Do-it-yourself foam knife. Where can I get an electric foam cutter. Styrofoam cutter

Styrofoam is a fairly practical and lightweight thermal insulation material. It is often used to create various crafts. However, in the process of working with it, one has to face one trouble - the material is difficult to cut. Foam plastic is produced in the form of large slabs, and in order to divide the panel into fragments, you will need to cut it.

Using a saw or knife for this purpose will not work. This is due to the fact that with any mechanical action, the structure of the material is destroyed. To avoid this, you will need to design a foam cutter with your own hands.

The simplest device for cutting foam

The simplest foam cutter is easy to do with your own hands. For this purpose, you will need to use the thinnest guitar string. In addition, you should prepare 5 large batteries for a conventional electric flashlight. They must be connected in series. A string is connected to the ends of the device, thereby closing the electric arc. The current will pass through the string, heating it.

When using such a device, the foam sheet will separate into two parts immediately after touching the string. In this case, the material will melt along the cut edges. The cut with such processing is obtained as even as possible. The string for cutting foam must be heated to a temperature of at least 120 degrees. However, it should not exceed 150 degrees.

Checking how hot the string is is quite simple. During cutting, stuck pieces remain on the edges of the material. If they are too long, the string is not heated enough. In the absence of such pieces, it can be judged that the string is overheated.

When using such an elementary device, about 3 foam panels can be processed. However, it is not suitable for large volumes of work. Batteries run out pretty quickly. To extend the time of the cutter, you will need to build a mains-operated device. A few simple tips will help you understand how to make a foam cutter.

Homemade electric foam cutters

If we divide such devices into groups, they should be classified as follows:

device for linear cutting;
thermal cutter, with which curly cutting is performed;
device with a metal plate.

However, despite this classification, each device has one common element in its design. To create foam cutters, you will need to find a step-down transformer. It is necessary that this element withstand 100 watts.

Linear cutter

To create such devices, you should prepare a workspace. Usually a table is chosen for such purposes. Two vertical risers are attached to it. Each of them must have an insulator. A nichrome thread must be pulled between the insulators. A freely hanging load is hung on it. The nichrome thread is connected to the contacts connected to the step-down transformer.

The principle of operation is quite simple. The nichrome thread heats up when connected, which makes it easy to cut the foam. Due to the suspended weight, the thread remains in a taut position. The load is necessary because the thread begins to sag when heated.

Moving foam is cut with a nichrome thread quickly and evenly. How thick the processed sheets will be depends on the height of the thread above the working surface of the table. The main thing is that the foam is fed at the same speed throughout the entire cutting period.

To cut sheets vertically, you will need to use a cutter of a different design. In it, the cutting wire is stretched in a vertical position. In this case, the work surface is made of chipboard. A frame must be attached to it. It is better if this element is made of a metal profile. However, wooden blocks work well.

The frame is equipped with a paw-holder, on which a nichrome wire is suspended. A load is attached to its end. The wire is passed through a hole made in the working surface. So that it does not touch the tree, the hole is protected from the inside with a metal hollow tube.

When using thermal cutters, the foam is not only easily cut into certain blocks. From large plates, various geometric shapes can be cut, such as a square, a semicircle, a triangle. Before work, it is enough to draw a marker over the surface of the plate, marking the cut line.

Curly cutter

When working with large foam sheets, it will be difficult to use a stationary cutter. Such panels are difficult to fit on the desktop. In these cases, a manual foam cutter is used. Such a tool is often made from a jigsaw. The cutting blade in these tools should be replaced with nichrome wire.

Such an electric cutter is quite simple to build with your own hands. To make cutting curly elements more convenient, you can make several devices with different shapes. First, the cutting blade should be removed from the jigsaw, and the wire should be connected to the handle. The voltage will be low, but the handle and other metal parts should be insulated. A nichrome wire is connected to the cable. For this, nuts are used. The wire is bent in a certain way.

A soldering iron can be used as a cutter for curly cutting foam. It needs to be modified a bit. The device already has an electrical wire in its design. To create a foam cutter from a soldering iron, you will need to replace the element that heats up with nichrome wire.

