The far end of the tube is pre-heated and lit by an oxyacetylene torch.An intense stream of burning steel is produced at the workpiece end and can be used to cut rapidly through thick materials including steel and concrete.The tube is consumed,so every few minutes the operator shuts off the oxygen,discards the remaining stub of a lance tube and starts using a new one.

Although often used as a heavy duty demolition tool,the thermic lance can also be used to remove seized axles of heavy machinery without damaging the bearings or axle housing.This technique is most often used on the pins and axles of large equipment such as cranes,ships,bridges and sluice-gates.

It is used in steel-making for boring of concrete structure,remove burned sand,cutting stainless steel and nonferrous metal,cutting riser in ductile cast iron,cutting sheet or pipe and some other special steel,cutting pig iron mixed with slag,cutting blast furnace shell,cutting&boring furnace bottom refractory brick.