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Plasma Welding Torches
PWP Industrial is at the leading edge of plasma welding torch design to provide customers with a torch that is not only fit for purpose, but robust and easy to use. Our customers for this type of torch are from a wide range of industries including nuclear, defence, automotive and academic institutions.
So what is plasma welding?
Plasma welding is the ultimate electric arc welding process. Its versatility is unique, from full penetration key-hole welding to Additive Manufacturing. Another advantage of plasma welding is the fact that the tungsten electrode is inside the nozzle, eliminating the risk of tungsten contamination in the work.
The plasma jet has actual mass and inertia so it can be directed in a way that TIG welding cannot. Because a TIG welding arc doesn’t have mass, so the electric arc will always travel to the closest part i.e the path of least resistance. In plasma welding, the arc only heats the gas up to levels were it becomes an ionised gas jet.
Plasma is commonly known as the fourth state of matter. The temperatures are very extreme: up to 24,000°K which is approximately nine times the surface temperature of the sun!
So why isn’t plasma welding used everywhere?
A plasma welding system is much more complex with more variables than TIG or MIG welding. There are two gases to control, the shielding gas as in TIG welding that shields the weld pool and the plasma gas which has to be finely controlled to levels that depend on the weld. Too much plasma gas and you get plasma cutting! Controlling it correctly you can get the key-hole mode, where the plasma jet penetrates through the work piece but does not blow the molten metal out. When the torch is moved, the molten metal flows around the arc leaving a full penetration weld. Another complexity is that the torch has to be water cooled, not only the electrode, but the nozzle as well. This makes for some very interesting cooling circuits necessary inside the torch.
Electrodes & Nozzles
The entire range of PWP Industrial plasma welding torches use the PWP Patented Consumable Technology (PCT) which substantially increases the life of consumable parts.
Electrodes are pre-set in length and self-retaining, making changing a consumable, a very simple matter. Electrodes are available in a standard range of sizes but many bespoke configurations have been produced by PWP to customer specification.
The Nozzle is a unique dry change design that has proved to be very robust, long lasting and popular with operators. Nozzles are also available in a standard range of sizes but as with electrodes, many bespoke configurations have been produced to customer specification.
