Ask Kurt Blog

Have you ever seen a modern cutting machine with automated oxy-fuel cutting technology? Not yet? Then check out the Akyapak machine here.

This robust machine integrates our APC system with two Autogen stations, offering customers a reliable cutting process. Achieve high-quality cuts with good performance and minimal operating costs—all with minimal requirements for operator experience.

The cutting process is completely automatic. Simply select the sheet thickness, load your cutting shape, and you're ready to start. The APC-equipped machine handles everything else. The flame ignites, and the torch automatically moves into position to preheat, pierce, and cut. Gas control, height adjustment, safety features, and cutting charts—everything expertly prepared for you by autogen specialists. It has never been easier.

Autogen is automated oxy-fuel cutting.

When it comes to cutting mild steel from 25 mm and above, autogen cutting consistently delivers the best cut quality among all thermal cutting methods. But what makes it superior?

Precision, Quality, and Reliability

Autogen cutting offers several key advantages that set it apart:

• Exceptional Surface Quality – Smooth, clean edges with minimal slag formation.
• Low Hardening – The material structure remains intact, reducing brittleness and making post-processing easier.
• Consistent Roughness – Cuts remain precise and uniform, ensuring easy repeatability.
• Perfectly Parallel Edges – Both sides of the cut maintain a straight, accurate shape, eliminating the need for secondary processing.

For welding preparation, bevel quality is essential. With autogen cutting, achieving accurate V, K, Y, and X shapes is effortless—no post-processing required.

ISO 9013: A Measurable Standard for Cut Quality

For an objective evaluation, the industry relies on ISO 9013, the international standard defining cut quality grades, geometric tolerances, and surface finish criteria. By following ISO 9013, manufacturers ensure consistency, efficiency, and compliance with industry standards—critical for high-performance applications.

Why Autogen?

With automated oxy-fuel cutting, you get precise angles, minimal defects, and optimal weld preparation—all with unmatched efficiency. For those who demand reliability, accuracy, and superior cut quality, autogen cutting remains the top choice.

Autogen is a powerful technology for cutting mild steel of varying thicknesses. Although the cutting speed is lower than plasma or laser in the lower thickness range, the productivity of autogen can be increased by installing multi-station machines.

The technology consumes no electrical energy and does not require an expensive and energy-hungry power source. This means that the investment in the multi-station system is only partially increased by the low level, but the machine performance is multiplied by the number of stations. The operating costs are low anyway.

Have you ever seen a cutting table for cutting 30 mm steel parts with more power?

Autogen is automated oxy-fuel cutting.

This is not what you might expect from us. At IHT Automation, our aim is to reduce the amount of energy required for cutting. Current advertising for laser and plasma cutting is full of announcements about increasing energy consumption. "6-10kW is not enough anymore, you should use 30-60kW, ... etc."

We do it differently. We would like to announce that you need 0kW and 0Awhen cutting with autogen technology. On top of that, from about 25 mm (1") higher, the average cut quality is better with autogen than with laser or plasma. And above approx. 50mm (2") the average cutting speed is also higher with autogen than with laser or plasma.

So think twice when choosing your cutting technology.

Autogen is automated oxy-fuel cutting.

If not, you should. Autogen is a beautiful technology, efficient for cutting mild steel plates, tubes or profiles. Straight or bevel cutting from about 1" (25 mm)thickness up. Autogen is the ideal cutting method when considering cut quality and operating costs.

Kurt and Martin have already done their daily share of cutting. And as you can see, the results are very good!

Autogen is automate oxy-fuel cutting.

Cut quality is one of the most important factors when choosing a cutting technology. All cutting processes have pros and cons when it comes to cut quality. Some have problems with straightness, some have poor roughness, and some harden the cut surface too much for welding.

Ask Kurt about oxyfuel cutting!

Let's take a look at what autogen does.

