Abstract: A method of making a hot surface igniter is described. A silicon carbide composition that includes both fines fraction and a coarse fraction is sintered in a nitrogen and argon reducing atmosphere in a manner that controls the incorporation of nitrogen with in the lattice of recrystallized silicon carbide. The controlled incorporation of nitrogen in the lattice provides enhanced control over heating and electrical properties, while simultaneously achieving a lower surface area fully recrystallized structure for oxidation resistance and long service life.

Abstract: A welding-type power supply includes a controller, a preregulator, a preregulator bus, and an output converter. The controller has a preregulator control output and an output converter control output. The preregulator receives a range of inputs voltages as a power input, and receives the preregulator control output as a control input, and provides a preregulator power output signal. The preregulator includes a plurality of stacked boost circuits. The preregulator bus receives the preregulator output signal. The output converter receives the preregulator bus as a power signal and receives the output converter control output as a control input. The output converter provides a welding type power output, and includes at least one stacked inverter circuit.

Abstract: A technique for dynamically adjusting an output voltage for a welding or cutting operation is provided. The technique allows for varying output voltage at the welding or cutting torch by manipulating the duty cycles of two forward converter circuits. The present disclosure provides methods and systems for increasing synchronized duty cycles in a pair of forward converter circuits in response to increasing output voltage demand then changing a phase shift between the duty cycles in response to further increases in output voltage demand. The present disclosure provides a controller designed to receive input signals and generate output pulse width modulation signals that control the duty cycle width and phase shift of the outputs of the forward converter circuits in response to these signals. Methods of accommodating for the time needed for the transformer core to reset via leading edge or lagging edge compensation are provided.

Abstract: A resistance spot welding method of squeezing parts to be welded, which are a plurality of overlapping metal sheets, by a pair of electrodes and passing a current while applying an electrode force to join the parts to be welded comprises: a first step of passing a current by constant current control to form a fusion zone having a diameter of not less than 2?{square root over (t)}, expressed in mm, between the metal sheets, where t, expressed in mm, is a sheet thickness of a thinnest metal sheet of the metal sheets; a second step of cooling the fusion zone to have a diameter of not greater than 80% of D, where D, expressed in mm, is a diameter of the fusion zone formed in the first step; and a third step of performing adaptive control welding by controlling a current passage amount according to a target that is set.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heating device (10), in particular to an electric heating device for a motor vehicle, having a heat exchanger housing (12), heat exchanger core (14) which absorbs heat at a heat input face, and a printed circuit board (20) having electronic components (16, 18) for controlling the heating device (10), wherein the printed circuit board (20) is arranged on an outer side (22) of the heat exchanger housing (12), wherein a temperature sensor (24) is arranged on a side (26) of the printed circuit board (20) which faces the outer side (22) of the heat exchanger housing (12), wherein connecting means (28) are provided which connect the temperature sensor (24) in a heat conducting fashion to the outer side (22) of the heat exchanger housing (12), and wherein the heat input face of the heat exchanger core (14) is connected in a heat-conducting fashion to the heat exchanger housing (12), with the result that a continuous short heat bridge, running through the interior of the heat exchan

Abstract: A welding system including an arc monitoring, training, and control system is disclosed. The welding system includes a power supply, controller, and associated memory. When a weld is performed, the weld command and weld feedback parameters can be stored in the memory, along with associated alarm limit values. During subsequent welds, the input weld commands and actual feedback values can be compared to the established limits, and a fault signal provided to an operator or supervisor when the value exceeds the established limits. The fault signals can be used for training operators, as well as providing monitoring signals, and can be stored with weld data in a database for later analysis. In addition, collected weld data can be used to determine when to clean, repair, or replace consumables, including, for example, contact tips, wire drive liners, and drive rolls, and to monitor usage of wire and gas.

Abstract: Aluminum-base alloy workpieces have surfaces with films of aluminum oxide which inhibit good contact with weld faces of resistance spot weld electrodes and the faying surfaces of, for example, sheet workpieces stacked for welding. Sometimes, the surfaces of the sheets also are coated with an adhesive or a sealer which further complicates welding. But in accordance with this invention, weld faces of opposing, round, copper welding electrodes are pressed against opposite outside surfaces of the sheets at a spot weld site and weld current is applied to the electrodes in accordance with a three-stage weld schedule to better form each weld. The weld schedule comprises a Conditioning stage (stage 1), a weld nugget Shaping stage (stage 2), and a weld nugget Sizing stage (stage 3).

Abstract: Welding power supplies, wire feeders, and systems to measure a weld circuit resistance via communications over the weld circuit are disclosed. An example welding-type power supply includes: a power converter configured to: convert input power to output a current pulse via a weld circuit; and convert the input power to output welding-type power via the weld circuit; a voltage monitor configured to measure a power supply output voltage of the current pulse; a receiver circuit configured to receive, via the weld circuit, a communication comprising a second voltage measurement; and a controller configured to: determine a resistance of a portion of the weld circuit based on the power supply output voltage measurement, the second voltage measurement, and a weld circuit current measurement; and control the power converter to convert the input power to output the welding-type power based on a weld voltage setpoint and the impedance.

Abstract: A method for forming a connection between a wire and a pin includes placing a fixturing element over the pin, capturing the wire between an upper surface and a lower surface of the fixturing element, compressing the fixturing element to hold the wire around the pin and forming a fixed connection between the wire and the pin. A system for forming an electrical connection includes a pin, a fixturing element disposed around the pin, and a wire placed around pin and sandwiched between an upper surface and a lower surface of the fixturing element.

