Plasma applications are disclosed that operate with argon or helium at atmospheric pressure, and at low temperatures, and with high concentrations of reactive species in the effluent stream. Laminar gas flow is developed prior to forming the plasma and at least one of the electrodes can be heated which enables operation at conditions where the argon or helium plasma would otherwise be unstable and either extinguish, or transition into an arc. The techniques can be employed to clean and activate a metal substrate, including removal of oxidation, thereby enhancing the bonding of at least one other material to the metal.

A consumables holder assembly for a plasma arc torch having a torch head, the consumables holder assembly comprising a main body, a shielding cup which engages to the main body, a connection means which engages the main body to the torch head and consumable components including an electrode, a nozzle, a plasma gas distributor, a shielding gas distributor which are all positioned inside the shielding cup, wherein that the consumable holder assembly can be detached from the torch head together with the consumable components and the shielding cup as one unit, wherein the connection means comprises a mechanical attachment mechanism which is engageable with the torch head.

A plasma spraying apparatus includes a main torch and an auxiliary torch. The main torch includes a first electrode including a spraying material discharge hole, a first mantle, and a first insulator including a first plasma gas introducing port. The auxiliary torch includes a second electrode, a second mantle, and a second insulator including a second plasma gas introducing port. A spraying material supplied from the spraying material discharge hole is melted at the axial center of plasma that is formed on the central axis of the first electrode by the first electrode and the second electrode, and a gas introducing part that introduces gas is provided on an inlet side of an opening part and/or in a tapered part provided between the opening part and the first insulator in the first mantle.

Provided is a fluid-cooled melting tool that can be used in methods and systems for manufacturing objects by additive manufacturing techniques, especially titanium and titanium alloy objects. In some configurations, the melting tool is configured to be a plasma transferred arc (PTA) torch and the deposition rate can be increased by increasing the flow rate of electric charge through the electrode made possible by the dual circuit cooling design of the torch. The fluid-cooled melting tools provided herein exhibit stable and repeatable PTA characteristics over wide range of current including current of 400 amps or more, whether pulsed or non-pulsed, and plasma gas flow inputs.

Plasma applications are disclosed that operate with argon or helium at atmospheric pressure, and at low temperatures, and with high concentrations of reactive species in the effluent stream. Laminar gas flow is developed prior to forming the plasma and at least one of the electrodes can be heated which enables operation at conditions where the argon or helium plasma would otherwise be unstable and either extinguish, or transition into an arc. The techniques can be employed to clean and activate a metal substrate, including removal of oxidation, thereby enhancing the bonding of at least one other material to the metal.

Aspects relate to monitorable plasma torch device components and in particular to monitoring and predictive maintenance of one or more such monitorable plasma torch device components. One aspect provides a monitorable plasma torch device component, the component comprising: a component body and a sacrificial component located in an erosion zone of the component body. The sacrificial component comprises material which differs from the plasma torch device component body and which, on exposure to a plasma torch in a plasma torch device, generates electromagnetic radiation distinct from that of the plasma torch device component body. The distinct electromagnetic radiation generated is indicative of erosion of the monitorable plasma torch device component in the erosion zone. Such a monitorable plasma torch device component can facilitate effective component monitoring which allows for ameliorative action to be taken in the event that degradation of the device component is detected.

Provided is a fluid-cooled melting tool that can be used in methods and systems for manufacturing objects by additive manufacturing techniques, especially titanium and titanium alloy objects. In some configurations, the melting tool is configured to be a plasma transferred arc (PTA) torch and the deposition rate can be increased by increasing the flow rate of electric charge through the electrode made possible by the dual circuit cooling design of the torch. The fluid-cooled melting tools provided herein exhibit stable and repeatable PTA characteristics over wide range of current including current of 400 amps or more, whether pulsed or non-pulsed, and plasma gas flow inputs.

The invention relates to a device for thermally coating a surface, which has at least one housing (6), a cathode (9), a primary gas distributor (11), a secondary gas distributor (12), electrically and thermally acting insulation elements (13, 14, 16), and an anode, which is designed as a consumable wire and is guided into a nozzle (19, 21) by means of a wire guide (18), wherein the nozzle (19, 21) is mounted in a centered manner and has openings (23) arranged radially in one plane on one of its sides (22).

A magnetized plasmoid injection device including a cylindrical external electrode, a cylindrical internal electrode coaxially disposed inside the external electrode, a plasma generating gas supply unit that supplies plasma generating gas in a pulse shape between the external electrode and the internal electrode, a magnetic field generation unit that applies a magnetic field that generates magnetized plasmoid between the external electrode and the internal electrode, a power supply control unit that applies a discharge voltage between the external electrode and the internal electrode, and an impurity generation unit that contains an impurity in the magnetized plasmoid, the impurity generation unit having a cover electrode that opens to the external electrode, a thin-rod electrode that is located inside the cover electrode and is formed of an impurity, and an impurity generation power supply that applies a voltage to the cover electrode and the thin-rod electrode.

A transferred-arc plasma torch comprising a sheath cooled using a cooling fluid and an electrode inserted in said sheath. The electrode is made of a consumable material and the torch comprises means to supply the electrode with this material so as to offset its erosion.