Hypertherm, Inc.

Liming Chen

Ross Angus Smith

John Peters

Harshawardhan Jogdand

Larry Benson

Jonathan Philip Mather

In some aspects, torch receptacles for coupling a plasma arc torch to a torch lead can include: a body having a first end to connect to the torch lead and a second end to connect to a torch body; a set of ports within the first end to fluidly connect to a set of fluid conduits within the torch lead; and a multiway valve within the body and fluidly connected to the set of ports and to a torch gas conduit formed in the second end, the multiway valve being configured to: i) manipulate a flow of fluids between the first end and the second end to select from primary gases entering the set of ports, ii) deliver a selected primary gas to the torch body through the torch gas conduit, and iii) fluidly connect the torch gas conduit to a gas supply manifold of the plasma cutting system.

Controlling and delivering gases in a plasma arc torch and related systems and methods

In some aspects, methods of initiating a plasma arc in a plasma cutting system can include providing a plasma gas supply lead line extending between a power supply and a plasma arc cutting torch, where the lead line has a first segment proximate to the power supply and a second segment proximate to the torch, and an in-line valve within the lead line between the first segment and the second segment; selectively closing the in-line valve to capture a static volume of gas in the first segment; establishing a decayable volume of gas in the second segment; and initiating the plasma arc when a pressure of the decayable volume reaches a pressure value within a predetermined range.

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Hanover, NH, United States of America

Liming Chen