Method of monitoring the wear of at least one of the electrodes of a plasma torch

Abstract

Method of controlling the wear of at least one of the electrodes of a plasma torch including two electrodes having the same main axis, and being separated by a chamber designed to receive a plasma-generating gas, and at least one element for generating a magnetic field placed locally to the at least one electrode for which the control of wear is sought, in which the arc root is made to sweep longitudinally over a portion of the surface of this electrode from an initial position until the arc root reaches a defined final position of the portion, the longitudinal progression of the arc root being defined by a function dependent on at least the time, f(t), which is fixed. At least the electrical energy consumed by the torch as a function of the time since the electrode was commissioned is measured, the measurements are recorded in a storage device and, from the temporal evolution of at least the electrical energy consumed over at least part of the measurements, an adjustment variable ξ(t) is defined for the function f(t) over a period of time τ determined by the state of wear of the electrode.