Abstract: Methods for welding a particle-matrix composite body to another body and repairing particle-matrix composite bodies are disclosed. Additionally, earth-boring tools having a joint that includes an overlapping root portion and a weld groove having a face portion with a first bevel portion and a second bevel portion are disclosed. In some embodiments, a particle-matrix bit body of an earth-boring tool may be repaired by removing a damaged portion, heating the particle-matrix composite bit body, and forming a built-up metallic structure thereon. In other embodiments, a particle-matrix composite body may be welded to a metallic body by forming a joint, heating the particle-matrix composite body, melting a metallic filler material forming a weld bead and cooling the welded particle-matrix composite body, metallic filler material and metallic body at a controlled rate.

Abstract: A welding gun is provided that includes an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, a neck assembly connectable to the elongated body, and a handle including a sleeve portion mounted around and longitudinally fixed relative to the elongated body, and a grasping portion extending lengthwise radially outwardly from the sleeve portion. The welding gun also includes a rotation mechanism including an inner structure fixedly provided along an outer periphery of the elongated body and having a number of circumferentially distributed engaging elements, and an outer structure fixedly provided along an inner periphery of the sleeve portion and having a number of circumferentially distributed engaging elements. The engaging elements of the outer structure cooperate with the engaging elements of the inner structure for releasably locking the elongated body into a plurality of discrete angular positions relative to the sleeve portion about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An arc sensor adjustment device and adjustment method for carrying out highly-accurate copying control. A welding system includes a welding torch, a welding power source that supplies power to the welding torch, a robot and a robot controller that cause the welding torch to oscillate, and an arc sensor that obtains a welding current or a welding voltage generated during welding while oscillating the welding torch. The arc sensor obtains a welding current or a welding voltage generated during calibration, in which welding is carried out while oscillating the welding torch in an up-down direction, calculates, on the basis of the obtained welding current or welding voltage, a correction amount for the position of the welding torch during welding carried out while oscillating the welding torch in a left-right direction, and applies the calculated correction amount to copying control.

Abstract: A system and method to make a welder aware of contact tip-to-work distance (CTWD) during a welding process. One or both of welding output current and wire feed speed is sampled in real time during the welding process. The actual CTWD is determined in real time based on at least one or both of the sampled welding output current and wire feed speed. The actual CTWD may be compared to a target CTWD in real time, where the target CTWD represents an estimated or desired CTWD for the welding process. A deviation parameter may be generated based on the comparing. An indication of the deviation parameter or the actual CTWD may be provided to a welder performing the welding process as feedback, allowing the welder to adjust the actual CTWD to better match the target CTWD in real time during the welding process.

Abstract: A penetration welding method includes a plasma welding step for forming a through hole in a work, which is a laminated steel plate, from a front surface to rear surface thereof without forming a hole in a component at the rear, by generating a plasma arc column from a plasma torch to the work. After the plasma arc column is generated, the plasma arc column is extinguished when an arc voltage or the length of the arc estimated from the arc voltage exceeds an end-determining threshold which is determined according to the thickness of the work. Further, plasma gas is discharged from the plasma torch at a flow rate at which the width of the plasma arc column is maintained approximately constant from the plasma torch side to the work side so that the arc voltage is increased at an approximately constant rate before and after penetration.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved method of manufacturing cooled accelerator grid with full penetration weld configuration. In a preferred form, the method includes the steps of: machining a plurality of stubs, a first and a second end of a plurality of inconel pipes; welding the stubs with the first end of the inconel pipes forming a water connector assembly; machining of a base plate; welding the base plate with the water connector assembly; machining the base plate welded with the water connector assembly, wherein machining further comprises milling of plurality of cooling channels across angled plane of the base plate welded with the water connector assembly; closing of plurality of cooling channels located on the base plate welded with the water connector assembly; and welding each of plurality of external hydraulic circuits with the second end of each of the plurality of inconel pipes.

Abstract: A self-contained welding power supply capable of, upon termination of welding operation, automatically setting a control signal for auxiliary power is provided. The power supply comprises an engine, a generator driven by the engine, and an excitation system that controls power output of the generator. The excitation system includes an output controller and a DC controller. The output controller includes circuitry that generates a field voltage control signal to be sent to the DC controller to regulate DC power going to field windings of the generator. Upon termination of the welding operation, the field voltage control signal is automatically set to a value appropriate for the auxiliary system operation.

Abstract: Methods of depositing hardfacing material portions of earth-boring tools may involve supporting at least a portion of an earth-boring tool in a holder of a workpiece positioner, the holder being movable in at least a third plane. A location of a surface of the at least a portion of the earth-boring tool may be determined utilizing at least one sensor. The workpiece positioner, the sensor, and a torch positioner comprising a hardfacing torch movable in at least a first plane perpendicular to the third plane and a second plane parallel to the third plane may be controlled utilizing a programmable control system to cause the torch positioner to oscillate the hardfacing torch in the second plane while selectively causing the workpiece positioner to move the holder in the third plane and causing the torch to deposit hardfacing material on the surface.

