Abstract: A welding or additive manufacturing wire drive system includes a first spindle for a first welding wire spool, a second spindle for a second welding wire spool, a first drive roll, and a second drive roll. One or both of the drive rolls has a circumferential groove. A first welding wire and a second welding wire are located between the first drive roll and the second drive roll in the circumferential groove. The first welding wire contacts the second welding wire between the first drive roll and the second drive roll. The first welding wire further contacts a first sidewall portion of the circumferential groove. The second welding wire further contacts a second sidewall portion of the circumferential groove. Both of the first welding wire and the second welding wire are radially offset from a central portion of the circumferential groove.

Abstract: A welding system can manage wire feeders such that unused wire feeders are conveniently stowed. The welding system include two or more wire feeders individually attachable to a welding torch. The welding system includes one or more mount points to secure unused wire feeders and enable convenient swapping of an active wire feeder.

Abstract: A time-based short circuit response is employed when a short circuit event occurs during a welding process. When short circuit occurs, a time until a predetermined event in the welding process is determined. Based on the time remaining before the predetermined event, a particular short circuit response is executed.

Abstract: The subject innovation described herein generally pertains to a system and method for security features for a device in which functionality of the device can be limited or restricted in accordance with one or more security layers. To access functionality of the device, an appropriate security-related input is required.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a plasma cutting torch and plasma cutting torch components, such as electrodes, cathodes, retainer caps, etc. having a unique physical features, including threads relationships. Embodiments include torch components having modified square thread with a specialized thread configuration including a particular relationship between thread crest and root, and included angles of thread sidewalls.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of additive manufacturing are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer control apparatus accesses multiple planned build patterns corresponding to multiple build layers of a three-dimensional (3D) part to be additively manufactured. A metal deposition apparatus deposits metal material to form at least a portion of a build layer of the 3D part. The metal material is deposited as a beaded weave pattern, based on a planned path of a planned build pattern, under control of the computer control apparatus. A weave width, a weave frequency, and a weave dwell of the beaded weave pattern are dynamically adjusted during deposition of the beaded weave pattern. The adjustments are under control of the computer control apparatus based on the planned build pattern, as a width of the build layer varies along a length dimension of the build layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a welding system includes an engine and a generator connected to the engine. The welding system also includes a power source having a controller. The power source is electrically connected to a welding electrode and a workpiece. The controller determines that an electrical load on the welding system has not been detected for a first time period while the engine is running, determines that a coolant temperature meets a minimum requirement, commands shutdown of the engine when the load has not been detected for the first time period and when the coolant temperature meets the minimum requirement, determines that the load has been detected (due to a single contact of the welding electrode to the workpiece) during a second time period after the engine has been shut down, and commands restart of the engine when the load has been detected during the second time period.

Abstract: A welding or additive manufacturing wire drive system includes a first drive roll and a second drive roll. One or both of the drive rolls has a circumferential groove for simultaneously driving both of a first wire electrode and a second wire electrode located between the drive rolls in the circumferential groove. A sensor device generates a signal or data corresponding to a consumed or remaining amount of one or both of the wire electrodes. The first wire electrode contacts the second wire electrode within the circumferential groove. The first wire electrode further contacts a first sidewall portion of the circumferential groove. The second wire electrode further contacts a second sidewall portion of the circumferential groove. Both of the wire electrodes are offset from a base portion of the circumferential groove, said base portion extending between the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion of the circumferential groove.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods providing pattern recognition and data analysis in welding and cutting are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a server computer and a data store connected to the server computer. The server computer receives welding data, including core welding data and non-core welding data, over a computer network from welding systems used to generate multiple welds to produce multiple instances of a same type of part. The server computer performs an analysis on the welding data to identify and group same individual welds of the multiple welds without relying on weld profile identification numbers as part of the analysis. A group of the same individual welds corresponds to a same weld location on the multiple instances of the same type of part. The data store receives the welding data from the server computer and digitally stores the welding data as identified and grouped.