• With a good quality cutting nozzle, the flow of cutting oxygen is at the speed of sound and is straight. Therefore, the straightness of both sides of the cut is perfect and best in class.
• When the cutting parameters are all set perfectly, the surface roughness is really good. There is no need for finishing.
• The hardness of the surface is related to the cooling speed of the workpiece.

All these benefits add up to lower cutting costs.

Are you looking for carbon-free technologies with low energy consumption for your operations?

As we know, thermal cutting processes have an impact on both electrical energy consumption and CO2 emissions. With laser and plasma cutting process innovations, we usually talk about kilowatts and amps of electrical power being added to the process to achieve better results. But this leads to very high power consumption.

The Autogen (oxy-fuel) cutting process requires no electrical power. 80% of the power comes from burning the steel plate we are cutting and 20% comes from the flame.

Only pure water and no CO2 is produced in the flame when hydrogen is used as the fuel gas.

IHT Automation is pleased to present the APC (Autogen Process Control) system. It is a complete oxy-fuel cutting technology package consisting of all the necessary hardware and operating software with a database of cutting parameters.

We are also pleased to introduce the new ECO - operator interface for our APC system. This cutting-edge operating software utilises the MQTT protocol to facilitate seamless digital communication between the APC system and the machine's CNC for exchanging data.

Our APC solution comprises a package that features automatic gas control, an intelligent cutting torch, and a control system with an embedded cutting parameter database that is accessible through an operator interface. Dozens of sensors and controllers collaborate to optimise the cutting process, enhancing its efficiency.

As the collected data is recorded and stored, users receive a wealth of valuable information that can be leveraged to calculate the cost of the cutting process, monitor the quality of the cut, and plan for preventive maintenance.

As the global solution provider for autogen (oxy-fuel) cutting, IHT Automation has been offering complete solutions for years. The integration of the APC (Autogen Cutting Process) into the machine control has always been an important component since the beginning. Now, in cooperation with the pioneer in machine automation, Germany-based company Eckelmann, IHT Automation is offering the autogen (oxy-fuel) cutting machine builders of complete integration of the APC system with new operating interface ECO-e into the E°CUT solution package.

This joint plug-and play solution enables cutting machine builders to commission their CNC machines in the shortest possible time and to provide automatic cutting process to the final technology users.

"In practice today, our APC package only has to be mechanically attached on the machine, connected and it works. The user is working on one operating interface without recognizing that it includes two systems." praises Kurt Nachbargauer, Managing Director of IHT Automation.

The APC system is a complete technology package. It includes an ECO-e operating interface with integrated technology database for autogen cutting as well as an intelligent cutting torch, gas management, automatic flame ignition and height control.

Benefit for machine manufacturer: The E°CUT solution package is pre-configured for use with IHT's APC system. Fast and easy commissioning, reduced needs for the customer support effort.

Benefit for the final user:Easy operation of the machine with latest automation level and best-in-class autogen cutting technology.

The integrated E°CUT/ ECO-e process control with APC cutting process is available for presentation in the IHT Automation showroom in Baden-Baden, Germany.

Have you ever heard the statement„Oxy-fuel ... I need just a torch and gases and it works!“? As we are specialized in Thermal cutting processes, we hear that quite frequently. Yes, of course, a torch and some gases are needed but this is definitely not enough. If we skip for now the other system hardware as e.g. Gas supply system, Safety devices, continuous Pressure control, Exact positioning system, Flame and Cutting jet arrangement then we come to one important point.The Brain. As for any other industrial technology The Brain is the key and „a torch and some gases“ do not contain any Brain.

The Brain used to be represented by the operator of the technology in the past. But as we all know, we cannot rely on that kind of brain anymore because of many reasons. Nowadays everybody expects that The Brain has been implemented within the technology. There are a few Autogen technology suppliers with „The Brain inside“. But there are still many of those which rely on deep operators experiences. That works sometimes but unfortunately in many cases not. Then, when the customer‘s expectations have not been fulfilled, he is moving to another machine supplier or switching to other, smarter technology even when it is less efficient.

