Abstract: A water-cooled copper welding shoe adaptable to Electroslag or Electrogas welding applications reduces weld voltage, decreases the size of the weld nugget and, in turn, decreases the heat input from the welding application into the work pieces is disclosed. A water-cooled copper welding shoe embodiment adjusts in three dimensions to adequately contain the weld puddle and overcome miss-matched work piece surfaces.

Abstract: An improved W-column provides flange tabs on the top-and-bottom outside corners of the W-column flanges, and vertical bolt-on connections to temporarily mount one column positioned by a crane on top of another by bolting the bolt-on connections to the corresponding flange tabs to properly align one W-column above another W-column. The improved W-column further allows the two vertically positioned W-columns also to be connected together by bolting the web of the upper W-column to the web of the lower W-column before permanently welding the two vertical W-columns together. Once positioned, these vertically aligned W-columns are can be permanently joined together with the Arcmatic® VertaSlag® ESW-NG welding process. In this manner all vertical W-column elements of a steel framed high rise building can be quickly erected.

Abstract: A system and method for submerged arc metal powder welds includes modular programmable control of: a) a weld torch, and the position of the welding wire(s) from the torch traveling within a weld cavity, b) the rate of metal powder and welding flux added to the weld cavity ahead of the weld torch, c) the matching ratio between of metal powder and welding wire within the weld cavity, and d) a square wave welding torch power supply. An embodiment includes a controlled column and boom manipulator with up to six axes of motion and controlled motorized slide assemblies for single or multi-pass welds. A method of use is also disclosed.

Abstract: An automated assembly, system and method for a narrow-gap Electroslag-welded moment connection welded between horizontal beam to vertical column flanges includes vertical column doubler plates affixed to the column web and horizontal beam doubler plates affixed to the beam web with alignment of the respective webs/doubler plates to carry the moment load through the vertical support columns. An embodiment includes a radius in each horizontal beam doubler plate. The assembly, system and method are readily applicable to overdesign moment load factors.

Abstract: A DC balanced square wave power source, controlled in a constant voltage mode, for ESW and ESW-NG welding systems and methods can be matched with variable speed wire electrode feeders, multiple guide tubes, articulated air-cooled cooper welding shoes, and multiple pass ESW welding systems, thus gaining the following advantages, namely, controlling weld bead shape, reducing base metal dilution, reducing total heat input into the parent material, and reduction or elimination of any DC magnetic field in the weld cavity.

Abstract: Opposing, paired and positionally adjustable serrated water-cooled copper welding shoes, run-off tabs, and sumps affixed at the junction of workpieces to be welded with an Electroslag or Electrogas welding system. The serrated water-cooled copper welding shoes are capable of being controlled between 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the welding flux plating over the serrations reduces over-chill to the molten weld puddle while also reducing the amount of heat that the serrated water-cooled shoe removes from the surface of the work piece. This reduction in base material heat allows the welding operator to reduce the weld voltage to dramatically decrease the size of the weld nugget and, in turn, to decrease the heat input from the welding process into the work piece. These significant thermo-dynamic improvements to the Electroslag or Electrogas welding process provide a smaller weld grain structure and much stronger bond in the weld fusion zone.

Abstract: A system and method of multi-pass computer controlled narrow-gap Electroslag welding allowing a faster vertical rate of rise at a much lower voltage, and that includes welding selected narrow-gaps within segments of a weld cavity between heavy plate steel workpieces and attendant control of the heat transfer depth penetration from the weld puddle to the workpieces according to a pre-determined profile resulting in a smaller heat affected zone and smaller grain structure in the weld metal.

Abstract: An automated assembly, system and method for a narrow-gap Electroslag-welded moment connection welded between horizontal beam to vertical column flanges includes vertical column doubler plates affixed to the column web and horizontal beam doubler plates affixed to the beam web with alignment of the respective webs/doubler plates to carry the moment load through the vertical support columns. An embodiment includes a radius in each horizontal beam doubler plate. The assembly, system and method is readily applicable to overdesign moment load factors.

Abstract: A DC balanced square wave power source, controlled in a constant voltage mode, for ESW and ESW-NG welding systems and methods can be matched with variable speed wire electrode feeders, multiple guide tubes, articulated air-cooled cooper welding shoes, and multiple pass ESW welding systems, thus gaining the following advantages, namely, controlling weld bead shape, reducing base metal dilution, reducing total heat input into the parent material, and reduction or elimination of any DC magnetic field in the weld cavity.

