Abstract: An arc welding system providing improved molten metal droplet transfer. The system includes a welding power source having a welding power supply, a welding waveform generator, and a controller. Two fluxed cored welding wire electrodes are connected to the power source and are powered by the same welding output voltage and current produced by the power source. A feedback circuit is connected to the power source to provide an adaptive response to maintain an average welding output voltage. The controller controls the waveform generator and the power supply to superimpose welding current pulses onto a welding waveform of a CV flux cored arc welding process, that uses CO2 as a shielding gas, to generate a modified waveform of a modified CV flux cored arc welding process. The current pulses are superimposed in time to form molten metal droplets between ends of the two electrodes during the modified welding process.

Abstract: A method of mitigating arcing events in a hot wire process is provided. The method includes monitoring an arcing frequency of a hot wire process and monitoring at least one of an energy, a power, a deposition amount, or a deposition rate of the hot wire process. The method further includes adjusting at least one of a hot wire current, a hot wire voltage, a hot wire waveform characteristic, a wire feed speed, a wire approach angle, or a contact tip-to-work distance of the hot wire process to balance the arcing frequency against at least one of the energy, the power, the deposition amount, or the deposition rate of the hot wire process, where it is desirable for the arcing frequency to be low, and where it is desirable for the energy, the power, the deposition amount, or the deposition rate to be high.

Abstract: An alternating current (AC) welding waveform, with two or more polarity changes during each molten metal droplet transfer cycle, is produced. The consumable welding electrode speed is mechanically controlled and the polarity is linked to known information about the electrode speed/direction, ensuring that at least two polarity changes are achieved per droplet transfer cycle. The arc polarity is concurrent with the change in direction of the electrode motion. The polarity can be changed based upon an actual speed of the electrode. Controlling the electrode motion and polarity in this way allows larger droplets to be created and higher deposition rates to be achieved at a lower frequency of shorting. The lower frequency of shorting also reduces wire feeder motor heating and wear, and increases contact tip life.

Abstract: A system and method of welding or additive manufacturing is provided where at least two welding electrodes are provided to and passed through a two separate orifices on a single contact tip and a welding waveform is provided to the electrodes through the contact tip to weld simultaneously with both electrodes, where a bridge droplet is formed between the electrodes and then transferred to the puddle.

Abstract: A system and method of welding or additive manufacturing is provided where at least two welding electrodes are provided to and passed through a two separate orifices on a single contact tip and a welding waveform is provided to the electrodes through the contact tip to weld simultaneously with both electrodes, where a bridge droplet is formed between the electrodes and then transferred to the puddle.

Abstract: A welding system includes a consumable electrode, torch, wire feeder, and power supply. The power supply is configured to provide a plurality of waveforms to the torch to generate a welding current in the electrode. Each of the plurality of waveforms includes a pinch current portion followed by an arcing current portion, and the pinch current portion is preceded by a first arc suppression portion and the arcing current portion is followed by a second arc suppression portion. An arc exists between the electrode and a workpiece during the arcing current portion, and an air gap without an arc exists between the consumable electrode and the workpiece during the arc suppression portions. The power supply is configured to detect a short between the electrode and workpiece and generate the pinch current portion when the short is detected, and the wire feeder stops feeding the electrode when the short is detected and restarts feeding the electrode after the short is clear.

Abstract: A shielded metal arc welding system includes a stick electrode holder, a stick electrode clamped by the holder, and a welding power supply operatively connected to the holder and configured to supply a welding current to the electrode through the holder. The power supply includes a memory storing both of a short circuit threshold voltage level and an arcing threshold voltage level. A welding voltage level is detected during an initial shorting of the electrode to a workpiece for commencing a welding operation. Both of the short circuit threshold voltage level and the arcing threshold voltage level are adjusted based on the detected welding voltage level. A short circuit clearing routine is activated when the welding voltage level is equal to or less than the adjusted short circuit threshold voltage level, and deactivated when the welding voltage level is equal to or greater than the adjusted arcing threshold voltage level.