This device is very easy to use. Thanks to this product, it is possible not only to cut material slabs into smaller sheets, but also to make recesses in them.

Metal plate cutter

There is another way to convert a soldering iron into a foam cutter. To modify the tool, you just need to replace the sting with a copper plate. Steel is also suitable, but it heats up longer and is more difficult to sharpen. However, if properly sharpened with a steel plate, it will be possible to cut any synthetics, including foam.

One side of the plate must be carefully sharpened. Sharpening can be done on both sides. It is necessary that the sharpening angle is not too large. The cutting of the material is carried out not only by the blade, but also by the plate blade. Such a cutter has one drawback - you will have to empirically find the optimal temperature for heating the knife.

conclusions

Building a foam cutter with your own hands is quite simple. The methods listed above will help you understand the device and the principle of operation of the foam cutter. Such devices are practical and easy to assemble. Each method has its own advantages, so home craftsmen can choose the most suitable one for themselves, depending on the materials available.

Styrofoam sheets require cutting and fitting in size and shape. Each craftsman wants to do it quickly and without unnecessary debris, getting a smooth edge that excludes gaps and cold bridges. By and large, foam cutting is carried out in two ways - automatic and manual. Of course, at home, for example, to insulate the roof, the whole arsenal will not be needed, but acquaintance will never hurt. And maybe inspire a new approach to repair.

Tools for cutting foam sheets differ from each other both in functionality and in the complexity of working with them.

Types and classification of hand tools

Overview of the best appliances for home use

Professional innovative thermal knife

Such products, as in the top photo, were announced by the Patent Department quite recently - only in April 2010, but, despite their "youth", very quickly gained popularity in the sales market. The main obvious advantage of such a cutting tool is that after cutting PSB of any density, there is practically no debris left in the form of granules.

This device is ready for use immediately after removal from the factory packaging, and it takes literally 1-2 seconds to heat it up. The handle here is made of lingofol (something like wood, but with higher mechanical strength), and the cutter is made of stainless steel and ceramics. This combination provides a fairly long service life if the breakdown is not done intentionally.

In the upper image, another option for cutting foam so that it does not crumble is a home-made unit made from a charger and a string from a piece of nichrome. You can, of course, use unregulated current sources, for example, a battery or a charger for a cordless drill (screwdriver), but here, of course, the design will lose quality.

In addition to a power source and nichrome, you will need some kind of frame - you can even use a small coffee table. Fans of curly cutting will appreciate such a device.

You can use a hacksaw

Cutting foam at home with a paint knife or other devices described above is not always possible due to their absence, then you can use a hacksaw or a separate blade for this. Only in this case, one should be prepared for the appearance of debris in the form of granules, since the PSB consists of them. The teeth, even small ones, will destroy the structure, but if cutting is done for insulation, then this does not matter from a technological point of view.

Professional laser cutting of PSB

CNC laser cutting machine

Of course, you can use not only a string or a knife for cutting foam, but also more modern devices with numerical control. If this is done on an industrial scale, then CNC machines, which are controlled by a computer, are just right for such purposes. The advantage of such equipment is that only one person from the operator's cab can control the entire workshop of such units.

Such a car is almost impossible to make by hand.

There are different machines, more precisely, their software is set in different ways and in different volumes. That is, older models (they are still being produced now, but not in the same quantity) have integrated software, and you cannot change it in the usual way, and in later developments you can independently add certain programs for making three-dimensional figures with the most strange and complex shapes.

Various unique shapes made in this way can be used:

in the metallurgical industry for casting certain alloys;
for tuning in the automotive industry;
in industrial construction for the manufacture of formwork, sleeves for the insulation of pipelines, as well as for pouring any architectural forms;
theater stage decoration;
advertising logos, inscriptions and so on.

Sleeves for insulation of external and underground pipelines

Such a foam cutting tool is the most accurate of all of the above, since computer programs, unlike the human eye, do not give errors. Consequently, you get a minimum amount of waste thanks to the ideal calculation of the area and volume of the figure in relation to the workpiece. There are special programs that, with little help from the operator, can develop any configuration and transfer them to the machine.

