Methods and apparatus to control advancement of a welding electrode wire for arc ignition are disclosed. An example electrode wire feeder includes a wire feed motor to advance electrode wire to a welding torch, a temperature monitor to determine a temperature of the electrode wire using at least one of a temperature measurement or a thermal model, and a motor controller to control a run-in wire speed based on a temperature of the electrode wire.

A method of identifying and selecting welding electrodes and welding output parameters on a welding power source is provided. The method includes identifying electrodes and/or electrode packaging with distinct colors and/or patterns which correspond to properties of the electrode. The method also may include employing distinguishable identifying markings on a power supply which correspond to the electrodes to be used to allow for easy setting of output parameters.

An arc-welding method in welding by repeating a short circuit and an arc. When the sign of opening of the short circuit is detected, the welding current is reduced from a first current value at the detection of the sign to a second current value, which is lower than the first current value. When the opening of the short circuit is detected, a pulse current having a peak value higher than the first current value is supplied at a plurality of times in the arc period. This suppresses porosities and spatters when galvanized steel sheets are welded.

A contact chip for welding, having a housing member with a tapered tip, an abrasion-resistant core member in the housing member, and an adapter member at the rear end of the housing member. The housing member has a first insertion hole as an outlet for a welding wire. The core member has a second insertion hole through which the welding wire is inserted. The adapter member has a third insertion hole through which the welding wire is inserted, and also has on the inner wall surface of its tip end part a taper surface whose diameter gradually decreases toward the tip end so that a space part is formed in the front of the core member. The welding wire is inserted through the first to third insertion holes and the space part so that the wire protrudes from the tip end of the contact chip.

A welding system and method is provided which moves a welding consumable during a welding operation, where the consumable is moved downstream of the welding contact tip during welding. A wire manipulation device is provided which causes the consumable to move after it has left the contact tip and before the consumable reaches the weld puddle of the welding operation. The consumable can be moved in different patterns during welding and the welding process parameters, such as wire feed speed, etc. can be changed based on the movement of the wire.

A welding system and method is provided which moves a welding consumable during a welding operation, where the consumable is moved downstream of the welding contact tip during welding. A wire manipulation device is provided which causes the consumable to move after it has left the contact tip and before the consumable reaches the weld puddle of the welding operation. The consumable can be moved in different patterns during welding and the welding process parameters, such as wire feed speed, etc. can be changed based on the movement of the wire.

A method includes displaying, on a display of a welding torch, a welding parameter in relation to a predetermined threshold range for the welding parameter, a target value for the welding parameter, or some combination thereof as a position of the welding torch changes, an orientation of the welding torch changes, a movement of the welding torch changes, or some combination thereof, to enable a welding operator to perform a welding operation with the welding parameter within the predetermined threshold range, at the target value, or some combination thereof. The welding parameter is associated with the position of the welding torch, the orientation of the welding torch, the movement of the welding torch, or some combination thereof.

A method includes displaying, on a display of a welding torch, a welding parameter in relation to a predetermined threshold range for the welding parameter, a target value for the welding parameter, or some combination thereof as a position of the welding torch changes, an orientation of the welding torch changes, a movement of the welding torch changes, or some combination thereof, to enable a welding operator to perform a welding operation with the welding parameter within the predetermined threshold range, at the target value, or some combination thereof. The welding parameter is associated with the position of the welding torch, the orientation of the welding torch, the movement of the welding torch, or some combination thereof.

A contact tip assembly having an electric contact unit containing a contact tip with an electric energy source, where the electric contact unit is positioned at a distance away from the outlet opening of a guide.

A welding system and a method of control. The welding system may include a weld gun that may have an induction coil and a guide sleeve. The induction coil may heat a welding electrode in the weld gun. The guide sleeve may inhibit the welding electrode from engaging the induction coil.