Abstract: An arc welding system providing improved molten metal droplet transfer. The system includes a welding power source having a welding power supply, a welding waveform generator, and a controller. Two fluxed cored welding wire electrodes are connected to the power source and are powered by the same welding output voltage and current produced by the power source. A feedback circuit is connected to the power source to provide an adaptive response to maintain an average welding output voltage. The controller controls the waveform generator and the power supply to superimpose welding current pulses onto a welding waveform of a CV flux cored arc welding process, that uses CO2 as a shielding gas, to generate a modified waveform of a modified CV flux cored arc welding process. The current pulses are superimposed in time to form molten metal droplets between ends of the two electrodes during the modified welding process.

Abstract: A welding or additive manufacturing wire drive system includes a welding wire spool and first and second drive rolls. One or both of the drive rolls has a circumferential groove. The system includes a first welding wire, drawn from the welding wire spool, and located between the drive rolls in the circumferential groove, and a second welding wire, drawn from the welding wire spool, and located between the drive rolls 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, and 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 or additive manufacturing system includes a power supply having a controller which controls operation of the power supply. The power supply provides a current waveform to a contact tip assembly having a first bore terminating at a first exit orifice and a second bore terminating at a second exit orifice. The first exit orifice is configured to deliver a first wire electrode and said second exit orifice is configured to deliver a second wire electrode. The exit orifices are separated from each other by a distance configured to facilitate formation of a bridge droplet between the wire electrodes while preventing solid portions of the first wire electrode delivered through the first bore from contacting solid portions of the second wire electrode delivered through the second bore, during a deposition operation in which the current waveform is conducted to both of the wire electrodes simultaneously through the contact tip assembly.

Abstract: A welding or additive manufacturing system includes a contact tip assembly having first and second exit orifices. A wire feeder is configured to deliver a first and second wire electrodes through the exit orifices. An arc generation power supply is configured to output a current waveform to the wire electrodes simultaneously, through the contact tip assembly. The current waveform includes a bridging current portion, and a background current portion having a lower current level than the bridging current portion. The bridging current portion has a current level sufficient to form a bridge droplet between the wire electrodes before the bridge droplet is transferred to a molten puddle during a deposition operation. Solid portions of the wire electrodes do not contact each other during the deposition operation. The bridge droplet is transferred to the molten puddle during a short circuit event between the molten puddle and the wire electrodes.

Abstract: A welding or additive manufacturing contact tip includes an electrically-conductive body extending from a proximal end of the body to a distal end of the body. The body forms a first bore terminating at a first exit orifice at a distal end face of the body, and a second bore terminating at a second exit orifice at the distal end face of the body. The first and second exit orifices are separated from each other by a distance configured to facilitate formation of a bridge droplet between a first wire electrode delivered through the first bore and a second wire electrode delivered through the second bore during a deposition operation.

Abstract: A system and method of welding or additive manufacturing is provided where at least two welding electrodes are provided to and passed through a two separate orifices on a single contact tip and a welding waveform is provided to the electrodes through the contact tip to weld simultaneously with both electrodes, where a bridge droplet is formed between the electrodes and then transferred to the puddle.

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: An arc welding or additive manufacturing system includes a wire feeder, a torch, a wire electrode driven through the torch by the wire feeder, and an arc generation power supply operatively connected to the torch to deliver a pulse waveform to the wire electrode during a deposition operation. The pulse waveform includes a series of current pulses and interleaved background current portions such that each current pulse is separated from a prior current pulse by a prior background current portion and separated from a subsequent current pulse by a subsequent background current portion. During each current pulse a molten droplet is projected from a tip of the wire electrode followed by an axial spray of molten metal away from the tip of the wire electrode before the subsequent background current portion occurs.

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: 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: 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: Embodiments of systems and methods to relate welding wire to a welding power source are disclosed. One embodiment is a networked system having a server computer. The server computer is configured to receive first data including at least one of an identity or a location of a consumable source of welding wire, and at least one of a weight status, indicating a change in weight, or an energization status, indicating an energization state, of the consumable source of welding wire. The server computer is configured to receive second data including at least one of an identity or a location of a welding power source, and an activation status indicating an activation state of the welding power source. The server computer is configured to match the welding power source to the consumable source of welding wire based on at least the first data and the second data.