•    Fastest straight line marking process
•    Variable marking width and depth
•    Can mark and cut with same torch

 

Plasma marking is an excellent method of marking carbon steel or stainless steel. A plasma torch and low current power source up to 40 Amps is used to plasma mark dots, letters, lines, and assembly marks at speeds up to 750 ipm.  Amperage can be directly controlled and monitored by Vision CNC.  Line width and depth can be varied by controlling speed and amperage, and can be as narrow as .030” and as shallow as .001”.  

The advantages of plasma marking are its speed, flexibility, reliability, ease of operation, and the ability to mark on wet, oily, rusted, or primed surfaces.  Also, the consumable lifetime is very long compared to conventional plasma because the marking is at low amperage.

Text marking can be done with a plasma marker by moving the torch to write the desired characters on the plate.  Although this process is much slower than other text marking techniques, it offers infinitely variable character size, and both text and character marking in an economical package.  

As with normal plasma applications, the plasma marking torch is installed on a torch lifter with an arc voltage or capacitive height sensor, depending on the application.  A collision protection device prevents torch damage.  By adjusting the current and speed to suit your application, the plasma mark can be seen or hidden after a galvanization, sandblasting or painting, depending on the customer wishes.

ESAB’s m3 plasma system is capable of cutting and marking with the same torch.  This type of system eliminates the need for a separate marking system, lifter, height control, and tool offset.  Fully automated gas controls allow switching back and forth between cutting and marking modes almost instantaneously.  A trade-off is made on marking quality, as larger amperage plasma nozzles create a less defined plasma mark.

Plasma Marking is available on most ESAB CNC Cutting Machines, including: