The Esab Group Inc.

Erik Anthony Leger

A method of determining wear/degradation levels of a consumable assembly of a welding/plasma torch may utilize a controlled sound signal in order to determine an acoustic profile or full spectral audio analysis dataset of the consumable assembly that facilitate the identification of patterns that correlate to certain wear/degradation levels of the consumable assembly. The full spectral audio analysis dataset may be obtained by subjecting a given consumable assembly to a controlled sound signal between operations and as the consumable assembly degrades over time. The full spectral audio analysis may serve as a wear/degradation profile over the life of the given consumable assembly. With a full dataset known for a particular consumable assembly model, an acoustic profile of another consumable assembly of the same model may be obtained and compared to the full dataset in order to identify the wear/degradation level of the tested consumable assembly.

Performing consumable diagnostics via spectral analysis

Systems and methods for controlling the junction temperature of one or more IGBTs that are configured to deliver current to an electrode of a torch. The IGBTs are cooled by a fluid that flows through a heat exchanger where the fluid is cooled. According to one aspect, when the IGBTs are turned off to cease the delivery of current to the electrode, or at a time interval before the IGBTs are turned off, at least a portion of the fluid is diverted away from the heat exchanger for the purpose of reducing junction temperature fluctuations in the IGBTs.

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Peterborough, NH, United States of America

Erik Anthony Leger