The use of plasma arc welders has been around since the early 1960’s; and still today, this method of welding is useful for applications that no other type of welding can handle. Plasma arc welding offers more control to the job being performed and in lower current ranges. Primary applications of plasma welding include miniature and fine tune applications, especially when large quantities of welds are required.

The process of Plasma Arc Welding:

Plasma is a gas, which when heated to very high temperatures and ionized becomes electrically conductive. The plasma is used to create the arc that is then transferred to the item being welded. As with other types of welding, the weld is made by the metal of the piece melting under the heat of the arc applied to it.

The use of plasma welding produces a high quality and fine tune weld because of the design of the plasma welder itself. The torch is composed of a Tungsten electrode within a copper nozzle. In particular, the small opening at the end of the nozzle is what enables the plasma welder to be used for miniature welding jobs and fine details. Because the equipment produces a high intensity heat delivered to a small easily controlled area.

Specific equipment for a plasma welder setup includes: a power supply; a plasma console that can be either external or built-in; a water recirculator; a plasma welding torch; and a torch accessory kit.

Uses of Plasma Arc Welding:

Plasma welders often perform jobs for the medical and electronics fields. Equipment in these markets can be very small and require precise and clean welds every time. In the case where a product must be hermetically sealed, plasma welding allows the technician to control the heat input reaching the piece being welded, weld near insulated seals, and light the arc without employing a high frequency electrical noise that is often present with other types of welding and could cause damage to some of the electrical components being sealed.

Another use for this type of welding has recently come into play, offering companies the ability to save money and reuse equipment that would otherwise be thrown out. With the use of a plasma arc welder companies are able to have items like molds, tools, and dies repaired instead of having to replace them.

Benefits of Plasma Arc Welding:

Because of the type and amount of energy dispersed with plasma arc welding, it is ideal for smaller welds as well as higher welding speeds. Plasma welding is often the preferred method when completing a large quantity of welds on a small product like light bulb filaments, needles, and probes.

Finally, the low amperage required to start up the arc in a plasma welder makes a minimal noise in comparison with the amount of high frequency noises put out by other types of welding equipment. In the case of electronic equipment, plasma welding is an ideal way to avoid damage to electronic components that are being sealed by the welding process.

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