Patent ID: 8541710

Claim:
A method for control of a gas flow to a plasma arc torch for prolonging a life of an electrode or optimizing a duty cycle, the plasma arc torch including a plasma chamber defined by the electrode and a nozzle and disposed within a body of the plasma arc torch, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first fluid line for supplying a plasma gas to the plasma chamber; positioning in the first fluid line of the plasma arc torch a programmable control valve using a predetermined setpoint curve to control a flow of the plasma gas based on associating the flow with a duration of an operation of the electrode producing a plasma arc; and controlling the flow of the plasma gas to the plasma chamber during shutdown of the plasma arc torch, the controlling comprising: (i) increasing, by manipulating the programmable control valve via a digital signal processor, a ramp down time of the flow of the plasma gas to the plasma chamber for a longer duration electrode operation or (ii) decreasing, by manipulating the programmable control valve via the digital signal processor, the plasma gas ramp down time for a shorter duration electrode operation.