Combined process and automatic installation for plasma-jet marking and cutting or welding, in particular of metals
AssigneeLa Soudure Autogene Francaise
InventorMichel Delzenne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and an automatic installation for plasma-jet marking and for cutting or welding various materials. A carrying structure carries both a plasma-marking torch and at least one torch for plasma or laser cutting, oxycutting or plasma or laser welding. A drive system make it possible to move the torches in one or more directions of motion, and control means make it possible to control the movement of the torches relative to the workpieces to be marked. The torches are supplied with coolant, such as demineralized water, with a plasma gas or gas mixture, and with electric current. The plasma-marking installation according to the invention can be used for marking metals, metal alloys or plastics.
Claims16
Combined automatic installation for plasma-jet marking and for cutting and/or welding at least a part of at least one workpiece to be marked and/or cut and/or welded, comprising:
- at least one carrying structure carrying at least one plasma-marking torch and at least one cutting and/or welding torch,
- drive means capable of moving at least the said plasma-marking torch and at least the said cutting and/or welding torch in at least one direction of motion,
- coolant supply means capable of supplying at least the said plasma-marking torch and at least the said cutting and/or welding torch with at least one coolant,
- gas supply means capable of supplying at least the said plasma-marking torch and at least the said cutting and/or welding torch with at least one gas,
- electric-current supply means capable of supplying at least the said plasma-marking torch and at least the said cutting and/or welding torch with electric current, and
- control means capable of initiating at least one movement of the said plasma-marking torch and of the said cutting and/or welding torch relative to the said at least one workpiece to be marked and cut and/or welded.
Combined automatic process for marking and cutting at least one workpiece, in particular at least one metal workpiece, using at least one plasma-marking torch delivering at least one plasma-marking jet and at least one plasma-cutting torch delivering at least one plasma-cutting jet, comprising the following steps:
- (a) supplying at least one plasma-marking torch with at least one electric current and with at least one plasma gas, and generating at least one plasma-marking jet having a marking energy greater than or equal to a first energy threshold and less than a second energy threshold, the said first energy threshold corresponding to the minimum energy required to obtain at least one local change in coloration of the workpiece to be marked, and the said second energy threshold corresponding to the energy required to obtain complete melting through the full thickness of the said workpiece to be marked,
- (b) supplying at least one plasma-cutting torch with at least one electric current and at least one plasma gas, and generating at least one plasma-cutting jet having a cutting energy greater than or equal to the said second energy threshold corresponding to the energy required to obtain complete melting through the full thickness of the said workpiece to be cut,
- (c) plasma-jet marking the said workpiece to be marked by subjecting at least one part of the said workpiece to at least the said plasma-marking jet having the said marking energy, and
- (d) plasma-jet cutting the said workpiece to be cut by subjecting at least one part of the said workpiece to at least the said plasma-cutting jet having the said cutting energy.
Combined automatic process for marking and welding at least one workpiece, in particular at least one metal workpiece, using at least one plasma-marking torch delivering at least one plasma-marking jet and at least one welding torch delivering at least one welding gas flow, comprising the following steps:
- (a) supplying at least one plasma-marking torch with at least one electric current and with at least one plasma gas, and generating at least one plasma-marking jet having a marking energy greater than or equal to a first energy threshold and less than a second energy threshold, the said first energy threshold corresponding to the minimum energy required to obtain at least one change in coloration of the workpiece to be marked, and the said second energy threshold corresponding to the energy required to obtain complete melting through the full thickness of the said workpiece to be marked,
- (b) supplying at least one welding torch with at least one electric current and at least partially melting through the thickness of the said at least one workpiece to be welded,
- (c) plasma-jet marking the said workpiece to be marked by subjecting at least one part of the said workpiece to at least the said plasma-marking jet having the said marking energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.