How to make a DIY foam cutter

So, you want to find something to cut polystyrene with, but at the same time everything is expensive in stores, and a paint knife is not suitable, since the PSB crumbles from it. Make your own cutting attachment following the instructions.

Preparation of tools and materials

To make a cutter with your own hands, you will need:

ampervoltmeter (tester);
curly screwdriver;
round nose pliers;
knife or side cutters;
soldering iron with solder;
electrical tape or heat shrink;
polypropylene tube 15-20 cm long and 20-25 mm in diameter (it is used for plumbing);
a piece of insulated wire made of copper, steel or solid aluminum 20-25 cm long and 3 mm in diameter;
a bolt with a nut and washers with a diameter of 3-4mm and a length of 15-20mm;
self-tapping screw 25mm (preferably with a press washer);
charger 5V;
USB cable for connecting the charger to the cutter;
nichrome length 17cm;
a piece of insulated flexible copper wire 50-60cm.

Theoretical preparation and calculations

Now you need to determine the resistance - the net length will be only 15 cm of nichrome, but it always needs to be taken 1.5-2 cm more so that there is something to twist. When measuring 15 cm, you will get 16.8 ohms, and the charger is 5V, which means I \u003d V / R \u003d 5 / 16.8 \u003d 0.29A \u003d 290mA, that is, the current that will flow through the cutting wire. Charging at 5V has a rated current of about 550mA, that is, almost twice as much - the reserve is more than enough.

Preparation of polypropylene tube and wire

The PPR tube will serve as a handle - this is convenient, since polypropylene conducts heat very poorly, therefore, it will not heat up when the cutter is connected to the network.

At the end of this tube with an indent of 4-5mm, make a hole for a self-tapping screw, and after 60-100mm from it, another hole in order to populate the connection wiring. Bend a thick insulated wire in the shape of the letter P so that the jumper is 15 cm, and at the ends of the verticals, make loops (rings) with round-nose pliers to fix the nichrome.

Assembling a homemade device

Now you can start assembling the device:

First of all, screw the U-shaped holder to the handle with a self-tapping screw with a washer, after screwing nichrome and copper wire onto the screw.
Then insert the bolt into the opposite loop, only so that the washers are on both sides - under the head and under the nut, but do not completely tighten the nut - leave a gap for connection.
On the inside, between the nut and the washer, screw nichrome, and on the outside, under the head, a copper flexible wire and tighten this homemade terminal.
After these steps, the main part of the cutter is ready, but there is still a connection to the power source and wiring - do not pull the nichrome too much, but keep in mind that it will lengthen a little when heated.
Wind the far wire onto the holder contour, lowering it in this way to the handle, and then insert both (both the far and the lower) into the second hole in polypropylene and pull it out through the opposite end of the tube. Now you just have to connect the device.

Tin the strands and solder the USB to the ends that came out of the tube - polarity doesn't matter at all here, just make sure the soldering is strong, as you will hide it in the tube.
Wrap the connections with electrical tape (if there is heat shrinkage, then this is even better) and push this section inside the PPR.
To fix the wire on the handle, you can simply melt the polypropylene with a soldering iron, plugging this end - everything will cool down in 3-5 minutes.

Testing the foam cutter

That's it - now connect the USB to the charger, which, in turn, plug into a 220V socket - heating takes 1-2 seconds. Try to cut off a piece of foam - this will not have the usual crumbs that remain when cutting with a knife or hacksaw.

The second version of the cutter

For the second model, identical tools will be needed, only the materials for making the frame will change - the handle will be made of wood, and the holder will be made of copper without insulation.

