12.1 History of OFC
Karl Fulton
Development of OFC
Basics of the Process
OFC is one of the most vital skills for a welder fabricator to master. This operation allows you to cut carbon and low-alloy steels accurately and at a wide range of thicknesses, depending on your torch setup. The OFC process is not used to cut metals that do not rapidly oxidize, such as stainless and high-alloy steels.
It all starts with a torch hooked up to a fuel bottle and an oxygen bottle. Once the flame has been adjusted to a neutral flame, the metal is heated to its kindling temperature of approximately 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then an additional jet of oxygen is added in the center of the preheat flames, which causes the metal to oxidize rapidly or burn. The burning, molten metal runs off as slag as the torch moves. This process can shape the edge, pierce holes, or cut a slit in metal, in all cases the edges that are left behind are known as kerfs. OFC can produce a clean finish with practice and can easily be mechanized to bevel plate or pipe if connected to a computer numerically controlled machine.
The basic equipment needed for OFC includes:
- Fuel and oxygen bottles
- Regulators
- Fuel hose (red)
- Oxygen hose (green)
- Torch body
- Torch tips
- Striker/friction igniter (never use a lighter or matches)
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Cutting goggles set at shade 5 or higher
- Leather gloves
- Appropriate welding shop attire
Uses of OFC in Industry Today
You will see OFC used in just about every shop that deals with ferrous metals. Specific industries that use this application include:
- Fabrication shops
- Railroad
- Pipeline
- Structural steel
- Maritime construction and repair
Hobbyist welders may also make use of OFC.
Attributions
- Figure 12.1: Oxy-acetylene Welding (LOC) by The Library of Congress in the Public Domain; United States government work
- Figure 12.2: Torch cut rail by Jens Galsgaard is released under CC BY-SA 3.0
Temperature that something combusts into flame
Welding / cutting tips, attach to the end of the torch coming in various sizes. The larger the number the larger the flame