Abstract: An automated assembly, system and method for a narrow-gap Electroslag-welded moment connection welded between horizontal beam to vertical column flanges includes vertical column doubler plates affixed to the column web and horizontal beam doubler plates affixed to the beam web with alignment of the respective webs/doubler plates to carry the moment load through the vertical support columns. An embodiment includes a radius in each horizontal beam doubler plate. The assembly, system and method is readily applicable to overdesign moment load factors.

Abstract: A system and method for welding spliced vertical box columns with an electroslag welding system. The system includes a welding fixture having opposing, paired and positionally adjustable welding shoes, run-off tabs, and sumps affixed at the junction of box columns to be spliced. A distributed control electroslag welding system, articulating boom, welding torch and consumable guide tube oscillator feed provide molten flux within the shoes filling from the sump to the run-off tab.

Abstract: A system for narrow-gap electroslag-welded moment connections welded between vertical column flanges includes vertical column doubler plates with top and bottom stiffeners and horizontal beam side plates aligned with the doubler plates to carry the moment load through the vertical support columns. An embodiment includes an elliptical radius in each side plate. Disclosure of an automated modular method for narrow-gap electroslag-welded moment connections is included.

Abstract: Adjustable articulated air-cooled copper welding shoes, capable of being controlled between 800 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit during Electroslag welding operations, result in faster welds, smaller heat affected zone in the workpieces welded, and less base metal dilution. The shoes thus provide a smaller weld grain structure and stronger bonds in the weld fusion zone.

Abstract: Opposing, paired and positionally adjustable air cooled welding shoes, run-off tabs, and sumps affixed at the junction of workpieces to be welded with an Electroslag welding system. The air-cooled shoes are capable of being controlled between 800 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in faster welds, smaller heat affected zone in the workpieces welded, and far less base metal dilution. These significant results provide a smaller weld grain structure and much stronger bond in the weld fusion zone.

Abstract: A system and method for welding horizontal beams to vertical columns includes a holding assembly, at least four distributed control welding torches, track assemblies for three-dimensional positioning of the welding torches along the weld seam, back-up bars, run-off tabs and sumps affixed at the beam to column welds. Embodiments for single pass and multipass high deposition, submerged arc welds are disclosed.

Abstract: A consumable guide tube includes a thin first elongated strip, a second elongated strip and a plurality of insulators. The thin first elongated strip has a front face having at least one longitudinal channel and a back face. The second elongated strip has a front face configured to be coupled to the front face of the first elongated strip and a back face. The plurality of insulator modules are deposited on the back faces of the thin first elongated strip and the second elongated strip. Preferably, the thin first elongated strip is a low carbon cold-rolled steel strip, and the second elongated strip is a low carbon hot-rolled steel strip. The guide tube is also configured to include two or more longitudinal channels.

Abstract: A system and method for welding spliced vertical columns with an electroslag welding system. The system includes a welding fixture having opposing, paired and positionally adjustable welding shoes, run-off tabs, and sumps affixed at the junction of columns to be spliced. A distributed control electroslag welding system, welding torch, and consumable guide tube oscillator feed provide molten flux within the shoes filling from the sump to the run-off tab.

Abstract: A modular welding system for performing quick, easy and high quality welds. The modular welding system comprises a basic component system and a modular fixture component system. The basic component system provides the basic components which are needed to perform a quality weld efficiently. The modular fixture component system interfaces with the basic component system and provides a particular welding fixture assembly that performs a particular type of weld. More particularly, a stiffener type modular fixture component system and a butt/tee type modular fixture system are described. However, any other particular fixture type system may be integrated with the basic component system of the present invention.

Abstract: The invention is a consumable guide tube comprising a thin first elongated strip, a second elongated strip and a plurality of insulators. The thin first elongated strip has a front face and a back face and the front face has at least one longitudinal channel. The second elongated strip has a front face and a back face and the front face of the second elongated strip is configured to be coupled to the front face of the thin first elongated strip. The plurality of insulator modules are deposited on the back face of the thin first elongated strip and on the back face of the second elongated strip. Preferably, the thin first elongated strip is a low carbon cold rolled steel strip, and the second elongated strip is a low carbon hot rolled steel strip. The guide tube can also be configured to comprise two or more longitudinal channels.

Abstract: A system for butt welding expansion joint rails with an electroslag welding system. The electroslag welding system for butt welding the expansion joint rails comprises a control system. The method for butt welding the two expansion joint rails with the electroslag welding system comprises defining a weld cavity with a first expansion joint rail, a second expansion joint rail, a plurality of gland shoes, and a pair of butt shoes. The electroslag welding system can also be adapted to weld a expansion joint rail to a support beam. The method for welding the expansion joint rail to the support beam comprising placing the expansion joint rail on a horizontal axis, placing the support beam on a vertical axis and clamping a modular component system to the expansion joint rail.