Background

Plasmas remove metal during their operation, and the size of the gap that's produced is the product of kerf compensation. That width is affected by the thickness of the metal, and the nozzle diameter of the cutting tool. Hypertherm has a rule thumb that says the kerf diameter should be approximately 1 1/2 the size of the cutting orifice diameter. Tormach's DXF import is essential to this operation. A test cut before cutting the final part is the best way to determine the correct plasma cutting kerf.