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Plasma Arc Machining (Pam) : Mechanical Engineering Department I.I.T Guwahati-781039 E-Mail: Manasdas@iitg - Ernet.in

This document provides an introduction to plasma arc machining (PAM). It defines plasma as a gas heated to over 20,000°C where molecules separate and electrons dissociate from atoms. PAM uses this high-temperature plasma to cut metals. The document describes the basic components of a PAM system and different types of plasma torches, including air, oxygen-injected, dual-gas, and water-injected torches. It also discusses process parameters, applications, and advantages of PAM over other machining methods.

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128 views

Plasma Arc Machining (Pam) : Mechanical Engineering Department I.I.T Guwahati-781039 E-Mail: Manasdas@iitg - Ernet.in

This document provides an introduction to plasma arc machining (PAM). It defines plasma as a gas heated to over 20,000°C where molecules separate and electrons dissociate from atoms. PAM uses this high-temperature plasma to cut metals. The document describes the basic components of a PAM system and different types of plasma torches, including air, oxygen-injected, dual-gas, and water-injected torches. It also discusses process parameters, applications, and advantages of PAM over other machining methods.

Uploaded by

Srinivasan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

Welcome to the course

On
Advanced Machining Processes

PLASMA ARC MACHINING (PAM)

BY
Dr. Manas Das
Assistant Professor
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
I.I.T Guwahati- 781039
e-mail : [email protected]
1
PLASMA ARC MACHINING
(PAM)
PLASMA
• A gas heated > 20000 C, molecules separate out as atoms (if
having 2 or more)
• At 30000c or more, electrons dissociate from atom and gas
ionized consisting of ions and electrons. This state of gas is
known as plasma.

Characteristics of plasma
 Glowing, ionized gas, results from heating of a material to extremely high
temp.

 Composed of free electrons dissociated from the main gas atoms

 A gas in plasma state becomes electrically conductive as well as responsive


to magnetism  fourth state of matter

 Plasma is encountered in electrical discharges


 Source of heat generation in plasma  recombination of ions & electrons
into atoms and / or recombination of atoms into molecules

Liberated bonding energy responsible for increased kinetic energy of


the atoms or molecules formed by recombination

Temperature as high as 33000 0C

Can cut any metal including those having high k, large


Heat capacity or good oxidation resistance like Al, SS

( Can’t be cut by conventional methods like oxy-fuel cutting )

Plasma Arc Cutting ( PAC)


PAC SYSTEM
• Uses DC power source

ARC MODE

Non-TRANSFERRED ARC TRANSFERRED ARC

•Arc between electrode & nozzle • Efficiency 85%-90%


•Electro-thermal efficiency 65%-75% • Arc between electrode & w/p
• Ionizes high velocity gas streaming •Arc heats a coaxial-flowing gas,
towards w/p maintains it in plasma state
•W/p conductivity no constraint • W/p electrically conductive
•PAC system can deliver up to 1000A at about 200 V (DC).
•The flowing gas pressure may be up to 1.4 MPa

Resulting in a plasma velocity  several hundred meters /sec.


Higher the gas flow rate, more will be momentum of the plasma jet.

Removes molten material from machining zone

Plasma jet constricted by flowing gas acts as a cooling agent sandwiched


between nozzle wall and plasma jet

 Material removal mechanism  melting and / or vaporization

 Molten material is blown off by high velocity plasma jet


Elements of PAC system

1. POWER SUPPLY

2. GAS SUPPLY

3. COOLING WATER SYSTEM

4. CONTROL CONSOLE

5. PLASMA TORCH
AIR PLASMA TORCH

 Uses compressed air that ionizes and does cutting.

 Air should be uncontaminated.

 Torch nozzle may result in premature failure


 double arcing

ELECTRODE & Details of air plasma torch


NOZZLE & W/P
NOZZLE construction [Benedict, 1987;
Courtesy: W.A. Whitney Corp.
Rockford,III.]
 Results in high degree of tapered machined surface.

 Electrode material: Zirconium or hafnium (life « 2 hr of cutting time)  higher


resistance to oxidation.

 Tungsten electrode: Does not last more than few seconds due to poor oxidation
resistance
OXYGEN INJECTED TORCH

 Uses N2 as plasma gas  to avoid oxidation of


electrode (or to enhance the life of the electrode)

 O2 injected downstream of the electrode.


However, it lowers down the nozzle life.

 Gives high MRR and poor squareness of cut edges.

 Commonly used for mild steel plate cutting.

 Presence of O2 in air helps in increasing MRR in


case of oxidizable materials like steel. Schematic of O2 injected torch construction
[Benedict, 1978; Hypertherm Inc., Hanover,
N.H.]

 For certain ferrous metals, cutting speed increased by ~ 25%  because O2 backs
up the exothermic burning of oxidizable metals.
DUAL GAS PLASMA TORCH

 Uses N2 as plasma gas

 o2 or Co2 or argon-hydrogen,
etc. as shielding gas

 Secondary or shielding gas


chosen according to the material
Constructional details of dual gas
to be cut. plasma torch [Benedict, 9178: Courtesy:
W.A. Whitney Corp. Rockford, III.]

 Secondary gas system helps in maintaining sharp corners on


the top side of the cut edges.
WATER INJECTED TORCH

•Pressurized water (≈1.2 MPa) injected (radially


or swirling vertically) constricts plasma
•10% water vaporizes
• Thin steam layer constricts plasma & insulates
nozzle
• N2 (1 MPa)  plasma gas

• To avoid double arcing  lower part of nozzle


 ceramic

 Water constriction  reduce smoke, enhance nozzle life,


reduce HAZ, limit oxide formation on cut edge
 Swirling motion  shielding gas / water

Swirling of plasma

One cut edge perfectly straight


Water Muffler

• A covering of water around plasma torch & extends down to


the w/p surface
• Reduces smoke & noise
• Dye mixed with water absorbs part of UV rays produced in PAC
• Water table  reduces level of noise & extent of sparks
• Water below w/p  quenches sparks and damps sound level
• Under water PAC systems  reduce noise & smoke levels
Process performance
• Surface speed  MRRV attain max. value and then starts
•Max cut thickness  150 mm
• Cutting speed (S)= φ(thickness of matl. (t), current (I) & matl. type)
Decreases with increase in ‘t’ (mm)
• S (m/min )=25.4 / t for I = 500 A

• Poor tolerances = ± 0.8 mm (t < 25.0 mm)


= ± 3.0 mm ( t > 25.0 mm)
• High width of cut  2.5 – 9.0 mm
• Taper (depends on swirling motion)  5 – 7o (without swirling)
• Surface finish 5-75 μm
• HAZ (0.75-5.0 mm) ø (t, PAC system & material type, cutting cond.)
Applications
 Multiple torch system  simultaneous cutting varieties of shapes from one plate

 Used for preparing ends of pipe (bevel cut) section before welding  mount
torch at a fixed angle and rotate pipe underneath the torch

 CNC PAC system  punching type operation and for shape cutting on light duty
plate  SS, Al, Cu etc.  difficult by oxy-fuel system

 Oxy-fuel can not cut beyond a certain thickness  PAC does.


 PAC more economical than oxy-fuel system
 Shape & size of groove generated by PAC governed by arc power, traverse
speed, angle and height of plasma torch
 Non–transferred arc (electrically non-conducting w/p)  low MRR
 Employed for turning difficult-to-machine materials
 Underwater Plasma m/cing system with low speed  under development
THANK YOU

15

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