What you’re watching here is oxy-fuel flame cutting, performed by a semi-automatic track burner (sometimes called a cutting “bug”). Despite how violent it looks, this process is surprisingly controlled and scientifically elegant. First, the steel is preheated using a fuel gas (commonly acetylene, propane, or natural gas) mixed with oxygen. The goal isn’t to melt the steel — it’s to raise it to its ignition temperature, around 870–950°C for carbon steel. Once that threshold is reached, a high-pressure jet of pure oxygen is released. This triggers a rapid oxidation reaction: iron + oxygen → iron oxide + heat That reaction is exothermic, meaning the steel essentially burns itself, releasing additional heat that sustains the cut. The molten iron oxide is blown out of the kerf by the oxygen stream, leaving behind that clean, straight channel. The “automation” here isn’t about intelligence — it’s about consistency. The track ensures: • constant cutting speed • uniform oxygen flow • stabl...