Abstract: A method of determining weld quality includes the step of providing a reference weld signature having a first shape. A weld signature of a welding parameter is captured, wherein the weld signature of the welding parameter has a second shape. The first shape is automatically compared to the second shape and a weld signature shape difference between the first shape and the second shape is determined. A weld fault condition is determined based on the weld signature shape difference.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for remotely controlling a robotic welding system over a long distance in real time are disclosed. One embodiment is a method that includes tracking movements and control of a mock welding tool operated by a human welder at a local site and generating control parameters corresponding to the movements and control. The control parameters are transmitted from the local site to a robotic welding system at a remote welding site over an ultra-low-latency communication network. The round-trip communication latency over the ultra-low-latency communication network is between 0.5 milliseconds and 20 milliseconds, and a distance between the local site and the remote welding site is at least 50 kilometers. An actual welding operation of the robotic welding system is controlled to form a weld at the remote welding site via remote robotic control of the robotic welding system in response to the control parameters.

Abstract: A mobile welding system that does not rely exclusively on a track to define the path of the welder. One embodiment includes a mobile welder adapted to move along a work piece. The mobile welder includes a chassis, including a welding implement, and a travel assembly configured to support the chassis over a portion of the work piece. The mobile welder also includes a motor assembly configured to selectively cause the chassis to move relative to the work piece. The mobile welder further includes a chassis holder, having a magnet assembly, configured to provide a force holding the chassis a selected distance from the work piece. The magnet assembly includes a magnet rotatably mounted between a ferrous material and a non-ferrous material to selectively control application of a magnetic field toward the work piece.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to welding, and more particularly to a consumable welding wire for metal arc welding, and a method and a system for metal arc welding using the consumable welding wire. In one aspect, a method of arc welding includes providing a welding wire comprising one or more alkaline earth metal elements. The method additionally includes applying power to the welding wire to generate a plasma arc sufficient to melt the welding wire. The method further includes depositing molten droplets formed by melting the welding wire onto a workpiece at a high deposition rate while regulating to maintain a substantially constant power delivered to the plasma arc.

Abstract: Embodiments of an integrated laser hot wire deposition head are disclosed. In one embodiment, the deposition head includes a structural frame, a laser process sub-system, a wire feeding device, and a contact tube. The laser process sub-system is mounted within the structural frame to deliver a single beam path laser beam in a longitudinally-oriented direction toward a substrate or a part to be additively manufactured. The wire feeding device and contact tube are mounted within the frame to feed a consumable filler wire toward the substrate or part at an angle with respect to the longitudinally-oriented direction. The deposition head can be moved omni-directionally with respect to the substrate or the part, under the guidance of a motion control system, to additively manufacture the part without having to angularly change an orientation of the single beam path laser beam from the longitudinally-oriented direction or rotate the deposition head.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes an electrode head comprising an array of electrodes for depositing material to form a three-dimensional attachment structure connecting first and second prefabricated metallic parts. The array includes a first plurality of electrodes formed from a first metallic material having a first ductility and a first hardness, and a second plurality of electrodes formed from a second metallic material having a second ductility and a second hardness, wherein the first ductility is greater than the second ductility and the second hardness is greater than the first hardness. A power source provides power for heating each electrode. A drive roll system drives each electrode.

Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided that allow a weld sequencer to use a statistical analysis of generated reports to automatically determine weld parameter limits for the welds defined by various functions in a sequence file. For example, the weld sequencer can take reports generated for a specific type of part and statistically analyze the weld data included in the reports according to a set of analysis parameters provided by a user. The weld sequencer can use the statistical analysis to identify and remove outlier data and define a set of weld parameter limits based on the remaining data. The weld parameter limits can define a low limit and/or a high limit for one or more weld parameters associated with a function. The weld sequencer can then update the sequence file to include the weld parameter limits.

Abstract: A welding or additive manufacturing wire drive system includes a first drive roll having a first annular groove, a second drive roll having a second annular groove, a first welding wire located between the drive rolls in the annular grooves, and a second welding wire located between the drive rolls in the annular grooves. A biasing member biases the first drive roll toward the second drive roll to force the first welding wire to contact the second welding wire. The first welding wire contacts each of a first sidewall portion of the first annular groove, a first sidewall portion of the second annular groove, and the second welding wire. The second welding wire contacts each of a second sidewall portion of the first annular groove, a second sidewall portion of the second annular groove, and the first welding wire. The drive rolls rotate in opposite directions thereby moving the welding wires through the wire drive system.

Abstract: A method providing a manual welding apparatus configured to supply a welding wire to a welding gun. The welding gun has a trigger and an opening where the welding wire extends when the trigger is activated. The method also has a computer with a user interface that includes an automatic wire retract program. The program monitors the welding gun and determines when the trigger is disabled. The program indicates when a first condition is satisfied and retracts the welding wire so the welding wire does not extend from the opening of the welding gun.