So please do not forget The Brain if you plan Oxy-Fuel cutting. Our APC, Autogen Process Control system is a complete hardware package including The Brain and can be integrated in any type of cutting table or robot. APC is using approximately 30 adjustable parameters for cutting of one material thickness behind which is hidden approximately twice the number of various data channels coming from/going to different sensors and control units. APC is The real Brain for Autogen cutting.

With our FIT+ three torches, the ignition of the flame works very reliably. However, under certain conditions it may happen that the ignition is not successful the first time. For this reason, we have integrated ignition detection into the APC Automatic Oxy-Fuel Process Control System.

If the ignition does not produce a flame the first time, ignition is repeated until the flame is on. This is a further step on the way to a complete Oxy-Fuel cutting process automation.

Does your preheating take longer than specified in the cutting table? Is the cutting quality bad?

One reason may be the incorrect setting of the flame. A cutting flame should have the correct mixture between heating oxygen and heating gas. With propane, it is approx. 1 part propane and 4 parts oxygen. For acetylene, it is about 1:1. In the attached video, you can see examples of a heating flame. For the correct adjustment often years of experience is necessary.

Alternatively, you use APC, our fully automatic Oxy-Fuel Process Control System.

Oxy-Fuel cutting torches have been manufactured and used for 150 years. Since that time, it has been possible to cut with these cutting torches. IHT and GCE have now introduced a new generation of cutting torches. The FIT+ three cutting torch. What is the difference between a simple cutting torch and the FIT+ three? Why does a FIT+ three oxy-fuel cutting torch suddenly have an error output and why should I connect it? That is what this video is about.

Usually I talk about food. But I have realized, something has to change. That's why we're talking about getting fit today. Let's talk about making products fit for the future. What about your attitude? For example, oxy-fuel cutting? Old fashioned. Too complicated? So, let’s just automate it.

We all know: Oxy-Fuel is cost-effective, ideal also for small plate thicknesses und delivers high quality. That you can use these advantages again in the future, we have sent the proven Oxy-Fuel cutting to the IHT fitness studio. First we developed a new cutting torch with ignition, height sensing that even has a detection of backfire. Then we fully automated the oxy-fuel cutting process. Our new cutting system APC perfectly suites your application. No worry, no hassle. Simply Install and cut.

"Well, join in. It’s so easy. With the fully automated Oxy-Fuel cutting system from IHT. Ask me. I'll make you fit for the future."

N°4 is the most important Fact when looking at the future of Oxy-Fuel cutting. Bringing the technique into the 21st Century and turning it into an autonomous driving cutting process: This is the task that lies ahead so that Oxy-Fuel can compete on a level playing field along with Plasma and Laser.

So what needs to be realised is that an Oxy-Fuel cutting torch can be more than a dumb cutting nozzle holder. What else do you think should the torch should be able to do? Ignite automatically? You may say there are already one or two on the market, yes, but far from enough. Integrated height control or distance measurement? Flashback detection? Is that enough? How about detecting whether the flame is on or off? That's all? Do you need more? For me, these are just the starting points.

The next step is fully integrated automatic gas control.

You may say that this already exists on the market. Yes for sure, offered by many manufacturers, some better than others. The key point here is that what is needed is full integration and interaction with the cutting torch, height control system and the CNC. It is about the processes; pre-heating, piercing and cutting. It's about creating a true unified cutting database.

What we are trying to achieve is to automate the process as much as possible, so that the operator can perform other tasks while the machine cuts. This aspect is still much neglected.

You know this certainly: I have often heard in workshops "I do not know what to do. One cutting machine operator provides perfect parts, has a low wear on nozzles and other consumables, the other produces lousy parts, with reach piercing operation needing a new nozzle."

What needs to be done is that the process know-how is transferred from the operator to the machine in an intelligent way.

Fact N°4 Oxy-Fuel needs more automation PROVEN!

Like me, your favourite bedside book is probably a copy of ISO EN DIN 9013, Thermal cutting - Classification of thermal cuts.

