The present invention provides a unique and novel, low-cost external assembly that can be used to add a pulsed current functionality to a continuous welding machine. The external assembly is located in series between a pedal for controlling the welder and the welder itself. The external assembly includes a controller that modifies the pedal input signal typically entering directly into the welder. The modified signal converts the continuous welding machine such that it operates as a pulsed welding machine.

An example system includes: a hand-held welding tool that is manually placed in a welding position, wherein the hand-held welding tool is configured to be activated to cause a contact tip or a welding heat source to automatically move from a first position and to second position during a welding operation, and wherein a welding arc is automatically and repeatedly turned off and on while the contact tip or the welding heat source moves from the first position to the second position to make a plurality of welds between the first position and the second position, wherein, as a travel speed decreases, a time period between each arc on time increases to make equally spaced welds.

An example system includes: a hand-held welding tool that is manually placed in a welding position, wherein the hand-held welding tool is configured to be activated to cause a contact tip or a welding heat source to automatically move from a first position and to second position during a welding operation, and wherein a welding arc is automatically and repeatedly turned off and on while the contact tip or the welding heat source moves from the first position to the second position to make a plurality of welds between the first position and the second position, wherein, as a travel speed decreases, a time period between each arc on time increases to make equally spaced welds.

A welding system includes a consumable electrode, torch, wire feeder, and power supply. The power supply is configured to provide a plurality of waveforms to the torch to generate a welding current in the electrode. Each of the plurality of waveforms includes a pinch current portion followed by an arcing current portion, and the pinch current portion is preceded by a first arc suppression portion and the arcing current portion is followed by a second arc suppression portion. An arc exists between the electrode and a workpiece during the arcing current portion, and an air gap without an arc exists between the consumable electrode and the workpiece during the arc suppression portions. The power supply is configured to detect a short between the electrode and workpiece and generate the pinch current portion when the short is detected, and the wire feeder stops feeding the electrode when the short is detected and restarts feeding the electrode after the short is clear.

A welding system includes a consumable electrode, torch, wire feeder, and power supply. The power supply is configured to provide a plurality of waveforms to the torch to generate a welding current in the electrode. Each of the plurality of waveforms includes a pinch current portion followed by an arcing current portion, and the pinch current portion is preceded by a first arc suppression portion and the arcing current portion is followed by a second arc suppression portion. An arc exists between the electrode and a workpiece during the arcing current portion, and an air gap without an arc exists between the consumable electrode and the workpiece during the arc suppression portions. The power supply is configured to detect a short between the electrode and workpiece and generate the pinch current portion when the short is detected, and the wire feeder stops feeding the electrode when the short is detected and restarts feeding the electrode after the short is clear.

Provided are an arc welded joint and an arc welding method. The arc welded joint has a slag-coverage area ratio S.sub.RATIO (%) of 15% or less, and a weld bead width ratio W.sub.RATIO (%) of 60% or more. The S.sub.RATIO is calculated by using an equation S.sub.RATIO=100×S.sub.SLAG/S.sub.BEAD. In this equation, an area of a surface of a weld bead formed by performing arc welding on a steel sheet is defined as a weld bead surface area S.sub.BEAD (mm.sup.2) and, of the weld bead surface area S.sub.BEAD, an area of a region covered with slag is defined as a slag surface area S.sub.SLAG (mm.sup.2). The W.sub.RATIO is calculated by using an equation W.sub.RATIO=100×W.sub.MIN/W.sub.MAX from a maximum value W.sub.MAX (mm) and a minimum value W.sub.MIN (mm) of a weld bead width in a direction perpendicular to a welding line of the weld bead.

Provided are an arc welded joint and an arc welding method. The arc welded joint has a slag-coverage area ratio S.sub.RATIO (%) of 15% or less, and a weld bead width ratio W.sub.RATIO (%) of 60% or more. The S.sub.RATIO is calculated by using an equation S.sub.RATIO=100×S.sub.SLAG/S.sub.BEAD. In this equation, an area of a surface of a weld bead formed by performing arc welding on a steel sheet is defined as a weld bead surface area S.sub.BEAD (mm.sup.2) and, of the weld bead surface area S.sub.BEAD, an area of a region covered with slag is defined as a slag surface area S.sub.SLAG (mm.sup.2). The W.sub.RATIO is calculated by using an equation W.sub.RATIO=100×W.sub.MIN/W.sub.MAX from a maximum value W.sub.MAX (mm) and a minimum value W.sub.MIN (mm) of a weld bead width in a direction perpendicular to a welding line of the weld bead.

A welding or additive manufacturing power supply includes output circuitry configured to generate a welding waveform, a current sensor for measuring a welding current generated by the output circuitry, a voltage sensor for measuring an output voltage of the welding waveform, and a controller operatively connected to the output circuitry to control the welding waveform, and operatively connected to the current sensor and the voltage sensor to monitor the welding current and the output voltage. A portion of welding waveform includes a controlled change in current from a first level to a second level different from the first level. The controller is configured to determine a circuit inductance from the output voltage and the controlled change in current, and further determine a change in resistance of a consumable electrode in real time based on the circuit inductance.

Specific AC welding waveforms are utilized to increase the toughness level of austenitic stainless steel above what is achieved using the same welding consumables using standard DC welding waveforms.

A method of hardfacing a metal component includes welding a surface area of the metal component using a Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) process. The method of hardfacing the metal component includes performing the CMT welding process in a weaving pattern over the surface area of the component. A consumable, low carbon steel wire electrode is used in the CMT process.