Simply put, High Velocity Adiabatic Impact is about controlling energy! In less than a millisecond, measured energy is concentrated and directed through the metal in a confined plane.This concentrated energy causes limited and controlled plastic deformation in the area identified as the "adiabatic zone" and produces sufficient heat to separate the material.

Controlled speed is the important factor in this process. The material being cut cannot dissipate the heat as quickly as it is being generated, which creates an increase in temperature in the adiabatic zone. The material softens instantly (known as adiabatic softening) and separates quickly enough that the depth of strain hardening is not more than .0015 inch.

In order to be classified as a true adiabatic system, a press must be capable of creating tool speed of more than 8 meters per second at the time of impact and separation. Anything less than that is not considered an adiabatic system. LMC's patented HIgh Velocity Adiabatic Impact system (HVAI) provides extreme tool speeds ranging from a minimum of 10 meters per second up to 100 meters per second, depending on the material's minimum critical speed, energy level, and tooling design.