A work processing apparatus performs processing of a surface to be processed of a work by causing a processing head to come into sliding contact with the work held on an upper surface of a holding plate. The processing head includes a plasma electrode that generates plasma and radiates the plasma to the surface to be processed of the work. In the plasma electrode, an annular or solid cylindrical central electrode provided at a center in a radial direction and an annular outer circumferential electrode provided at an outer side in the radial direction with respect to the central electrode are arranged with an annular slit portion intermediating therebetween at a boundary position thereof, the slit portion is configured as a plasma generation space, and a processing pad is provided at bottom surfaces of the central electrode and the outer circumferential electrode.

A plasma processing apparatus including powered electrodes having elongated planar surfaces; grounded electrodes having elongated planar surfaces parallel to and coextensive with the elongated surfaces of the powered electrodes, and spaced-apart a chosen distance therefrom, forming plasma regions, is described. RF power is provided to the at least one powered electrode, both powered and grounded electrodes may be cooled, and a plasma gas is flowed through the plasma regions at atmospheric pressure; whereby a plasma is formed in the plasma regions. The material to be processed may be moved into close proximity to the exit of the plasma gas from the plasma regions perpendicular to the gas flow, and perpendicular to the elongated electrode dimensions, whereby excited species generated in the plasma exit the plasma regions and impinge unimpeded onto the material.

The invention relates to a method for connecting at least two component layers by means of a connection element. the invention to provide a particularly advantageous method for connecting at least two component layers lying on top of each other through the creation of a pilot hole in at least one cover layer. The pilot hole in the form of a through hole is made in the at least one cover layer using only a plasma jet, which cover layer is at least temporarily held in place on the base layer. Holding the cover layer and the base layer temporarily fixed to each other will allow the connection element to be placed at the same position in the base layer where the pilot hole is made. Sufficiently large layers can thus be kept in a fixed position relative to one another solely using their weight and friction.

A plasma arc torch comprises an electrode, a tip, and a shape memory alloy (SMA) starter. The electrode and the tip that are aligned concentrically with a gap therebetween. The electrode is adapted for electrical connection to a cathodic side of a power supply and the tip is adapted for electrical connection to an anodic side of the power supply during piloting. The SMA starter comprises a SMA starter element disposed between the electrode and the tip and is configured deform when heated. A deformation of the SMA starter element draws a pilot arc that extends at least partially through the gap between the electrode and the tip.

A plasma cutting system includes a plasma cutting power supply configured to provide cutting current to a torch. A controllable gas valve regulates at least one of a flow rate and a pressure supplied to the torch. A controller is operatively connected to the power supply to control a current level, and to the gas valve to adjust a valve position. The controller is configured to receive real-time torch position information from a motion control system that controls positioning of the torch. The position information includes torch positions along a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. The controller is configured to calculate respective derivatives from the torch positions along the first and second axes, and a real-time velocity magnitude of the torch from the respective derivatives, and adjust the current level and the valve position based on the calculated real-time velocity magnitude.

A plasma arc torch includes a cathode extending along an axis of the torch, a pilot arc conductor, and a nozzle body. A first fluid conduit and second fluid conduit extend parallel to the axis of the torch. A first offset fitting includes a first duct coupled to and in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit, and a second duct in fluid communication with the first duct and outwardly radially offset from the first duct and extending away from the first duct in a proximal direction. A second offset fitting includes a third duct coupled to and in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, and a fourth duct in fluid communication with the third duct and outwardly radially offset from the third duct and extending away from the third duct in the proximal direction. A spring compression plug electrically connects the pilot arc conductor to the nozzle body.

An apparatus and method for cleaning an oxide film using a direct current reverse polarity are provided. The apparatus for cleaning an oxide film formed on a workpiece may include a power supply configured to apply direct current power and to include a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, the workpiece configured to be electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal to act as a negative electrode to which a current is applied, and a torch having a positive electrode, which is spaced apart from the oxide film by a predetermined distance and is electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal, the torch being installed to be movable relative to the workpiece. The oxide film formed on the workpiece may be removed by applying a reverse polarity direct current between the workpiece, serving as the negative electrode, and the positive electrode to generate an arc.

An apparatus includes a beam splitter and a plurality of mirrors. The beam splitter is positioned to receive a laser beam from a source and split the received laser beam to a first plurality of split laser beams and a second plurality of split laser beams. The plurality of mirrors is configured to direct the first plurality of split laser beams and further configured to direct the second plurality of split laser beams. The first plurality of split laser beams is directed by the plurality of mirrors is configured to cut a glass substrate. The second plurality of split laser beams is directed by the plurality of mirrors is configured to shape the glass substrate.

A slag removal apparatus for removing slag from support plates provided to support an object to be processed in a cutting machine is disclosed. The slag removal apparatus includes a scraper including a plurality of blades around an outer surface of a bar crossing the support plates, and a plurality of slots formed in the respective blades along a length direction and thus formed around the bar and in a length direction of the bar, a rotation support unit to which the scraper is rotatably installed, a rotation driving unit rotating the scraper from the rotation support unit to remove slag attached to the support plates by the blades, when the support plates are inserted into the slots, a lifting unit lowering the scraper, for insertion of the support plates into the slots and raising the scraper to an original position by raising and lowering the rotation support unit, and a first transfer unit moving the rotation support unit along a length direction of the support plates to allow the scraper to remove the slag along the length direction of the support plates.

Apparatus and methods associated with operating a plasma torch are disclosed. According to some implementations, the apparatus and methods involve the delivery of a process gas to a shuttle valve at first and second pressures for the purpose of altering an axial position of a valve element located inside the shuttle valve. The shuttle valve is configured such that at different axial positions of the valve element the flow of process gas into the plasma torch is altered.