Abstract: The invention described herein generally pertains to a welding device that deposits a material onto a workpiece, the welding device having with an electrode head and a contact assembly coupled thereto. The contact assembly can house electrodes that allow deposition of material on a workpiece. At least a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes can be driven at different speeds. Moreover, welding arcs for one or more electrodes can be established based upon a predetermined order in which the predetermined order can be based on at least one of a location of the electrode head on the workpiece, a start of a welding process, and/or a stopping of a welding process.

Abstract: The invention includes a wire feed system that is used within a welder, the system having a forward drive roll that rotates in a first direction, a reverse drive roll that rotates in a second direction, which is opposite the first direction, wherein the forward drive roll and the reverse drive roll are both located on a first side of a wire, a first idle roll disposed opposite the forward drive roll, a second idle roll disposed opposite the reverse drive roll, wherein the first idle roll and the second idle roll are located on a second side of the wire, an arm that pivotally couples the first idle roll to the second idle roll, and an actuator that displaces the first idle roll to engage with the forward drive roll to advance the wire or displaces the second idle roll to engage with the reverse drive roll to retract the wire based upon a predetermined condition.

Abstract: The subject embodiments relate to a retractable wire feed system used within a welder, which include a friction-drive system disposed on a first side of a wire, an idle drive roll located opposite the friction-drive system on a second side of a wire, wherein the friction-drive system advances the wire through a welding nozzle toward a workpiece, and a brake, which is applied to retract the wire when a predetermined condition is met.

Abstract: An electric arc welder including a high speed switching power supply with a controller for creating high frequency current pulses with negative polarity components through the gap between a workpiece and a welding wire advancing toward the workpiece. Molten metal droplets are quickly created during negative polarity portions of the weld cycle. Welding controls include integrating a parameter during the negative polarity portions to determine when a desired amount of energy has been generated at the welding wire. This energy is associated with a desired droplet size for consistent droplet transfers to the workpiece.

Abstract: A wire feeder includes a wire feeder housing that encloses one or more drive roll assemblies rotatably connected with respect to the wire feeder housing for engaging welding wire. Each of drive roll assemblies includes a biasing element that adjusts compressive forces applied to the welding wire.

Abstract: A system and method is provided. The system includes a first power supply that outputs a welding current that includes welding pulse currents and a background welding current. The system also includes a second power supply that outputs a heating current that includes first heating pulse currents at a first polarity and second heating pulse currents at an opposite polarity. The system also includes a controller that synchronizes at least one of the first heating pulse currents and the second heating pulse currents with at least one of the welding pulse currents and the background current to influence a position of an arc relative to a molten puddle based on magnetic fields created by the welding current and the heating current.

Abstract: A method and system to weld or overlay workpieces employing a high intensity energy source to create a puddle and at least one resistive filler wire which is heated to at or near its melting temperature and deposited into the weld puddle. The filler wire comprises a core and an electrically conductive outer matrix having particles to be deposited into the puddle.

Abstract: A system and method is provided. The system includes a first power supply that outputs a welding current that includes welding pulse currents and a background welding current. The system also includes a second power supply that outputs a heating current that includes first heating pulse currents at a first polarity and second heating pulse currents at an opposite polarity. The system also includes a controller that synchronizes at least one of the first heating pulse currents and the second heating pulse currents with at least one of the welding pulse currents and the background current to influence a position of an arc relative to a molten puddle based on magnetic fields created by the welding current and the heating current.

Abstract: A system and method is provided. The system includes a first power supply that outputs a welding current that includes welding pulse currents and a background welding current. The system also includes a second power supply that outputs a heating current that includes first heating pulse currents at a first polarity and second heating pulse currents at an opposite polarity. The system also includes a controller that synchronizes at least one of the first heating pulse currents and the second heating pulse currents with at least one of the welding pulse currents and the background current to influence a position of an arc relative to a molten puddle based on magnetic fields created by the welding current and the heating current.

Abstract: A system and method is provided. The system includes a first power supply that outputs a welding current that includes welding pulse currents and a background welding current. The system also includes a second power supply that outputs a heating current that includes first heating pulse currents at a first polarity and second heating pulse currents at an opposite polarity. The system also includes a controller that synchronizes at least one of the first heating pulse currents and the second heating pulse currents with at least one of the welding pulse currents and the background current to influence a position of an arc relative to a molten puddle based on magnetic fields created by the welding current and the heating current.

Abstract: An electric arc welder including a high speed switching power supply with a controller for creating high frequency current pulses with negative polarity components through the gap between a workpiece and a welding wire advancing toward the workpiece, where the pulses and a background current defining a series of weld cycles. A wave shape generator defines the shape of the pulses and the background current including a controlled ramp up and/or ramp down in each of said cycles, and a circuit to change the shapes of the pulses and/or background current in a repeating pattern in each of the weld cycles, including a negative current in at one of said pulses. The shape change in a cycle can be between first and second shapes or by a rhythmic AC modulation.

