ESAB Introduces the Integrated Gas Control for m3 Plasma™ Cutting Systems
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products announces a new low-cost gas control system for its popular m3 Plasma™ System. The new Integrated Gas Control (IGC) replaces manual gas control systems by integrating shield gas and plasma gas control into a single box design for use with non-mixed gases. The system is ideal for any plasma application that would normally be handled by a manual gas control. It adds many of the features of a fully automatic gas control system.
The m3 Plasma™ IGC system can cut and mark mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum and provides fully automatic gas control. No manual adjustments are necessary, as all gas settings are controlled through ESAB’s Vision CNC. The IGC can be used with a variety of different plasma/shield gas combinations, including Oxygen/Air, Air/Air, Nitrogen/Air, Nitrogen/Nitrogen, Nitrogen/Water, F5/Nitrogen and H-35/Nitrogen. With these gas combinations the IGC is capable of many Precision Plasma cutting operations and can also perform water injection cutting and plasma marking.
The m3 Plasma™ IGC system is ideally suited for customers who tend to focus on one type of material and do not need the wide range of gas control capabilities of the m3 plasma G2 Gas Control system. The IGC is perfect for shops that cut only mild steel in a high-production setting where the gas settings would rarely change. The IGC can also be paired with ESAB’s water injection module, making it the perfect solution for shops that cut only stainless steel or aluminum. The optional water injection module adds the ability to switch between standard gas-shielded cutting or water-shielded cutting, a capability designed to significantly reduce the cost of cutting stainless steel and aluminum while improving edge quality and reducing dross. For some applications, water injection cutting achieves speeds up to 100% faster than gas-shielded cutting.
The m3 Plasma™ IGC system is fully automated, using electronic proportional valves to control plasma gas and shield gas. Driven by ESAB’s Vision CNC, the IGC sets gas pressure and flow automatically based on the parameter file selected by the operator. There are no manual regulators, knobs, selector switches or gauges to read. The operator never has to leave the Vision CNC operator panel when setting up the plasma system, and setup is as easy as selecting the material type, thickness, and quality setting.
In addition to being fully automated, the IGC system provides detailed feedback to the Vision CNC over its CAN-bus interface. This allows the Vision CNC system to display on-screen pressure gauges for the plasma gas and shield gas, displaying both pressure and flow rate. Using on-screen displays gives the operator access to more detailed information and feedback from the plasma gas control. The system also provides better diagnostic information and error messages, so that any plasma problems can be quickly and precisely diagnosed and remedied. By detecting both input and output pressure and flow rate, the system can tell the operator if there is a gas leak, a blockage or if the gas supply may be running low.
The Integrated Gas Control can be used with any of ESAB’s Precision Plasmarc power supplies, including the EPP-201, EPP-360, EPP-450, or EPP-601. Each of these power supplies is capable of cutting and marking using the IGC, as well as supporting water injection cutting. As with all m3 Plasma™ systems, the IGC is coupled with ESAB’s versatile PT-36 plasma torch, which is capable of plasma marking from 10 amps and cutting up to 720 amps.
The m3 Plasma™ IGC system can cut and mark mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum and provides fully automatic gas control. No manual adjustments are necessary, as all gas settings are controlled through ESAB’s Vision CNC. The IGC can be used with a variety of different plasma/shield gas combinations, including Oxygen/Air, Air/Air, Nitrogen/Air, Nitrogen/Nitrogen, Nitrogen/Water, F5/Nitrogen and H-35/Nitrogen. With these gas combinations the IGC is capable of many Precision Plasma cutting operations and can also perform water injection cutting and plasma marking.
The m3 Plasma™ IGC system is ideally suited for customers who tend to focus on one type of material and do not need the wide range of gas control capabilities of the m3 plasma G2 Gas Control system. The IGC is perfect for shops that cut only mild steel in a high-production setting where the gas settings would rarely change. The IGC can also be paired with ESAB’s water injection module, making it the perfect solution for shops that cut only stainless steel or aluminum. The optional water injection module adds the ability to switch between standard gas-shielded cutting or water-shielded cutting, a capability designed to significantly reduce the cost of cutting stainless steel and aluminum while improving edge quality and reducing dross. For some applications, water injection cutting achieves speeds up to 100% faster than gas-shielded cutting.
The m3 Plasma™ IGC system is fully automated, using electronic proportional valves to control plasma gas and shield gas. Driven by ESAB’s Vision CNC, the IGC sets gas pressure and flow automatically based on the parameter file selected by the operator. There are no manual regulators, knobs, selector switches or gauges to read. The operator never has to leave the Vision CNC operator panel when setting up the plasma system, and setup is as easy as selecting the material type, thickness, and quality setting.
In addition to being fully automated, the IGC system provides detailed feedback to the Vision CNC over its CAN-bus interface. This allows the Vision CNC system to display on-screen pressure gauges for the plasma gas and shield gas, displaying both pressure and flow rate. Using on-screen displays gives the operator access to more detailed information and feedback from the plasma gas control. The system also provides better diagnostic information and error messages, so that any plasma problems can be quickly and precisely diagnosed and remedied. By detecting both input and output pressure and flow rate, the system can tell the operator if there is a gas leak, a blockage or if the gas supply may be running low.
The Integrated Gas Control can be used with any of ESAB’s Precision Plasmarc power supplies, including the EPP-201, EPP-360, EPP-450, or EPP-601. Each of these power supplies is capable of cutting and marking using the IGC, as well as supporting water injection cutting. As with all m3 Plasma™ systems, the IGC is coupled with ESAB’s versatile PT-36 plasma torch, which is capable of plasma marking from 10 amps and cutting up to 720 amps.
Comments