conversely, plasma cutting can cut through sheets of metal up to 1.5 inches thick, dividing materials like carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper alloys, and more.
• More Affordable – While laser cutting is more precise than plasma cutting, the equipment and operating costs are much more expensive. If clients wish to save money and require less precise cuts, plasma cutting is the best option.
• Safer for Reflective Metals – While laser cutting can successfully cut more reflective metals, such as copper, it’s a process that is less safe. Otherwise, plasma cutting utilizes electrical currents and compressed gas to cut through metal, meaning it can cut through any conductive metal, no matter the surface.

Discover the Best Metal Cutting and Fabrication

SMF Inc. strives to offer our clients the whole “metal-fabrication experience.” Rather than taking your project from one shop to the next until completion, we manage the design, construction and assembly of your entire project in-house. Such allows for greater convenience and consistent pricing for those interested in metal fabrication services such as plasma cutting. If you’d like to learn more about what SMF can offer, contact us today at 309-432-2586. SMF has Illinois and South Carolina facilities, serving clients throughout the United States.