Inflation and finishing
Inflation of pillow plates, how to and what to not do. The welding machine does not inflate the plate. Inflate with liquid unless dryness requires gas. Heads are inflated after they are installed.
Figure: inflation of pillow plate.
Practice
Keppels supplies the laser welding machine and trains inflation. Common production inflation: water, 15–250 bar (220–3,630 psi) for ordinary patterns. Liquid is safe at high pressure. Gas is sometimes used on refrigerant plates to keep the circuit dry. An inflation table keeps flat plates flat. Nozzles / castle pieces may be fitted before inflation (nipple) and finished after. Pickling and polish follow the vessel spec, not the laser recipe.
