Plasma cutting
How thick can a plasma cutter cut?
Quick answer
A 40 A unit cleanly cuts 10 mm steel (severs 14 mm); 60 A handles 16 mm clean; 80–100 A machines reach 28 mm+.
Numbers by machine/output class
| Output | Clean cut (steel) | Severance |
|---|---|---|
| 40 A | ~10 mm | 14 mm |
| 60 A | ~16 mm | 22 mm |
| 80 A | ~22 mm | 30 mm |
| 100 A+ | ~28 mm+ | 38 mm+ |
Beyond single-pass
Thickness limits assume full-penetation single-pass welds. Bevelling the joint, multi-pass stacking and preheat on thick sections extend any process dramatically — that's how structural welders join 50 mm plate with the same physics. Match the machine class to the thickness you actually weld 90% of the time.