Cut the handle with a jigsaw so that it is convenient for you, that is, “by hand”, and on one of its ends, drill a hole according to the diameter of the wire and make a hollow for laying.
Then wrap the tip of the copper with a thread (along the length of the groove), insert it into the hole and groove and fill it with some kind of superglue.
Now you can bend the holder in the way that suits you, that is, in height, which will determine the possibility of cutting depth and length, but already with the calculation of the power of the charger (calculate according to the formula given for the first option).
Making a loop on the opposite side of the holder can be tricky, especially if you're using steel, so just make a cut with a needle file. Screw a spring with rings at the ends to the handle with a self-tapping screw (one for fixing - the other for nichrome).

Solder the USB - one end to the spring, and the other directly to the holder, after cleaning its surface. Screw the nichrome first to the far end, and then to the spring - it's better to tighten it.
Connect the USB to the charger and try how to cut the foam with such a device.

Now you know how to cut the foam and easily do it with a knife or cutter to prepare the slabs for roof insulation. But work on complex tools, if there are no skills, it is better to entrust professionals.

During construction and finishing work, the question arises of how to cut the foam so that it does not crumble. To do this, use special tools and techniques that are selected based on the size of the foam plate. These cutters can be purchased at the store or you can make your own. To make a tool with your own hands, you do not need special knowledge or skills.

DIY nichrome cutter

Styrofoam is cut with a string heated to +120 ... + 150 ° С and melting the material. Thanks to this, the cut is even, and the foam does not crumble. On such devices, a nichrome thread is installed through which electricity is passed. You can make a simple cutter with your own hands. It differs from the machine in portability and compactness, so the heating temperature of the nichrome wire cannot be adjusted on it.

Necessary tools and materials

To make a cutter with nichrome wire for cutting foam, you will need the following tools and materials:

a small wooden block;
screwdriver and drill;
2 pencils;
2 pieces of copper wire;
round nose pliers;
hot glue or PVA;
insulating tape;
battery connector;
switch;
1 m wires;
soldering iron;
nichrome thread.

The latter is sold in a radio parts store. It can also be taken from old heating elements from a hair dryer, boiler, boiler, etc.

Homemade foam cutter

A homemade cutter is designed for minor work. It is not possible to cut the entire sheet of polystyrene foam with them. To carry out cutting foam at home, you must:

Make 2 holes in a wooden block 10-11 cm long. They should match the diameter of the pencils. You need to retreat 1-1.5 cm from the edge. The recess should be slightly deeper than half of the bar in order to fix the pencils. Due to this distance, it is possible to cut a sheet of foam plastic of almost any thickness.
Glue both pencils into the holes with hot glue or PVA.
In each of the pencils, make a small hole for the copper wire on top.
Bend the copper wire with round-nosed pliers so that small rings are formed at its ends. After that, install in the holes in the pencils.
Glue the battery connector perpendicular to the wooden block. Additionally, it will play the role of a handle.
Stick a switch on the bar so that you can de-energize the string.
Then connect 2 wires to the connector. After that, connect to the switch, and then bring each one to a separate pencil. So that the wire does not sag and does not interfere with work, it is fixed with electrical tape. To ensure a reliable connection quality, you need to solder the wires to the connector. The joints must be insulated with heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.
Clean the other end of each wire from the braid and screw it to the copper wire. Solder the connection.
Thread the nichrome thread into the rings of copper wire and fasten to them. The string should be taut between the pencils. When heated, it stretches and sags a little. The stronger the tension, the less sag.
Insert the batteries into the connector and start cutting the foam sheets.

Thus, you can make a simple do-it-yourself foam cutting device. And another version of the manufacture of the machine, see the video:

DIY foam cutting machine

Cutting machines are more convenient because the cutting thread is fixed in them and only the foam needs to be moved. This allows you to increase the accuracy of movements. In the manufacture, you will need the same tools and equipment as in the previous case.

First you need to make a table, which is a wooden base with small legs. The table must be flat and smooth to prevent deformation of the foam. The dimensions of the base are chosen arbitrarily. A bar is screwed perpendicular to the tabletop, and a wooden crossbar is attached to it at an angle of 90 °. Then it is necessary to strengthen the structure with a jumper.