If it isn't and you would like a précis, basically the Good Book says that whether you are looking at the squareness of a cut, the tolerance of the cutting angle or roughness of the finished cut, you will always find that Oxy-Fuel gets the highest rating.

Of course you do have to be looking at parts cut in a production environment made from industrial quality steel and not those made on an exhibition stand to amuse the visitors clutching their giveaways!

It is undisputed that the Oxy-Fuel cutting systems provide excellent quality.

"So Fact N°3: Oxy-Fuel produces high quality cuts. PROVEN!

The results amazed me, I was stunned. I carried out a survey based on information I got from supplier of Oxy-Fuel cutting nozzles. The question I asked was, "How many cutting nozzles for each different sheet thickness do you sell? This was the result.

The nozzle manufacturer sells very few nozzles for smaller than 10 mm (0.4") or larger than 100 mm (4" inch) plates, which did not really surprise me. What did was the quantity of nozzles for cutting 15mm plates they were selling and for larger sizes than that, the curve rises steeply. That really surprised me.

o Fact N°2: Oxy-Fuel really is being used for small sheet thicknesses. PROVEN!

Let me explain the chart first, it shows cutting costs per metre based on the thickness of the sheet. Everything is included, the cost of capital invested, running costs, manpower, etc. I have simplified the curves, please forgive me for that, my aim here is to show the basic principles.

It can be seen clearly when looking at Laser, the initial investment costs only play a minor role.

The investment costs are often overstated when purchasing a new machine. Of course I agree with your accountant that you should not be throwing money out of the window. But you don't just have the choice of lower initial purchase cost or lower cutting costs over the life of the machine. By investing slightly more in a modern Oxy-Fuel machine, you could have the best of both.

We can also see from this graph that Oxy-Fuel cutting for sheet thicknesses from 20 mm is very cost effective. And the more torches you have, the greater the savings.

So Fact N°1: Oxy-Fuel doesn't cost the earth - PROVEN!

Many of you have a mix of Plasma, Laser and Oxy-Fuel cutting machines in use, a perfectly normal set-up. We all know by now that each method of cutting has its field of use and there is a preferred cutting method for each cutting application.

Every production floor will be equipped with several Plasma and Laser cutting machines and each plays its own important role in thermal cutting. Both of these cutting processes are like autonomous self-driving vehicles just like modern cars. But why has no-one mentioned Good Old Oxy-Fuel, whereabouts does that figure in today's cutting league? Some call it old and past it, or that it can only be used where there are people around to make it work properly.

Stop: Wrong: This is not true! Oxy-Fuel (or Flame) cutting is still relatively young and Yes, in order to get the best results, it will need the help of an experienced operator. The story of Oxy-Fuel cutting has only just started.

I feel strongly there is still great room for improvement (a phrase I remember from my school reports) and that it has a strong future: It does have an autonomous self driving future. All this is going to take, is the use of some properly applied innovative automation.Why is the Oxy-Fuel process so poorly automated at the moment? One of the reasons is to realise where the knowledge of the cutting process is these days and why this is? Let us compare Oxy-Fuel and Plasma.

With Plasma in the beginning, the machine operator was there on hand to see and to hear if the cut was good. Now it's different, the manufacturer of the plasma source provides the plasma power source, the torch, the gas console and most importantly, the process know how which is now embedded in the system, safely hidden from everyone but him.

The machine builder sells all he knows about cutting built into the machine and the user is just left to set the plate, enter the cutting data and start the cut, Job done!

With Oxy-fuel cutting at the moment, things are different. Here a large part of the know-how is still with the user. The operator, who knows the process better, will produce the best results. He will produce higher quality results and will cause the least wear on nozzles etc. A less able operator will produce more scrap, cause more wear and his machine will require servicing more often. You have learned by long experience that to get the best results with Oxy-Fuel at the moment, you need to invest in well-trained staff. Perhaps you should invest more in the machine instead?

We at IHT have a passion for cutting and more especially in finding ways of improving the process, why not join us and investigate the Facts.