Development and implementation of a magnetoplasmadynamic thruster for welding and cutting

The main aim of this work was to construct and study an electromagnetic device to weld and cut materials. This device, known as magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPDT) ionizes gas, forming a plasma jet at high temperatures. Firstly, tests were performed analyzing the influence of physical variables (electric current intensity, relative position of electrodes, gas flow rates and angle of the extremity of the cathode) on the plasma jet. Based on the results of theses tests, the parameters best adapted for welding and cutting were chosen. So, autogenous welding of stainless steel sheets was performed, as well as cutting of sheets with different thicknesses and different materials.The results have shown that this electromagnetic device can be used for welding and cutting.