An angular ruler marks the place where the filament will go. If the surface is fairly flat, this can be done with a plumb bob. To do this, a self-tapping screw with a wide head is screwed into the end, and a thread with a load is wound onto it. A hole with a diameter of 6 mm is drilled in the selected place. To prevent the string from burning the wood, a plate of textolite or metal is installed. The material should be placed flush with the surface.

A wire is threaded into the hole, the lower end of which is put on a self-tapping screw. The screw is screwed in next to the hole. The length of the spiral should be such that when heated, the latter becomes red. Since the wire lengthens at high temperatures, a compensating spring must be used to avoid sagging. A spring is mounted on the upper self-tapping screw, and a nichrome thread is attached to it.

An energy source is connected to the ends of the thread, which can be a battery with a voltage of 11.7-12.4 V. To regulate this indicator, a thyristor regulator circuit is used. The regulator can be taken from an electric grinder. You can also control the voltage using a spiral on a polystyrene foam cutting machine.

This spiral is mounted on a wooden bar, to which the upper edge of the filament is attached. Connected to the wire in series. Its function is to lengthen the nichrome thread and, accordingly, reduce the voltage. This can be achieved by changing the place of connection to the nichrome spiral. The shorter the distance, the more the thread heats up and the more the foam melts.

If a transformer is connected to the machine, it must be galvanically isolated. In this case, a transformer with taps must be used.

For smooth and even cuts, you need to make a guide rail. It is made from a bar or any other even material.

With the help of such a simple machine, foam cutting is carried out with your own hands. Additionally, you can make different devices. You can make a miter box with your own hands or a tray during the repair, which will help you cut the material evenly at the right angles.

3D foam cutting technology

Expanded polystyrene products have become widely used for marketing and decorative purposes. Company logos are made from expanded polystyrene, names, various figures, decorative elements, etc. are cut out. Therefore, 3D cutting has gained wide popularity. The use of foam allows you to save money and at the same time get a high-quality and durable product.

Volumetric cutting is carried out on special machines. They cut the material using long strings or a laser and allow you to give the foam any shape.

Figured cutting of foam

Figured cutting of expanded polystyrene is carried out on special machines. Some of them are equipped with CNC. When working on the machine, the thickness of the foam sheets does not matter. However, for simple cutting, you can use a simple do-it-yourself cutter.

Polyfoam is a good heat insulator, characterized by durability and low weight. It is used to create a variety of shapes, blanks and models, as an excellent insulation. It is quite easy to work with him. But often such material is produced in the form of blocks with large geometric parameters. Cutting them with a saw or knife is very inconvenient. Products crumble, which violates their structure.

The problem with cutting heat-insulating material is solved by a foam cutter, often called a cutter. You can buy it at a hardware store or make it yourself. In the second case, the home master gets at his disposal a tool that suits him in all respects.

Elementary carver - half an hour and ready!

The simplest tool for cutting foam sheets (expanded polystyrene) is made without the slightest difficulty with the help of 4-5 batteries for a flashlight and an ordinary guitar string. The process of creating a cutter will be as follows:

batteries are sequentially connected to each other in one block;
a guitar string is fixed to the ends of the resulting module.

As a result of these actions, a tool with an electric closed arc is obtained. The current passing through it will heat up the string. At the site of its contact with the material being cut, the process of melting and cutting the expanded polystyrene sheet into two parts will be observed.

For the operation of the described home-made thermal knife, the string must be heated to 130-150 ° C. With the help of such a simple tool, you can cut 1-3 blocks of foam. It is not advisable to use it for cutting a large number of sheets due to the fact that the batteries will sit down very quickly.

Varieties of electric thermal knives and their features

If the master uses foam regularly and performs large amounts of work, it is advisable for him to make a tool with his own hands that functions from a household electrical network. Such homemade thermal knives that do not require separate chargers are used for:

linear cutting;
curly cut.

They use a nichrome thread or a metal plate as a working thermoelement. A mandatory block of such devices is a voltage-lowering transformer (Figure 1). Its windings must meet the following requirements:

cable section - from 1.5 mm;
voltage - from 100 V (primary winding), 15 V (secondary).

