The Penn State Research Foundation

Iht Automation Gmbh & Co. Kg

Christopher Reed Martin

Todd D Batzel

Marcel Biskaborn

Giuseppe Romanelli

A method for monitoring a flame cutting process includes a preheating phase, a piercing phase following the preheating phase and a cutting phase following the piercing phase, wherein a cutting torch applies a flame generated by combustion of a gas mixture to an electrically conductive workpiece and wherein an electric current flowing between an electrically conductive part of the cutting torch and the workpiece is measured by a current measuring device during a measuring period. An ignition point at which piercing of a hole through the workpiece using the flame starts due to oxidation of the workpiece is detected by a change in the measured current.

Method for monitoring a flame cutting process

A switched nozzle valve (SNV) for gas flow regulation includes a nozzle and a valve element. The nozzle includes an orifice with a fixed cross-section and a converging section converging towards the orifice for achieving sonic velocity of the gas in the orifice. The valve element is movable between a fully closed position seated on the nozzle at a valve seat and a fully open position spaced from the valve seat. The SNV further includes a control for controlling an operator for switching the valve element between the fully open and fully closed positions at a switching frequency by using a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) signal to regulate a time-averaged flow of the gas.

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Hollidaysburg, PA, United States of America

Christopher Reed Martin