Method and apparatus for retracting and advancing a welding wire
US6984806B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 23, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 10, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K9/124
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing welding-type power include a wire feeder that provides wire to an arc and a power supply that provides power to the arc. A reversible wire feed motor moves the wire to and away from the arc. A controller controls the reversible wire feeder motor to reverse at least once per process cycle, and/or controls the power source to provide a desired mean arc current, and/or controls the reversible motor in response to short detection and short clearing, and/or controls the reversal frequency in response to pool oscillation frequency. A wire feed motor output is slaved to an average of the reversible motor output. The controller may include various control modules, such as a mean arc current control module, and/or a short detection feedback circuit. The reversible motor is a stepper motor, that incrementally turns in a series of steps having a given angle in another embodiment. The controller includes a step size output and the given angle is varied in response to the step size output.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.