Experts recommend connecting a step-down device to an autotransformer (LATR), which allows you to smoothly adjust the output voltage. If there is no desire to purchase such an expensive device, you can do otherwise:

put the switch on the taps of the secondary winding;
equip the step-down transformer with a rheostat.

Linear cutting device - how to do it?

A homemade thermal knife for cutting flat sheets of expanded polystyrene foam is a simple design. Any craftsman will understand the principle of its creation.

The basis of the structure is a frame made of steel profile or wooden bars. In its lower part, a working surface is mounted from particle boards, plywood of great thickness. Some masters use textolite sheets for its construction.

The function of the work surface can also be performed by an ordinary table or workbench. Then the need for a frame is eliminated. And the construction process itself is as follows:

On the table (another flat surface), two vertical supports are mounted, which are fixed with insulators.
A transformer is connected to the latter through electrical contacts to lower the voltage.
A nichrome wire is stretched between the insulators. A special weight is suspended from it. It is needed to tension the thread.

Such a foam cutter functions simply. Electric current passes through the thread, heats it up, which leads to stretching of the wire. The load does not allow the latter to sag.

A heated nichrome thread easily cuts a foam block horizontally, which is moved by hand. As a result, flat sheets of insulating material are obtained. Their thickness is determined by the distance separating the stretched wire from the working surface of the table.

When performing the described operation, it is important to ensure that the expanded polystyrene is supplied at the most uniform speed.

In cases where the material must be cut vertically, the design of the cutter is slightly modified. The frame needs to be additionally equipped with a paw-holder. Hang a nichrome thread and a weight from it, passing the latter through a hole previously drilled in the table. It is desirable to install a hollow metal pipe in it, which will protect the master from burns when the wire is heated.

Rules for the manufacture of tools for figured cutting

If cutting at home will be subjected to foam sheets of large thickness or geometric dimensions that do not fit on the work surface due to their parameters, it is recommended to make a thermal knife from a hacksaw or a manual jigsaw. The work is done like this:

The cutting blade of the jigsaw (hacksaw) is removed.
An electrical cable is connected to the tool handle.
Nichrome wire is bent at a given angle.
The figuratively bent thread is installed in the place where the canvas was previously placed, and fixed with nuts and screws.

All metal elements on a self-made structure are insulated. If desired, you can immediately bend several nichrome canvases at different angles. Then curly cutting will be more comfortable.

Standard construction has long since sunk into oblivion. This is noticeable when visiting low-rise construction zones. Each house is individual, unique. But each household requires insulation, if it was not provided during the construction process. It is unlikely that foam manufacturers will produce custom-sized slabs with a small order volume. You'll have to cut. But how to cut the foam when installing the thermal insulation of the building with your own hands?

Foamed polystyrene foam is easy to process by cutting. Before cutting foam at home, you need to decide on the required accuracy and cleanliness of the cut. After that, select the necessary device for cutting foam plastic from the following:

saw (hacksaw);
string;
thermal cutter;

There is no single answer to the question: “What is the best way to cut?” as long as there is no certainty in terms of volume and linear dimensions of the workpieces.

Foam plastic milling is not carried out due to the extremely low mechanical stability of the material.

Just cutting

When carrying out work on the insulation of the foundation, underground utilities, floors under the screed, the facade under the plaster, special accuracy and evenness of the cut is not much needed. Especially if the building has a simple facade configuration. In this case, you can use a hand tool for cutting foam: a knife, a hacksaw, a metal string.

Their use will lead to the loss of granules at the cut boundary and the formation of an uneven edge. The presence of a loose fit of the plates can be leveled by filling the voids with mounting foam.

Rectilinear cutting with a knife with small notches is justified with a material thickness of 50 mm, a hacksaw can cut insulation up to 250 mm thick. You can use a serrated kitchen knife to cut the styrofoam. A hacksaw with a small tooth is purchased at a hardware store.

