Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling arc welding where an arc is generated between a welding wire as a consumable electrode and an object to be welded. The method includes: keeping a wire feed speed at a predetermined constant speed in a steady-state welding period; and at a time point when welding termination is ordered, either switching the wire feed speed from the predetermined constant speed to a wire feed speed at which the welding wire is fed in alternating forward and backward directions, or decreasing the wire feed speed from the predetermined constant speed with time, and then switching the wire feed speed to the wire feed speed at which the welding wire is fed in alternating forward and backward directions at a time point when a predetermined time period has passed since when welding termination was ordered.

Abstract: There is provided an arc welding control method of alternating feeding of a welding wire between forward feeding and reverse feeding periodically to generate a short-circuiting period and an arc period in a manner that shifting to the arc period is performed by reducing a welding current in the reverse feeding during the short-circuiting period. Reduction of the welding current is started from a time where a state of the reverse feeding reaches a predetermined reference state.

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: A torch is moved by a manipulator in a direction separating from a base material 7 while a wire is supplied, whereby an actuator driving the robot manipulator can control a velocity of the wire for a workpiece by a unidirectional operation of separating the torch, and vibration due to reverse of torch velocity is not generated. Further, by using a dedicated separation control system, velocity follow-up performance of the actuator moving the torch can be heightened without increasing overshoot in the usual operation time, and the acceleration and deceleration time of the manipulator can be reduced.

Abstract: In a consumable electrode type welding method, while feeding a welding wire 1, a welding torch 4 is moved by a robot manipulator 9 in a direction where the welding torch 4 is pulled apart from a base metal 7, so that an initial arc is generated while the welding wire 1 is separated from the base metal 7. This not only can eliminate the need for the reversing operation of the robot manipulator 9 and thus can reduce the waste time to thereby be able to reduce a tact time but also can stabilize an arc in the welding start portion and thus can reduce the “unexpected stop” effectively.

Abstract: In a conventional consumable electrode type welding method, owing to the need of the reversing operation of a robot manipulator, an extra response time as well as acceleration and deceleration times are necessary and, at the same time, the feed speed of a welding wire is not be able to catch up with the melting speed of the welding wire to thereby extend the length of an arc, resulting in the unstable arc. In a consumable electrode type welding method according to the invention, while feeding a welding wire 1, a welding torch 4 is moved by a robot manipulator 9 in a direction where the welding torch 4 is pulled apart from a base metal 7, so that an initial arc is generated while the welding wire 1 is separated from the base metal 7. This not only can eliminate the need for the reversing operation of the robot manipulator 9 and thus can reduce the waste time to thereby be able to reduce a tact time but also can stabilize an arc in the welding start portion and thus can reduce the “unexpected stop” effectively.

Abstract: An arc start control method is provided for consumable electrode arc welding. According to this method, a welding wire, supplied through a welding torch, is brought into contact with a work. Then, an initial current is applied to the welding wire and the work that are held in contact with each other. Then, an initial arc is generated by moving the welding wire away from the work with the application of the initial current maintained, and thereafter the initial arc is changed to a steady arc. The initial current is increased gradually with a predetermined increase rate for a predetermined period of time starting at beginning of the application of the initial current.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a welding-type power supply includes providing a current wave form having an arc current portion and a short circuit current portion. An arc state is entered by retracting a welding wire, and a short circuit state is entered by advancing the wire. The current enters the arc current portion prior to the creation of the arc and the current enters the short circuit current portion prior to the creation of the short, by coordinating the wave form with the wire retraction. This may be preformed on a wire having a diameter of 2.4 mm or more to a weld and applying a welding current of less than 100 amps, or of less than 35 amps. One current waveform during the arc state includes at least three segments, and the last segment is entered into prior to the short circuit state being entered, and is the same current magnitude as the current magnitude at the start of the short circuit state.

Abstract: A system and method for stabilizing a welding arc is disclosed. The method of initiating the arc includes the steps of defining a wire feed speed based on a user selected wire feed speed and then abruptly reducing the wire feed speed before the wire feed speed reaches a relatively stabilized speed for welding, thereby allowing a welding arc to initiate and propagate to a generally steady state.

Abstract: A welder power supply apparatus (10) includes an inverter (20), which is driven intermittently when an electrode (34) and a workpiece (36) are separated from each other and no arc is being generated between them, whereby power loss generated in the inverter (20) when the inverter (20) is driven in the non-load state of the power supply apparatus and power loss caused by exciting current flowing through an transformer (24) disposed in the output of the inverter (20) can be reduced. The inverter (20) is driven continuously when output current (Io) becomes higher than a threshold value (Ib) after the electrode (34) and the workpiece (36) are brought into contact with each other for starting arcing between them.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a work-piece during an additive process where material is added to a first surface of the work-piece. The support has a thermally conductive heat-sink adapted to act against a reverse side of the work-piece to that to which material is added thereby supporting the work-piece. The thermally conductive heat-sink is mounted to a biasing means that in use biases the thermally conductive heat-sink against the reverse side of the work-piece.

Abstract: An apparatus for initiating a welding arc during a welding process includes a power circuit to provide a welding power to a power output, a background circuit to provide a background power to the power output to maintain the welding arc during the arc-starting process, and a controller. The background circuit provides a background voltage to the power output of the welding device and detects when the motion control device has touched the electrode to the workpiece. Upon detection of a short circuit, the controller starts a timer, and enables the power circuit to provide a steady state, or DC, flow of output current to the power output for a predetermined time period to heat both the electrode and the workpiece to lower the start current needed to form the welding arc. The time period may vary depending on the electrode and the workpiece being used.