Cutting bow, wire and wire suspension.

Functioning of a hot wire cutter

At first all styrofoam cutters of the type hot wire cutters function according to the same principle: You cut the polystyrene with a cutting wire. The wire is heated directly before starting the cutting process to the cutting temperature - it does not cut the polystyrene but brings the contact area to melt. Since the polystyrene melts only at this contact area by means of the thin wire, it produces a clean, smooth cutting edge.

The hot wire

By pressing the push button switch located in the center of the cutting bow, the cutting wire is heated. Within 2 seconds after pressing the push button switch the wire reaches the required cutting temperature and cools off just as quickly as soon as you release the switch. Cooling off is important in order to avoid burns due to accidental contact with the cutting wire. Some styrofoam cutters are additionally upgraded with a foot pedal. It makes sense to have such a foot pedal, if work is coming up with larger polystyrene plates. Since for the work with large plates both hands are required.

Hot wire cutters

Characteristics of the hot wire

The cutting wire of a hot wire cutter must convert the electric current into heat. For this purpose the hot wire should have both high mechanical strength as well as high thermal stability. The chrome-nickel alloy provides among others the physical properties. The cutting wire is thus a perfect heat conductor.

Gepostet in: Hot wire cutter , hot-wire-foamcutter