Hot-wire foam cutter
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A hot-wire foam cutter is used to cut polystyrene foam and similar materials. The device consists of a taut metal wire, often made of nichrome or stainless steel, or a thicker wire preformed into a desired shape, which is heated via electrical resistance to approximately 200° C. As the wire is passed through the material to be cut, the heat from the wire vaporises the material just before it would have made contact with it, creating a smooth cut. Since the wire never comes into direct contact with the material, the depth of the cut is limited only by the wire length.
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[edit] Types of wire used
- Rectilinear, tended by a springs system with a disposable arrow.
- Preformed manually or with pliers.
[edit] Foams suitable for hot-wire cutting
All thermofusible expanded foams. This means those materials that melt themselves at a relatively low temperature:
- Expanded polystyrene (blocks of expanded white balls).
- Extruded polystyrene (in blue, green, gray, pink or purple smooth plates, depending on the manufacturer).
- Plexiglas® (Rohacell®), very mechanically resisting but very expensive.
- Flexible expanded polypropylene foams, ideal for shock protecting.
- Polyethylene foams, flexible and tear resistant.
- Custom materials, such as the foams used in flexible fuel tanks to reduce explosion risks.
[edit] Uses
- Signage
- Architectural solid modeling
- Props
- Prototyping
- Cement molds
- Aircraft design
- Lost-foam casting
- Surfboard construction