Abstract: An electrode position control method according to the present invention includes a voltage detecting step of detecting voltages on a leading electrode and a trailing electrode that are brought into contact with a welding workpiece, a sensing step of detecting positional information of the welding workpiece from electrical changes in the voltages, a correction amount calculating step of calculating a correction amount for correcting for positional displacement of each of the leading electrode and the trailing electrode with respect to a weld line from the positional information, and a position correcting step of correcting the respective positions of the electrodes by adding or subtracting the correction amount.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for buried-arc welding with thru-the-arc seam tracking. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for buried-arc welding with thru-the-arc seam tracking.

Abstract: A plasma arc torch is provided that includes a wear stop designed to detect wear of an electrode and prevent the use of the electrode once the electrode has experienced a certain amount of wear. Either the electrode or the nozzle is movable with respect to the main torch body, and the movable component defines a projection. The wear stop is positioned a predetermined distance from a nozzle of the torch, such that prior to experiencing an excessive amount of wear, the electrode is able to contact the nozzle and initiate a pilot arc for starting a torch operation. Once the length of the electrode becomes shorter than a predetermined length due to wear, the projection of the electrode engages the wear stop, and the wear stop prevents the electrode from contacting the nozzle. In this way, an electrode that is excessively worn cannot be used in subsequent torch operations.

Abstract: An improved plasma torch and method of starting the torch are provided. The torch may comprise a main torch body with an electrode assembly coupled to a piston therein. The piston and electrode assembly are moveable between a starting position whereby the electrode assembly contacts a nozzle, and an operating position whereby the electrode assembly does not contact the nozzle. The piston is moveable by directing fluid, which may comprise coolant, through the plasma torch either in a first direction which biases the piston to the starting position, or in an opposite second direction which biases the piston so as to retract the electrode assembly to the operating position. A reversing valve or reversible pump may be used to control the direction of the flow of the fluid. Thereby, the coolant supply may be used to both cool the torch and control the starting and operation of the torch.

Abstract: The present invention provides an arc welding control system and method capable of simultaneously, sophisticatedly performing a weaving width control operation and a torch height control operation. Influence ratios (?w and ?z) of influences of a torch height deviation (?Ph) and a groove wall distance deviation (?Pd) with respect to a manipulated variable (?w) of a weaving width and a manipulated variable (?z) of a torch height are set in accordance with a groove angle (?) of a workpiece (5). A calculation unit (21) calculates the manipulated variables (?z and ?w) of actuators (13 and 14) regarding the torch height and the weaving width such that the influence ratios (?w and ?z) become large as the groove angle (?) becomes large.

Abstract: A welding system and method includes a main torch including a main electrode configured to form a first arc with a base metal; a first bypass torch including a first bypass electrode configured to form a second arc with the main electrode; and a second bypass torch including a second bypass electrode configured to form a third arc with the main electrode.

Abstract: A pulsed waveform welding operation is implemented by reference to a commanded wire feed speed set by an operator. The wire feed speed is set on a wire feeder, and a signal representative of the commanded wire feed speed is applied to a power supply. The power supply control circuitry references a look-up table in which pulsed waveform parameters are provided based upon wire feed speed. The parameters may include multiple parameters such as pulse frequency, peak current, background current, and current ramp rates. The control circuitry commands power conversion circuitry to generate the commanded waveform as a function of the commanded wire feed speed.

Abstract: An improved plasma torch and method of starting the torch are provided. The torch may comprise a main torch body with an electrode assembly coupled to a piston therein. The piston and electrode assembly are moveable between a starting position whereby the electrode assembly contacts a nozzle, and an operating position whereby the electrode assembly does not contact the nozzle. The piston is moveable by directing fluid, which may comprise coolant, through the plasma torch either in a first direction which biases the piston to the starting position, or in an opposite second direction which biases the piston so as to retract the electrode assembly to the operating position. A reversing valve or reversible pump may be used to control the direction of the flow of the fluid. Thereby, the coolant supply may be used to both cool the torch and control the starting and operation of the torch.

Abstract: An arc welding control method and apparatus includes a voltage control loop in which a pulsation parameter such as pulse width, pulse amplitude, background amplitude between pulses, or frequency, is adjusted to compensate for deviations in the arc voltage, and a second, slower feedback loop which adjusts a second parameter of the system in order to cause the pulsation parameter to return to a desired value as a result of the effect of the adjusted second parameter on the arc voltage.

Abstract: An orbital welder includes a weld tip, a rotational controller, and a translational controller. The rotational controller causes the weld tip to rotate about an axis passing through the tube to be welded. As the weld tip rotates about the axis, the translational controller causes the weld tip to move longitudinally with respect to the axis, forming non-planar orbital welds. In one embodiment, the translational controller includes a rotor disposed to rotate about the axis. The translational controller further includes a carrier that is slidably attached to the rotor, and the weld tip is fixed to the carrier. As the rotor rotates about the axis, the carrier moves longitudinally with respect to the axis, such that the weld tip follows a non-planar orbital weld pattern. In a particular embodiment, a portion of the carrier is biased against a surface a cam block.