Abstract: In one aspect, there is disclosed a drawn arc fastener welding process that includes the steps of providing a fastener positioned in a welding tool, providing a weld control, providing a work piece, contacting the fastener against the work piece, energizing a pilot current, lifting the fastener from the work piece and drawing a pilot arc, energizing a main arc for a predetermined duration, short circuiting the fastener relative to the work piece, cyclically redrawing an arc and short circuiting the fastener relative to the work piece at least one additional cycle, dynamically sensing an arc voltage and calculating a derivative signal of the voltage over time for each drawn arc and short circuit of the cycle wherein a position and motion of the fastener relative to the work piece is controlled and the energizing of the arc is controlled, and plunging the fastener into the work piece forming a weld.

Abstract: In one aspect, there is disclosed a drawn arc fastener welding process that includes the steps of providing a fastener positioned in a welding tool, providing a weld control, providing a work piece, contacting the fastener against the work piece, energizing a pilot current, lifting the fastener from the work piece and drawing a pilot arc, energizing a main arc for a predetermined duration, short circuiting the fastener relative to the work piece, cyclically redrawing an arc and short circuiting the fastener relative to the work piece at least one additional cycle, dynamically sensing an arc voltage and calculating a derivative signal of the voltage over time for each drawn arc and short circuit of the cycle wherein a position and motion of the fastener relative to the work piece is controlled and the energizing of the arc is controlled, and plunging the fastener into the work piece forming a weld.

Abstract: A process for joining a turbine wheel and a turbine shaft of a turbocharger comprising the steps of: providing a turbine wheel; providing a turbine shaft; holding the turbine shaft in a welding device; contacting the turbine shaft to the turbine wheel; energizing a pilot current; lifting the shaft a predetermined height from the turbine wheel to draw a pilot arc; energizing a weld arc current locally melting the shaft weld end and forming a weld pool on the wheel; plunging the shaft toward the wheel into the weld pool; turning off the current; and removing the welding device from the welded shaft.

Abstract: A method and system of depositing molten metal from an advancing welding wire to form a root pass of weld metal in the bottom of a gap between first and second metal members having generally flat base elements joined by a metal backing plate extending between said base elements, which method and system includes passing welding current between the welding wire and the metal members from a power supply to create a heat generating welding arc, moving the welding wire in a given direction along selected path over the backing plate, sensing a blow through of the backing plate by the welding arc, reversing said given direction of said welding wire for a short distance when a blow through has been sensed and then, resuming movement of said welding wire in said given direction along the selected path.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically filing the narrow gap between facing end walls of adjacent first and second railway rails by depositing vertically spaced layers of molten metal in the gap with an electric arc welding torch using a robotic mechanism that moves the torch in a pattern controlled by a low level robotic execute program from a spatial position to a next spatial position, said method and system comprising: constructing a data array for a specific gap, said array constituting a series of positions making up an idealized progression of said torch to fill said gaps in vertically spaced layers made up of multiple positions, each of said fixed positions identified by at least four coordinates, including (1) at least x, y and z, (2) the layer in which said position is a part and (3) the welding parameters to be executed while said torch moves toward the next position; outputting data relating to a specific position from said data array; processing said welding parameters associated with said outputt

Abstract: A method and system of depositing molten metal from an advancing welding wire to form a root pass of weld metal in the bottom of a gap between first and second metal members having generally flat base elements joined by a metal backing plate extending between said base elements, which method and system includes passing welding current between the welding wire and the metal members from a power supply to create a heat generating welding arc, moving the welding wire in a given direction along selected path over the backing plate, sensing a blow through of the backing plate by the welding arc, reversing said given direction of said welding wire for a short distance when a blow through has been sensed and then, resuming movement of said welding wire in said given direction along the selected path.