Wirepak® thermic lance tube is a consumable steel tube available in 8; 10 and 15mm Nominal Bore (NB) packed with between 5 – 20 low carbon steel wires. Our thermic lance tube is available in 2.3, 3.0, 3.2 and 4.0mtr lengths with the most popular being the 3.0 and 3.2mtr lengths.
Thermic lances are employed where stubborn materials need to be gouged out or for cutting concrete where vibration is not permitted. In this process, the lance tube is connected to a high pressure oxygen supply using our Afrox’s range or other suitable brass couplings.
Temperatures during the cutting process reach in excess of 4 000° Celsius and this method is used to achieve a noise and vibration free cutting of steel, concrete and cast iron. The process is very efficient and cost effective compared to traditional drilling, especially where cutting of reinforced concrete is required.
Thermic lance tube was originally developed in France to cut gun emplacements after the second world war. The process is based on the principle that red hot steel oxidises very quickly when in an atmosphere of pure oxygen.
This exothermic reaction will persist as long as oxygen is fed through the lance causing the intense heat generated at the tip of the lance to burn away the offending material quickly while simultaneously consuming the lance tube itself.
Please refer to our minimum safety considerations before tooling up for a lancing operation.
Lancing Set Up
Connect the Wirepak® therminc lance tube to the brass coupling. (We recommend Afrox’s range of lancing couplings.) 
If you are using our 3.2metre lengths, be sure to insert the unpacked end into the coupling.
Set the oxygen regulator to 80-100psi depending on your conditions.
Open the oxygen flow, ignite the mixture then burn the first 25mm of the lance until the lance is red hot, causing the lance to burn aggressively. Use firm force to burn / gouge the offending material. Note that the bore holes inclined by 5-10 degrees ensure the resultant slag flows away slowly.