The combination of Plasma and Robotics makes a strong case for economical cutting of steel - structural, red hot or cold - benefiting fabricators, steel mills, adding to the bottom line in the process.

While the spirit of invention lies deep within the hearts and minds of all entrepreneurs, in the world of hardcore mechanical engineering, the two do not always meet in a happy union. So one can narrate stories of a successful reverse engineering enterprise or quote the example of the bright spark that failed to capitalise on ideas that were truly innovative. Against this backdrop, the presence of Hughen looms large in the rarefied world of plasma robotics, with a spirit of restlessness that is perpetually in some problem-solving mode. That, in a nutshell, is the story of Plazma Technologies Pvt Ltd, a company he started from scratch in the year 1994. For the record, Hughen is the first Indian to hold a US patent for plasma arc technology. This is not only a product patent but also a method patent for forming a plasma arc. He now has multiple global patents (including Canada, EU, UK, South Africa and others) for plasma torch and Smart Robotic system solutions.

Having started early - "I sold my first Plasma torch at age 18, working for my father, and by 21, I had designed and sold my own product," he reminisces - Hughen has today carved a niche for himself in the world of fabrication, marrying the plasma torch successfully with robotics - easier said than done as robots are difficult to program. Because unlike the robotic lines working successfully and relentlessly in automobile or white goods industries, in fabrication jobs the work cycle is rarely repetitive. Every task is different, and the requirements, often complex. The solution was RoboSwift, proprietary software developed with an in-depth understanding of the robot and the plasma cutting process. So an operator with zero programming knowledge can still work with a machine using multiple inputs like CAD drawings and nesting programmes and produce optimum results, saving time and materials, and in the process, cutting down on costs and dependence on skilled manpower.

The result is products like RoboPlazma, which is said to be the first system manufactured worldwide, capable of processing not only all structural shapes and large steel plates but also pipes. Programmed with RoboSwift, multiple operations such as cutting, drilling, marking and bevelling are performed in a single set-up, increasing the throughput in a reduced factory space. For a typical fabrication jobshop, this directly translates into a healthy bottomline. RoboPlazma can process plates, pipes, channels, I-beams and formed components, and also enables pre-weld and post assembly automation. Other products include template profilers, plasma cutters, trolley cutting systems and other customised machines for specific applications, apart from material handling, which according to Hughen is actually at the heart of a typical fabrication operation. So he also fabricates material handling systems, which are fully robotically interfaced. A typical system allows the operator to load a batch of beams and stand back. This helps a batch of beam to be completely processed from raw material to finished product. Using such hi-tech system job separation, clamping and alignment are all done automatically. If all this sounds like a tall order, Hughen has a simple request to a potential customer: "Please check our value proposition, and ruthlessly benchmark us with the world's best!" The proof of the RoboPlazma is obviously in the cutting (prowess).

Sticking to his core competence of designing the torches and constantly innovating the systems, Hughen makes use of standard off-the-shelf components of the highest quality such as FANUC/KUKA Robots, Plazma, GUDEL precision rack and rails, and Kemper dust collectors integrated with the material handling system. With such products and innovations, finding customers has not been a problem with the company boasting a number in four figures, from across the globe. This includes PSUs and MNCs, large EPC giants as well as fabrication shops - the usual blend of corporates and SMEs. As for areas of application, here too it spans a wide spectrum: foundries, automotive units and construction sites to petrochemical plants, offshore platforms and shipbuilding stations. In fact, any place which works with structural steel, plate and sheet metal cutting, which today means across the globe.

Hughen mentions two recent challenges, successfully met to client satisfaction. When L&T faced a problem at its Modular Fabrication Facility (MFF) at Hazira, which is one of the biggest of its kind in Asia built with two decades expertise in the fabrication of modules and large reactors for the oil and gas industry, it was an out of the box solution with RoboPlazma that actually helped finish a once-running-behind-the-schedule to be completed ahead of time. Among the highlights of this project are rapid cutting of beams, the world's first ever plasma torch mouse hole profile cutting and multiple profile processing including beam square tubes, channels, angles and large plates. While beam nesting phenomenally saved raw material cost, smarter software and hardware with complete material handling system ensured the work was actually completed ahead of schedule.

The other task was for Jindal Steel, and involved cutting of hot plates on a running conveyor, with very close tolerances. The conventional method could not a generate a square cut directly on the conveyor the plate had to be rough cut and then squared in another location after being cooled. The RoboPlazma hot plate maximiser system generates huge savings by cutting the plate square directly on the conveyor thereby increasing yield and eliminating inventory build up with increased throughput. The result is the world's first robotic unmanned self-intelligent red-hot steel cutting plasma system with the following features:

• Embedded with a unique plasma torch design that is able to performs precise metal cutting at red-hot temperatures (up to 1000?C)
• Mounted on an 7 axes robot Governed by proprietary self-calibrating software that governs the operation, diagnostics and troubleshooting eliminating the complexities of controlling a cutting system, and Engineered with a systems interface compatible with the Siemens VAI steel production plant control system that facilitates inline process integration and minimises production disruption.
• The system is in continuous production for the last 2 years.

Recognition has come from home and abroad, which apart from patents registered in four countries, includes appreciation from various professional organisation, two consecutive awards at IMTEX in 2001 and 2004. Plazma Technologies is also the only member company from India of Germany-based BalticNet-PlasmaTec, an organisation that stands for a technology and market oriented cooperation of science, research and economy in the field of the plasma technology. But the icing on the cake is perhaps an extensive study conducted by MIT Sloan, one of the world's leading business schools, at the company's Pune facility, resulting in affirming faith in Plazma's value proposition globally. The study has detailed analyses for application of plasma cutting technology to structural steel, red hot steel and cold steel, with reference to the market size, available solutions, competition and the potential. It has also taken note of the two examples quoted in the previous paragraphs, to make a strong case for exploiting the potential of the U.S. market. This also leads to a logical progression, to what Hughen terms as 'Factory of the Future', integrating cutting and welding operations in one single line, the material flowing seamlessly powered by automated handling systems.

Apart from the work with cutting and welding, Hughen also is engaged in work related to harnessing the other potential of plasma, in the crucial field of energy. The concept is to generate electricity from waste, the Holy Grail that has so far eluded a compact form, even if there are other commercial technologies working on larger scale with mixed results. In this area, Hughen is working with the German BalticNet-PlasmaTec a technical and economic expert for uses of the plasma technology in the Baltic Sea Region. Even as the project is on the back-burner as of now, Hughen is convinced that if at all there is a silver bullet for converting garbage into energy in the backyard, the trajectory passes through a plasma solution.

So what keeps Hughen going?
It's a complete faith in the 'Power of Plasma' to solve complex problems, all over the engineering world and not just in India.

Hughen can be reached at Plazma Technologies Pvt Ltd by email: hughenplazma@gmail.com