Autogen is the technology using an oxy-fuel flame to heat up a workpiece at the requested temperature within the requested time range. We at IHT Automation typicaly use autogen for mild steel cutting where the flame preheates the steel at its combustion temperature to start oxygen cutting process. Cutting is done by pure oxygen jet while the oxy-fuel flame is there for continuous preheating of the steel at approx. 1150°C (2100°F).
There are various other applications where the strong heating flame is needed and where automation of the heating process is required. When you need preheating of the workpieces before welding them together or preheating before cutting, before forming metals, heating materials for the hard brazing or for the glass processing, in all these situations the autogen technology can be used.
High-strength steels or the hard steels with high resistance against abrasion, armoured steels etc. require preheating before cutting them and before welding them. Preheating is the solution of many welding issues as e.g. the thin-thick plates combination, to avoid moisture and related hydrogen diffusion to the material, welding in the low ambient temperatures, cold workpieces etc.
The power of the flame and its shape ad temperature are influenced by design of the equipment, type of the fuel gas and oxidizer, by volume of the gases and their ratio. The distance between the torch and the workpiece is important factor as well, etc.
Even though the APC system has been primary designed for oxy-fuel cutting, it is a frequently used solution for the automated heating technology. It can be installed as the static system or on the robot. The experienced system integrators often use the robot with tool changer variating the autogen preheating with following MAG (GMAW) welding technology within one robotic cell.
