Abstract: An operating system is provided for an electric arc welder including a high switching speed inverter power source for creating an arc voltage and arc current between an electrode and a workpiece. This operating system regulating the arc voltage to provide a voltage with a slope by using an error circuit to create an error output and having a first input with a signal representing the set voltage and a second input representing the sum of the actual arc voltage and the actual arc current multiplied by a slope constant. A DSP program reduces the error output by adjusting the voltage output of the inverter power source to change the actual arc voltage. The slope constant is in the range of 0–10%.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of consumables such as metal welding electrode wire and shielding gas and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire or shielding gas for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: An electric arc welding torch having a central conductive contact tube for electrical contact between a power source and a welding wire moving through the contact tube toward a workpiece, a conductive sleeve concentric with the tube to define an annular chamber between the tube and the sleeve, a first dielectric barrier sleeve fixed on the conductive sleeve and a second dielectric sleeve on the tube where the dielectric sleeves are spaced from each other to define an annular gas passage extending around the moving wire and terminals to connect a high frequency power source between the tube and the conductive sleeve to create a dielectric barrier discharge plasma issuing from the gas passage. This torch is used in a novel welding method where the shielding gas envelope around the arc is a plasma.

Abstract: An electrode position detection system for a welder having a laser that is projected in a lateral plane to laterally cross a welding wire at a location below a contact tip of a welding gun and a receiver that receive the laser bean after crossing the welding wire, and a measuring device that determines one or more parameter of the welding wire based on the received laser beam. Arc voltage measurements can also be used to determine one or more parameter of the welding wire.

Abstract: A tandem welding system includes a plurality of spaced apart electrodes (12, 14, 16, 18) arranged to travel at a common travel speed. The plurality of spaced apart electrodes (12, 14, 16, 18) cooperatively perform a weld. A data storage medium (74) stores measured data for each electrode during the performing of the weld. A processor (110) performs a process comprising: for each electrode, recalling measured data corresponding to the electrode passing a reference position; and, combining the recalled measured data of the plurality of spaced apart electrodes (12, 14, 16, 18) to compute a weld parameter of the tandem welding system at the reference position.

Abstract: A system for enabling an electric arc welder adapted to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire. The system comprises a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of a specific welding procedure specification constituting a set of at least weld parameters, a specific weld process, electrical characteristics, and selected welding wire features; a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of recorded features of welding wire loaded onto the welder; and, a disable circuit to disable the welder to process the specific welding procedure when the data indicative of recorded features of the welding wire fails to correspond with the data indicative of the selected welding wire features.

Abstract: A system for enabling an electric arc welder adapted to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire. The system comprises a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of a specific welding procedure specification constituting a set of at least weld parameters, a specific weld process, electrical characteristics, and selected welding wire features; a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of recorded features of welding wire loaded onto the welder; and, a disable circuit to disable the welder to process the specific welding procedure when the data indicative of recorded features of the welding wire fails to correspond with the data indicative of the selected welding wire features.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: A system for enabling an electric arc welder adapted to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire. The system comprises a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of a specific welding procedure specification constituting a set of at least weld parameters, a specific weld process, electrical characteristics, and selected welding wire features; a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of recorded features of welding wire loaded onto the welder; and, a disable circuit to disable the welder to process the specific welding procedure when the data indicative of recorded features of the welding wire fails to correspond with the data indicative of the selected welding wire features.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of consumables such as metal welding electrode wire and shielding gas and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire or shielding gas for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining an impedance between a grounding device such as a welding wire feeder ground clamp and a power supply common, and selectively allowing current flow through an electrical device associated with a welding operation according to the impedance.

Abstract: An electric arc welder powered by a plurality of liquid organic fuel cells. The fuel cells use a methanol/water mixture as the organic feed. The fuel cells produce carbon dioxide as a reactive product which is used an a shielding gas during the arc welding process. The fuel cells are stacked together to produce the desired arc voltage and current between an electrode and the workpiece. The arc welder includes a welding current to control the current wave shape through the electrode and to control or increase the voltage through the electrode.

Abstract: A method of determining the impedance, inductance, and resistance of the network connecting an electrical power supply to an electric arc welding station including an electrode and a workpiece, wherein the method comprises: shorting the electrode to the workpiece; creating at least one waveform including a first state operating the power supply at constant current of a selected value and a second state operating the power supply at a low value of current or open circuit voltage whereby the current decays from the selected value along a decay path indicative of di/dt; obtaining the average current Iavg and average resistance Ravg during the first state; selecting a portion of the decay path; sampling the instantaneous current for a number of times on the path during the second state to read the rate of the decay; and, using the average current and the average resistance with the rate of decay to obtain the inductance of the network.

Abstract: An electric arc welder powered by a plurality of liquid organic fuel cells. The fuel cells use a methanol/water mixture as the organic feed. The fuel cells produce carbon dioxide as a reactive product which is used an a shielding gas during the arc welding process. The fuel cells are stacked together to produce the desired arc voltage and current between an electrode and the workpiece. The arc welder includes a welding current to control the current wave shape through the electrode and to control or increase the voltage through the electrode.

Abstract: A system for enabling an electric arc welder adapted to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire. The system comprises a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of a specific welding procedure specification constituting a set of at least weld parameters, a specific weld process, electrical characteristics, and selected welding wire features; a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of recorded features of welding wire loaded onto the welder; and, a disable circuit to disable the welder to process the specific welding procedure when the data indicative of recorded features of the welding wire fails to correspond with the data indicative of the selected welding wire features.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: A system for enabling an electric arc welder adapted to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire. The system comprises a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of a specific welding procedure specification constituting a set of at least weld parameters, a specific weld process, electrical characteristics, and selected welding wire features; a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of recorded features of welding wire loaded onto the welder; and, a disable circuit to disable the welder to process the specific welding procedure when the data indicative of recorded features of the welding wire fails to correspond with the data indicative of the selected welding wire features.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: Information pertaining to characteristics of metal welding electrode wire and which characteristics are useful in connection with adjusting welding parameters in an arc welding process and/or selecting between operating modes in a welding system are encoded on welding wire and/or on other memory components such as bar code labels and tags, RFID cards and tags, IC cards, and Touch Memory buttons, and the memory device is scanned prior to and/or at the point of use of the welding wire for enabling tracking of product distribution, manual and/or automatic selection of an operating mode for the welding system, manual and/or automatic adjustment of welding parameters in a given operating mode, consumables inventory, and the like.

Abstract: An electric arc welder powered by a plurality of liquid organic fuel cells. The fuel cells use a methanol/water mixture as the organic feed. The fuel cells produce carbon dioxide as a reactive product which is used an a shielding gas during the arc welding process. The fuel cells are stacked together to produce the desired arc voltage and current between an electrode and the workpiece. The arc welder includes a welding current to control the current wave shape through the electrode and to control or increase the voltage through the electrode.