Abstract: A system and method for re-igniting and stabilizing an arc is provided. The system includes an output system that provides an output waveform, which includes a positive period and a negative period. The positive period includes a positive decay period prior to a transition to the negative period, and the negative period includes a negative decay period prior to a transition to said positive period. The system further includes an inductive discharge and stabilizing system, which includes at least one inductor. The at least one inductor re-ignites an arc between an electrode and a workpiece during the transition period from the positive period to the negative period and the transition period from the negative period to the positive period. The at least one inductor also provides a stabilizing current to stabilize said arc during at least a portion of said positive period and at least a portion of said negative period.

Abstract: An electric arc welder for producing a weave pattern across a workpiece with a succession of individual weld short runs or bead, each of which has a center portion extending between two transversely spaced edges. The welder comprising a power source, a wire feeder to direct a welding wire through a movable torch to the workpiece and a controller for creating a welding current between the wire and the workpiece. A mechanical device is used to move the torch along the bead and the controller has a program to perform a first weld process while the torch is moving along the center portion and a second weld process when the torch is adjacent the edges, where the first weld process has less heat input than the second weld process.

Abstract: Systems and methods to affect heat input to a weld and, therefore, an appearance of a deposited weld bead by modulating a mixing ratio of shielding gases and/or one or more welding parameters. For example, a mixing ratio of two different shielding gases from two sources of shielding gases may be modulated to affect the appearance of a deposited weld bead. The modulation frequency may be based on a selected travel speed of a welding tool. Furthermore, a wire feed speed of a welding electrode may be synergistically modulated with the shielding gases to affect a deposited weld bead appearance. Other welding parameters may be synergistically modulated with the shielding gases to affect a deposited weld bead appearance.

Abstract: A system for and method of controlling the heat input in a welding operation are provided. The system includes an arc welding power supply configured to output a welding waveform to a welding torch. The welding power supply includes a waveform generator to generate an output welding waveform. The power supply also includes a controller to optimize the output welding waveform based on a desired welding temperature. The optimization is performed by adjusting at least one of a power ratio and a duration ratio. The power ratio is a ratio of a power of a negative portion of the welding waveform to a power of a positive portion of the welding waveform, and the duration ratio is a ratio of a duration of a negative portion of the welding waveform to a duration of a positive portion of the welding waveform. The desired welding temperature is one of a temperature setpoint and a temperature range.

Abstract: A system for and method of controlling the heat input in a welding operation are provided. The system includes an arc welding power supply configured to output a welding waveform to a welding torch. The welding power supply includes a waveform generator to generate an output welding waveform. The power supply also includes a controller to optimize the output welding waveform based on one of a desired RMS voltage set point and a desired RMS voltage range. The optimization is performed by adjusting at least one of a power ratio and a duration ratio. The power ratio is a ratio of a power of a negative portion of the welding waveform to a power of a positive portion of the welding waveform, and the duration ratio is a ratio of a duration of a negative portion of the welding waveform to a duration of a positive portion of the welding waveform.

Abstract: Systems and methods for affecting an appearance of a deposited weld bead by modulating one or more welding parameters. For example, an electrode negative portion of a welding output current may be modulated to affect the appearance of a deposited weld bead. Furthermore, a wire feed speed of a welding electrode may be synergistically modulated with an electrode negative portion of a welding output current to affect a deposited weld bead appearance. Two or more welding processes may be interleaved with each other at a specified modulation frequency to affect a deposited weld bead appearance. One or more welding parameters may be modulated based on a welding travel speed to provide a consistent appearance of a deposited weld bead.

Abstract: Welding systems and sequence controllers therefor are presented for controlling components of a welding system during a welding operation. The sequence controller receives system inputs and provides control outputs to the system components, and includes a processing component, an executable sequence control program, and a state table file. The sequence control state table file includes a number of entries corresponding to welding operation states, where the individual entries comprise one or more instruction identifiers, instruction parameters, exit condition identifiers and corresponding next state identifiers. The sequence control program is executed according to the sequence controller inputs and according to the state table file to provide the sequence controller outputs, where the state table file can be easily modified or new state table files can be created and downloaded to the sequence controller to facilitate easy reconfiguration of a welding system.

Abstract: A welding tractor is described as well as a process for using the tractor in which a predefined angle of inclination or declination is maintained during a circumferential welding process.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing controlled AC arc welding processes. In arc welding power source embodiments, configurations of main and auxiliary bridge circuits allow for the directional switching of the output welding current through the welding output circuit path and selectively provide one or more high impedance paths to rapidly decay the arc current. The high impedance path aids in the low spatter transfer of molten metal balls from a consumable electrode to a workpiece and further aids in the maintaining or the re-establishing of an arc between the consumable electrode and the workpiece when a molten metal ball is transferred.