Since 1994, the United Nations has celebrated International Civil Aviation Day every December 7.  The day recognizes the social and economic benefits of air travel.  Since the 1950s, air travel has become one of the most popular and safest forms of travel.

Have you ever wondered how airplanes are built? Early airplanes were built of wood, which often rotted.  Most airplanes nowadays are made of aluminum, known for being strong, lightweight, and inexpensive.  Building an aircraft requires the welding of multiple pieces of metal.  During WWII, factories used thermal-cutting.  Thermal-cutting was primarily done by oxyacetylene cutting.  The downside was that metal chips were produced, edges could be jagged, and the method could be inaccurate.  In the 1950s, plasma-cutting was invented when the patent holder discovered that metal could melt by using a high-speed jet of hot gas through a nozzle.  Plasma jets can reach temperatures of 45,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  This allows for the molten metal to be blown away from the cut, resulting in cleaner edges.  Plasma-cutting did not become popular with manufacturers until the mid-1970s because of the cost and lack of expertise.  By the 1980s, low-amperage systems allowed for thinner metals to be cut with plasma.  As computers gained popularity, CAD programs were developed to direct the machine controllers.  In the 1990s, laser-cutting technology and CNC machining continued to improve.

Because plasma-cutting involves high temperatures, chillers are needed to control the temperature of the systems.  BV Thermal offers cost-effective plasma-cutting recirculating chillers.  For more information, check out our website: https://bvthermal.com/plasma-cutting/ and read on for more interesting facts about air travel:

• The Wright brothers were the inventors of the world’s first successful airplane
• Over 1 million passengers fly every day in the U.S.
• Over 100,000 flights are made every day
• The first commercial flight was January 1, 1914 between St. Petersburg and Tampa, FL
• Charles Lindbergh made the first solo transatlantic flight in 1927
• The world’s largest passenger airplane is the Airbus A380
• Amelia Earhart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932