ESAB Cutting Systems offers a wide range of oxy fuel bevel cutting equipment, from simple straight line edge prep stations to fully automated and programmable systems. But before learning about the products, you should familiarize yourself with the some basic information about this complicated cutting process.

The edges of a part can be cut at an angle to allow for welding or special fit-up with other parts. An oxy fuel bevel system can be used to make K, V, X or Y edge preparation. This includes:

• Single Bevel
• Double Bevel without Nose
• Double Bevel with Nose
• Top or Bottom Bevel with Nose

A single bevel, or "V" bevel, is produced using either the left or right bevel torch by itself, resulting in a part with a "knife edge" bevel.

A double bevel without nose is also called an "X" bevel. It is produced using both the left and right torches, but not the center torch.

A double bevel with nose, or "Y" bevel, is made by the center torch and one of the bevel torches, either left or right.

The "Y" bevel may be produced as a top-bevel or a bottom-bevel.

The "K" bevel uses all three torches to produce a top bevel, nose, and bottom bevel in a single pass.

A single bevel is almost always produced as a top-bevel, using the right hand torch to produce the cut. A top bevel creates a bevel facing the top of the part. This requires that the remnant plate be lifted from the table first, in order to retrieve the part. A single bottom bevel is not recommended, as the narrow top edge of the part will burn back due to the preheat flames.

When a top-bevel with nose is desired, the center torch must make the first cut, with the bevel cut trailing. This ensures the trailing torch does not have to cut across the kerf produced by the leading center torch.

A bottom bevel with nose uses the left bevel torch to make the first cut, with the center torch trailing. A bottom bevel places the beveled face on the bottom of the part, allowing the part to be removed from the table prior to the remnant plate.

The "K" bevel uses all three torches, with the bottom cut leading, and the top cut trailing. This ensures no torch cuts across the kerf produced by the leading torch.

With oxy fuel beveling, the maximum thickness is not usually limited by the torch, but rather by the horizontal offset distance that can be achieved by the bevel head mechanism. The maximum thickness is defined by the distance that the torch can be offset from the center torch at the desired bevel angle. Although the torch can cut through the material, if automated contour cutting is going to be used to produce a part with the correct dimensions, then the part edge must be defined by the position of the center torch.

The most important factor affecting accuracy in oxy fuel beveling is the height control. In the case of a single bevel, the overall part size is directly affected by the torch height. Variations in torch height cause proportional variations in part size, depending on the bevel angle. At 45 degrees, the correlation is 1 to 1.

When cutting a part with a land, or nose, the position and size of the land is directly affected by the height of the bevel torches. A land can easily disappear if both left and right bevel torches are not correctly positioned.

For this reason, ESAB uses a tactile sensing height control system that ensures the elevation of the bevel torches is accurately maintained. No other height sensing method is as accurate or consistent.

ESAB offers three levels of oxy fuel bevel cutting automation, depending on the needs of the customer and the finished part requirements: