PLASMA ARC WELDING

UNIT-III
 Contents
• What is plasma.
• Principle of plasma arc welding.
• Equipment used.
• Types plasma arc welding.
• Working of PAW.
• Advantages.
• Disadvantages.
• Applications.
 WHAT IS PLASMA
• Plasma is the fourth state of matter. We normally think of
three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. For a common
element, water, these three states are ice, water and steam.
PRINCIPLE OF PAW
• This is an arc welding process, a concentrated
plasma arc produced and directed towards the
weld area.
• The arc is stable and reaches temperature as
high as 330000c.
• The plasma starts between tungsten electrode
and the orifice by a low current pilot arc.
• Which makes plasma arc welding different from
other process is that the plasma arc welding is
concentrated because it is forced through a
relatively small orifice
• Operating current usually less than 100A.
• When filler rod is used it is fed into the arc like
GTAW.
• Arc and weld zone shielded by the shielding
gasses like Argon, Helium, mixture of both.
 Equipment used

• Power supply
• Plasma console
• Plasma torch
• Shielding gas
• Plasma gas
• Cooling system
• Filler material
PAW SETUP
 Power source
• PAW process needed a high power DC supply
to generate electric spark 
• This welding can weld at low ampere of about
2 amp and maximum current which it can
handle is about 300 amp.
• It needs about 80 volts for proper working.
 Plasma console
• A control console is required for plasma arc welding. The
plasma arc torches are designed to connect to the
control console rather than the power source.
• The console includes:
•  A power source for the pilot arc
• A delay timing system for transferring from the pilot arc
to the transferred arc
• Water and gas valves
• Separate flow meters for the plasma gas and the
shielding gas.
PLASMA TORCH
TYPES OF PAW
TRANSFERRED PLASMA ARC WELDING
 Transferred plasma arc welding:
• This process also uses straight polarity DC current.
• In this process, the tungsten electrode is connected to
the negative terminal and the work piece is connected
to the positive terminal.
• The arc is produces between tungsten electrode and
work piece.
• In this process both plasma and arc transferred to the
work piece which increases the heating capacity of
process.
• It is used to weld thick sheets.
 Non-transferred plasma arc welding:
• In this welding process, straight polarity
• DC current is used. In this process, the tungsten
electrode is connected to the negative and the nozzle
is connected to the positive pole.
• The arc produces between tungsten electrode and
nozzle inside the torch.
• This will increase the ionization of gas inside the torch.
• The torch transfers this ionized gas for further process.
• It is used to weld thin sheets
 Working of PAW
• This welding works on same as TIG instead, plasma is used to heat up the parent
material. Its working can be summarized as follow.
• First the work pieces are properly cleaned. The power source supply power which
produces arc between tungsten electrode and nozzle, or tungsten electrode and
workpiece.
• The tungsten electrode gives a high intense arc which is used to ionization of gas
particles and converts orifice gases into plasma. This hot ionized gas is supplied to
the welding plates from a small orifice.
• The shielding gases like argon etc. are supplied through pressure valve and
regulating valve to the outer nozzle of welding torch. These gases create a shield
around the welding area which protect it from atmospheric gases like oxygen,
nitrogen etc.
• The plasma strikes the welding plates and fuses it into one piece. Next the welding
torch is moved in the direction of welding.
• If the welding required filler material, it is fed by the welder manually.
 Advantages
1. Constricted opening
2. Good arc stability
3. Permits deeper penetration
4. Narrow weld bead obtained
5. Less distortion
6. Rapid welding speed
7. It can work low amperage
8. Low power consumption for same size weld
9. High energy available for welding
10.The distance between tool and workpiece does not effects
 Disadvantages
1. Orifice replacement is necessary
2. Expensive welding process
3. Nozzle get melt
4. More noise level around 100db
5. Excessive ultra violet and infrarred radiation
6. High skill labour required
7. High maintainance cost
 Applications
1. Aeronautical industry
2. Precision instruments industry
3. Jet engine manufacturing
4. Steel and titanium tube manufacturing
5. Butt weld of wall tubes
6. Medical setup and thin electronic chips
7. Repair tools, dies, and molds
8. Coating or welding of turbine blades