The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for a plasma jet device comprising a first and a second printed circuit board each having an exposed surface of a circuit path serving as electrode and facing the other printed circuit board, a spacer arranged between the first and second circuit board and a plasma cell arranged between the first and second printed circuit board and the spacer wherein the plasma cell has a gas inlet and a plasma outlet. The invention further relates to a plasma head comprising said electrode arrangement.

In the present invention, when a DC reactor is in a magnetically saturated state, the on/off operations of a switching element are suspended and the switching element is set to an off state for a predetermined period of time, thereby resetting the magnetic saturation of the DC reactor and maintaining the supply of power to a load. After resetting the magnetic saturation, the pulse output of the normal pulse mode is restarted.

An adjustment method for filter units in a plasma processing apparatus includes a first measurement process of measuring a frequency characteristic of a reference filter unit selected among the filter units, and an adjustment process of adjusting a frequency characteristic of each of remaining filter units selected among the filter units excluding the reference filter unit. Further, the adjustment process includes an attachment process of attaching a capacitive member for adjusting a capacitance between wirings in each of the remaining filter units, a second measurement process of measuring a frequency characteristic of each of the remaining filter units to which the capacitive member is attached, and an individual adjustment process of adjusting a capacitance of the capacitive member such that the frequency characteristic of each of the remaining filter unit to which the capacitive member is attached becomes close to the frequency characteristic of the reference filter unit.

An adjustment method for filter units in a plasma processing apparatus includes a first measurement process of measuring a frequency characteristic of a reference filter unit selected among the filter units, and an adjustment process of adjusting a frequency characteristic of each of remaining filter units selected among the filter units excluding the reference filter unit. Further, the adjustment process includes an attachment process of attaching a capacitive member for adjusting a capacitance between wirings in each of the remaining filter units, a second measurement process of measuring a frequency characteristic of each of the remaining filter units to which the capacitive member is attached, and an individual adjustment process of adjusting a capacitance of the capacitive member such that the frequency characteristic of each of the remaining filter unit to which the capacitive member is attached becomes close to the frequency characteristic of the reference filter unit.

A plasma ignition circuit includes a transformer having a primary coil configured to couple an RF power supply. A first secondary coil is configured to couple a remote plasma source (RPS), and a second secondary coil. The plasma ignition circuit further includes a control switch having an input configured to couple the second secondary coil and an output configured to capacitively couple the RPS and a switch controller. The switch controller is configured to upon sensing a secondary RF voltage applied to the second secondary coil in response to an RF voltage applied by RF power supply to the primary coil, enable the control switch to capacitively apply the secondary RF voltage to the RPS to ignite a plasma within the RPS. Upon sensing a drop in plasma impedance when the plasma is ignited, disable the control switch to discontinue applying the secondary RF voltage to the RPS.

A plasma ignition circuit includes a transformer having a primary coil configured to couple an RF power supply. A first secondary coil is configured to couple a remote plasma source (RPS), and a second secondary coil. The plasma ignition circuit further includes a control switch having an input configured to couple the second secondary coil and an output configured to capacitively couple the RPS and a switch controller. The switch controller is configured to upon sensing a secondary RF voltage applied to the second secondary coil in response to an RF voltage applied by RF power supply to the primary coil, enable the control switch to capacitively apply the secondary RF voltage to the RPS to ignite a plasma within the RPS. Upon sensing a drop in plasma impedance when the plasma is ignited, disable the control switch to discontinue applying the secondary RF voltage to the RPS.

A torch head for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch is provided. The torch head includes a torch body and a torch insulator, coupled to the torch body, having a substantially non-conductive insulator body. The torch insulator includes (i) a first liquid coolant channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a fluid flow from the torch head into a consumable cartridge along a first preexisting flow path, (ii) a first liquid return channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to return at least a portion of the fluid flow from the cartridge to the torch head along the first preexisting flow path, and (iii) a gas channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a first gas flow from the torch head to the cartridge along a second preexisting flow path. The first and second preexisting flow paths are fluidly isolated from each other.

A torch head for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch is provided. The torch head includes a torch body and a torch insulator, coupled to the torch body, having a substantially non-conductive insulator body. The torch insulator includes (i) a first liquid coolant channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a fluid flow from the torch head into a consumable cartridge along a first preexisting flow path, (ii) a first liquid return channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to return at least a portion of the fluid flow from the cartridge to the torch head along the first preexisting flow path, and (iii) a gas channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a first gas flow from the torch head to the cartridge along a second preexisting flow path. The first and second preexisting flow paths are fluidly isolated from each other.

This DC pulse power supply device comprises a voltage clamper including a capacitor that is connected in parallel to a DC reactor in a chopper circuit provided in a pulsing unit in order to suppress increases in the surge voltage resulting from the leakage inductance of the DC reactor. During the start-up of pulsing operation, which is the initial stage of the pulse mode, the frequency of the pulsing operation of the chopper circuit is controlled over the period until the capacitor voltage is charged to a sufficient voltage to reset the magnetic saturation of the DC reactor.

According to one embodiment, a welding or plasma cutting system is provided that includes a torch having a torch body. Located on or in the torch body are one or more status indicators that provide, for example, a status of a process parameter (e.g. current data, pressure data, etc.) and/or of an operating mode of the torches. Control circuitry coupled to the one or more status indicators is configured to activate the one or more status indicators prior to a carrying out of a welding or plasma cutting operation through use of the torch and to deactivate the one or more status indicators during a time when the welding or plasma cutting operation is being carried out by the torch. An associated method of operating the torch includes activating the one or more status indicators prior to a carrying out of a welding or plasma cutting operation by use of the torch, and during a time when the welding or plasma cutting operation is being carried out by use of the torch, deactivating the one or more status indicators.