Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) Furnaces

Retech plasma torch furnaces use an electrically excited gas, typically Helium or Argon, to melt materials in a sealed chamber under an inert atmosphere. Each furnace can be supplied in different configurations, depending on the input materials and the form of the product that is desired. Similar to other Retech furnaces, each configuration can be designed for a wide range of sizes, from a few pounds to multiple tons. The melting process allows for the creation and processing of alloys that contain elements with lower vapor pressure by processing the materials under inert atmosphere rather than under vacuum. Retech’s proprietary plasma torch has been designed and utilized for various applications, gasses, and materials. The torch plume (ionized gas) can reach temperatures over 10,000°C (~18,000°F). Each torch is equipped with a manipulator designed for the application which facilitates single or three axis motion. The manipulator can utilize either electric or hydraulic actuation. Our ongoing research and development programs have melted countless specialty materials for our customers. Further, our torches can be designed and adapted to upgrade existing Retech or competing torches. The torches can be configured to operate in transferred arc, non-transferred arc or a hybrid transferred / non-transferred arc mode.

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PAM Cold Hearth Melting

PAM Cold Hearth Melting systems are designed for alloy production and scrap recycling. These systems will utilize various sized hearths and number of torches to provide the melting and refining required based on the raw materials. The material is typically cast into ingots that feed secondary processes such as Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) or forging.

Materials:

Reactive Metals, Refractory Metals, Amorphous Metals, Super Alloys, Silicon

Applications:

Alloy Production, Ingot Casting, Atomization

Download Plasma Hearth Melting Bulletin
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Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)

Retech supplies Plasma Arc Welders (PAW) to allow its customers to create primary Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) electrodes from compacted titanium sponge and other alloys.

Materials:

Reactive Metals, Refractory Metals, Amorphous Metals, Super Alloys

Applications:

Remelt Electrode Production

Download Plasma Welding Bulletin
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Waste Treatment (PACT™)

PAM Waste Treatment systems offered by Retech process various waste materials that are vitrified to create an inert slag that can be used in some civil applications.

Materials:

Hazardous, Mildly Radioactive and Biological Wastes

Applications:

Waste Vitrification

Download Waste Treatment (PACT™) Bulletin
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Laboratory Melting

Laboratory Melting systems include PAM Button Melter (PBM) and Tungsten electrode Button Melter (TBM). These systems are designed to allow small quantities of material to be melted for material development and for production quality control.

Materials:

Reactive Metals, Refractory Metals, Amorphous Metals, Super Alloys, Silicon

Applications:

New Material Development, Production Quality Control

Download Laboratory Melting Bulletin
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Plasma Consolidation

Retech provides state-of-the-art Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) systems with material consolidation for production of economically recycled ingots.

Materials:

Reactive Metals, Refractory Metals

Applications:

Alloy Production, Ingot Casting

Download Download Plasma Consolidation Bulletin

Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) Furnaces FAQ’s

Plasma is the fourth state of matter whereby a gas is electrically excited via a DC arc producing a high energy plume that can be used to melt metals and alloys. That arc can be transferred to a work piece to aid in melting or the arc can be non-transferred, or contained within the torch, thereby causing the plasmated gas plume to accomplish all of the melting. Examples of plasma in everyday life are lightning, Neon lights and television sets.

A Retech PAM Cold Hearth furnace uses an electrically excited gas, typically Helium, Argon, or Nitrogen to melt materials in a sealed chamber, under inert atmosphere and offers significant cost savings by eliminating the need for electrode welding and primary Vacuum Arc Remelting. The Cold Hearth is a water-cooled, copper vessel that is devoid of contaminating elements like Oxygen and yields clean, as-cast metal by removing high- and low-density inclusions during cold hearth refining.

Yes. Retech has three types of guns in four different sizes. The customer application and the system design will ultimately determine which type of torch to employ.

Retech Plasma Melting Systems have primarily been utilized for melting reactive and refractory metals and alloys (like Titanium & Titanium Alloys) though ongoing plasma research and development programs have melted countless specialty materials for our customers. Plasma furnaces can be designed for a wide range of sizes, from a few pounds to many tons, as well as production of everything from ingots and powder to castings. Our plasma arc melting furnaces can be configured with one or multiple torches, any number of feed systems as well as casting and withdrawal chambers to meet the needs of our customers.

The PAM process is different from other melting techniques in that it does not take place in deep vacuum, instead it is in an atmosphere of inert gas. This allows the process to fully melt and refine alloys that contain low vaporization elements.

PAM applications are generally melting and remelting of alloys containing a large number of elements with high vapor pressure that would evaporate under deep vacuum. Additionally, rotor-grade alloys for aerospace typically require plasma melting due to the ability to remove high- and low-density inclusions.

Plasma torch applications include cold hearth refining as well as recycling (PAM), consolidation (PAM), welding (PAW), atomization and waste treatment (PACT).

The inert gas enters the plasma torch and is excited using DC power to the "plasma state" and directed at the workpiece where the heat of the plasma will melt the material. Additionally, the plasma acts as a conductor to allow the energy to flow between the torch and the workpiece. The current flowing through the workpiece increases the energy into the workpiece.

Typically, the PAM furnace is configured as a cold hearth refining system. The material will be melted in the hearth and refined as it is continuously cast into an ingot. Ingots can range from 50mm up to 1000mm in diameter and can exceed 5m in length depending on the final application requirements.