What are the most common cutting methods for steel machining currently

The most prevalent cutting methods for steel machining currently mainly include flame cutting, plasma cutting, laser cutting, and waterjet cutting. Below is a detailed introduction to each:
Flame Cutting:
Principle: It utilizes the thermal energy of a gas flame (commonly acetylene or natural gas) to preheat the steel plate to its ignition point. Then, a high-pressure oxygen stream is applied to vigorously oxidize the metal, blowing away the molten slag generated during combustion to form a cut.
Characteristics: Low equipment cost, wide applicability, capable of cutting steel plates with thicknesses ranging from 1 millimeter to 1.2 meters. However, it has a large heat-affected zone, significant thermal deformation, a rough cut surface, and is prone to slag hanging.
Applications: It is commonly used for cutting thick steel plates in fields such as shipbuilding and heavy machinery manufacturing.
Plasma Cutting:
Principle: It uses the heat from a high-temperature plasma arc to locally melt and vaporize the metal, and then expels the molten metal using the high-speed momentum of the plasma to form a cut.
Characteristics: Fast cutting speed, high precision, good cut surface quality, and minimal thermal deformation. It is suitable for cutting carbon plates, copper and aluminum materials, as well as nickel-titanium metals, but the equipment cost is relatively high.
Applications: It is widely used for cutting stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, and medium-to-thick carbon steel.
Laser Cutting:
Principle: It employs a high-energy laser beam to irradiate the surface of the steel plate, causing the metal to locally melt or vaporize. The molten metal is then blown away using high-pressure gas to achieve cutting.
Characteristics: Fast cutting speed, high precision, excellent cut surface quality, and a small heat-affected zone. It is suitable for efficient and precise cutting of thin steel plates, but the equipment and maintenance costs are relatively high.
Applications: It is commonly used in fields such as automobile manufacturing and precision machining.
Waterjet Cutting:
Principle: It uses a high-pressure water stream (which may be mixed with abrasives) to cut metal by ejecting it through an extremely fine nozzle.
Characteristics: Environmentally friendly, safe, widely applicable, capable of cutting any material without thermal effects. However, the cutting speed is relatively slow, and specialized equipment is required.
Applications: It is suitable for cutting heat-sensitive or easily deformable materials, such as composites and ceramics.