Operating plasma arc processing systems at reduced current and gas pressure levels and related systems and methods

• Main Authors: Mao, Junsong, Patel, Shreyansh, Duan, Zheng, Liu, Qinghua, Pavlik, Richard, Altobelli, Bruce P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.10.2020
• Subjects: ACTUATING-FLOATS; BLASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; COCKS; CONTROLLING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; REGULATING; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TAPS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; VALVES; WEAPONS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

In some aspects, methods for controlling a plasma arc in a plasma torch of a plasma cutting system in a low operating current mode can include: receiving, by a computing device within the plasma power supply, a command to begin a plasma processing operation; generating a pilot arc command to generate a pilot arc within the plasma torch, the generating of the pilot arc command including directing an electrical signal and a gas flow to the plasma torch, the electrical signal being configured to generate the pilot arc at a current having a first arc amperage magnitude; and generating an operational arc command to facilitate a transition from the pilot arc to an operational plasma arc, the generating of the operational arc command including adjusting the current directed to the plasma torch to be a second arc amperage magnitude that is lower than the first arc amperage magnitude.