Plasma system with integrated power supply, motion control, gas control and torch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486261-B2
Application number	US-201514664287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

An integrated plasma cutting system includes a plasma cutting power supply and a motion control device to move a torch along a desired cut path relative to a workpiece. The system also includes a torch height control device to adjust a gap between a tip of the torch and the workpiece and a gas control device to regulate a gas used in the integrated plasma cutting system. The system further includes a centralized controller that includes an integrated microprocessor architecture that controls a sequence of the plasma arc, controls the regulation of the gas used in the integrated plasma cutting system gases, and controls coordination of the movement of the torch along the cut path with adjusting the gap without aid of an intervening microprocessor architecture in any one of the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device and the gas control device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated plasma cutting system, the system comprising:
a plasma cutting power supply to provide a desired current to at least one torch to create a plasma arc to cut a workpiece;
a motion control device to move the at least one torch along a desired cut path relative to the workpiece;
a torch height control device to adjust a gap between a tip of the at least one torch and the workpiece;
a gas control device to regulate at least one of a gas selection, a gas flow rate and a gas pressure of at least one gas used in the integrated plasma cutting system; and
a centralized controller to control each of the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device and the gas control device,
wherein the centralized controller includes an integrated microprocessor architecture that controls sequences of the respective plasma arcs, controls the regulation of the at least one gas used in the integrated plasma cutting system, determines an order and positioning of cuts based on user input information, and controls coordination of movement of the at least one torch along the cut path with adjusting the gap between the tip of the at least one torch and the workpiece, without aid of an intervening microprocessor architecture in any one of the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device and the gas control device.

2. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface that allows a user to interact with the integrated plasma cutting system.

3. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface includes a microprocessor that is separate from the integrated microprocessor architecture, and
wherein the user interface is positioned remotely from at least one of the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device and the gas control device.

4. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 2 , wherein the centralized controller operates the user interface without aid of an intervening microprocessor architecture in the user interface to process commands input from the user and present data to the user via a display.

5. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 4 , wherein the display is one of a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a cathode-ray tube type display, and a light-emitting diode (LED) type display.

6. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 2 , wherein the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device, the gas control device, and the user interface are disposed within a single enclosure.

7. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 4 , wherein the user inputs at least one of torch current, material type, material thickness, cutting speed, torch height, and plasma and shield gas composition into the user interface prior to start of cutting operations.

8. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated microprocessor architecture includes a single microprocessor to control the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device and the gas control device.

9. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated microprocessor architecture includes a computer with a multi-processor architecture to control the plasma cutting power supply, the motion control device, the torch height control device and the gas control device.

10. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the regulation of the at least one gas used in the integrated plasma cutting system includes regulating at least one of a plasma gas and a shield gas.

11. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gantry disposed over the workpiece and supporting the at least one torch,
wherein the centralized controller controls movement of the at least one torch along the gantry.

12. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the coordination of the movement of the at least one torch further includes controlling an angle of the at least one torch relative to the workpiece to create respective bevel cuts.

13. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is disposed on a water table, and
wherein the centralized controller controls operation of the water table.

14. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is disposed on a movable table, and
wherein the centralized controller controls operation of the movable table.

15. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the centralized controller controls coordination of a movement of a second torch along a second cut path with adjusting a second gap between a tip of the second torch and the workpiece.

16. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the centralized controller includes a storage device that contains data related to a part to be cut in the workpiece.

17. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 1 , wherein the centralized controller includes a non-transitory computer readable product that includes computer readable instructions, and
wherein the computer readable instructions perform at least one of select and configure operating parameters of the integrated plasma cutting system.

18. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 17 , wherein the computer readable instructions are at least one of cut charts, nesting software, and CAD programs.

19. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 18 , wherein the computer readable instructions include cutting information for cutting at least one of holes, contours, and shapes.

20. The integrated plasma cutting system of claim 19 , wherein the cutting information further includes information of a type of material being cut.

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Harkare Sriram
• Williams Christopher

Classifications

• B23K37/0235

  the guide member forming part of a portal · CPC title

• B23K37/0461

  Welding tables · CPC title

• B23K10/00 Primary

  Welding or cutting by means of a plasma · CPC title

• B23K10/006 Primary

  Control circuits therefor · CPC title