For the convenience of using a string for cutting foam (you can use old strings, for example, from a guitar with a spiral winding), we install wooden handles on its ends. They cut the insulation with reciprocating movements, as if they were using a two-handed saw. Large slabs can be cut by two people. In this case, the sheet to be cut must be fixed.

Before cutting the foam, the cutting edges must be treated with a liquid lubricant. This will create a certain comfort during work (improve slip, reduce noise).

Figured carving on foam using this tool is extremely difficult.

Using a thermal knife

Do-it-yourself cutting of polystyrene with the use of a thermal knife is justified with a plate thickness of up to 50 mm. To cut a piece of polystyrene, the hot knife is advanced at a medium speed, which ensures the quality of the cut without pulling out fragments and melting the edges.

Purchasing a longer blade for this appliance is not entirely beneficial. With manual cutting, it is impossible to cut strictly perpendicular to the surface. The end of the sheet will have a bevel, which is extremely inconvenient during installation. In order to better cut a thick sheet, it is necessary to cut from both sides, deepening the hot knife by half the thickness or a little more.

We manufacture and use a thermal cutter

For do-it-yourself foam cutting, devices with a thin hot element are most often used. The general principle of operation of any thermal cutter for foam plastic is the same.

The heated element separates the material with subsequent sealing of the opened volumes. Using thermal cutters for foam plastic, we get a perfectly smooth cut, which is very important for high-quality insulation work.

The purchase of a factory-made foam cutting machine is not economically feasible.

Only if it is not decided to do it professionally and permanently. In most cases, when cutting curly elements is not required, you can use a homemade foam cutter.

Making a foam cutter with your own hands is quite simple and quite inexpensive. After completion of work, it will not lie dead weight, take up space. It can be assembled and disassembled as needed. If not needed, its components can be used for other purposes.

Before you make a foam cutter, you need to prepare everything you need:

blank for the working surface;
nichrome wire;
laboratory adjustable transformer (LATR);

Chrome-plated nichrome wire can be used without a step-down transformer, but this increases the risk of electric shock.

electric wire, mount for it,
springs for thread tension;
adjustment mechanism.

When manufacturing and using the device, follow the rules for the design and operation of electrical installations.

To make equipment for cutting foam, start by marking and trimming the working surface. Determine its geometric dimensions in accordance with the dimensions of the cut plates. It is better if the table surface is larger than the sheet area.

We install racks (supports) with the possibility of adjustment. This may require a small tool in the form of hex bushings with internal threads. They will make it easier to adjust the cutting height. The cutting wire is tensioned with springs. We lay and fix an electric wire on different sides of the thread. We connect the other end of the cable to LATR (if there is no LATR, it can be replaced using an autotransformer to charge the car's batteries). The device is ready to work.

Cutting foam at home must be carried out in compliance with safety measures. During heat treatment, toxic fumes are released. Therefore, we cut out parts from foam either on the street, or use respiratory protection equipment at a workplace equipped with exhaust ventilation.

The use of such a device for cutting foam allows you to speed up the process of preparing insulation fragments as much as possible.

We use automated systems

The delights of architectural design also require insulation. In order to preserve their expressiveness, it becomes necessary to manufacture complex elements. How to cut out such details? A more affordable option is the processing of insulation by milling. But foam plastic milling is not carried out for the reason that the cutter pulls out large enough pieces of material during its rotation.

Dense polystyrene foam has a higher mechanical strength and is well milled. Anything is made from it: a letter, a number, a graphic element of any complexity. At least a hedgehog. It is recommended to cut penoplex at high angular speeds with an average linear feed. To install the manufactured fragments on the facade, ceresite is used.

Foam laser cutting is the most advanced technology that combines a hot cutting tool and the precision of an automated system. Laser cutting of foam allows you to produce parts of any complexity with the highest precision with a minimum level of waste. Foam laser cutting provides a completely smooth cut surface using a hot beam of directional light moving at high speed. For him, there are no restrictions on the thickness of the material and the complexity of the element.

The choice of cutting equipment used for foam boards and for extruded polystyrene foam should be conscious. Meet the technological requirements for finished products and be economically justified.

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