Abstract: A welding assembly including a current generator, a first electrode electrically coupled to the current generator, the first electrode including a first engagement surface, a second electrode electrically coupled to the current generator, the second electrode including a second engagement surface, a width-determining fixture positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode to define a welding volume having a width, and an electrically nonconductive material positioned to electrically insulate at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode from an electrical conductor outside the width.

Abstract: A welding program is created for performing spot welding by a program creation device. The program creation device includes a display unit configured to display an image, and an image generation unit configured to generate image data of a product model before being subjected to spot welding in accordance with shape data on a product and display the product model on the display unit, a display control unit configured to make a workpiece having a selected surface in the product model to be semitransparent, a welding portion setting unit configured to set welding portions to be allotted for the selected surface in the product model, and a program creation unit configured to create the welding program including related data for a welding robot with regard to the set welding portions.

Abstract: An electric starter is disclosed, for lighting solid fuel such as charcoal or wood. The lighter includes a handle and a heating element coupled to the handle. The heating element may include multiple ignition layers vertically spaced apart.

Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a multiple number of switching elements connected in parallel with each other and configured to supply the machining current to the electrode gap to perform electrical discharge machining; a multiple number of switches each connected in series with the associated one of the multiple switching elements and configured to cut off each of the multiple switching elements; and a control device configured to perform control when at least one of the multiple switching elements fails so as to disconnect the failed switching elements by means of the associated switches and also change the machining conditions in accordance with the number of the failed switching elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for feeding welding wire and process gas to a welding device comprising a wire feeding nozzle (1), which has a welding wire channel (4), a nozzle block (2), which is releasably connected to the wire feeding nozzle (1), a profile (3), which is releasably or fixedly connected to the nozzle block (2), has a welding wire channel (6) and can be connected to a welding wire conveying device, wherein the process gas channel (9) of the process gas feeding device is arranged at least partially within the profile (3) and the nozzle block (2) is provided with multiple bores (7), which adjoin the process has channel (9) and are arranged parallel to or at an acute angel of ±5° to the welding wire chancel (4) of the wire feeding nozzle (1) and around the wire feeding nozzle (1).

Abstract: Portable, wearable or integrate-able devices may be used in detecting gestures or motions by operators of welding systems, and performing actions based thereon. The detection may be performed using sensors (e.g., MEMS or muscle sensors), which generate sensory data. The detected gestures or motions may be processed and translated into corresponding actions or commands, which may be handled directly or communicated to other devices in the welding systems. The actions or commands may comprise welding actions/commands, which are configured for controlling a particular component used during welding operations, and/or gesture-related actions/commands, which are configured for controlling gesture-related components and/or operations. Feedback is provided to the operator, such as to acknowledge or validate detection of the gestures, to identify the corresponding action or command, and to complete the identified action or command. The feedback may be non-visual feedback, such as haptic or audio feedback.

Abstract: A sensor assembly configured for use in a motor vehicle is presented. The sensor assembly includes a sensor device such as a camera, LIDAR, RADAR, or ultrasonic transceiver, and a housing that is at least partially formed of an electrically conductive polymeric material. The housing has a pair of electrically conductive terminals connected to the electrically conductive polymeric material. The pair of electrically conductive terminals are configured to be interconnected with an electrical power supply. When the terminals are connected to the power supply, the housing heats to remove snow, ice, frost and/or condensation from the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly is suitable for use with a back-up camera, blind spot warning system, lane departure warning system, adaptive cruise control system and/or autonomous driving control system.

Abstract: A nozzle device includes three or more rail members, three or more slider members, three or more arm members, a nozzle portion, and a drive mechanism. The three or more rail members each includes rails parallel with each other. The three or more slider members are connected to the rail members to be movable along the rails, respectively. The three or more arm members are connected to the slider members, and movably and rotatably supported in the rail members through the slider members, respectively. The nozzle portion is rotatably connected to the three or more arm members to inject a material and emit an energy beam. The drive mechanism includes at least five actuators that set one of a relative position and a relative angle between each of combinations of two mutually connected elements among the rail members, the slider members, the arm members, and the nozzle portion.

Abstract: A cold vehicle sensor condition can be determined, and the sensor associated with one or more heat source subsystems that provide a heat byproduct during normal operation of the subsystem. At least some of the heat byproduct can be diverted to heat the sensor. The heat source subsystem selected can be based on a proximity to the associated sensor.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to welding and, more specifically, to welding wires for arc welding, such as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW). In one embodiment, a tubular welding wire includes a sheath and a core. The tubular welding wire includes less than approximately 0.4% manganese metal or alloy by weight, and the tubular welding wire is configured to form a weld deposit having less than approximately 0.5% manganese by weight.

Abstract: A beverage preparation machine comprising: a beverage preparation module comprising an extraction unit to extract an ingredient of a beverage from capsule supplied thereto or an ingredient container which is part thereof; a fluid supply comprising the components a fluid heater, a fluid pump, optionally a fluid reservoir; a first module movably connected to the beverage preparation module; wherein the beverage preparation machine further comprises a second module movably connected to the first module, the first module comprising the fluid pump and/or the fluid heater, the second module comprising the said components of the fluid supply different to those of the first module, the components comprising at least one of the fluid pump or fluid heater or fluid reservoir.