Provided are a systems and methods for continuously providing a metal wire to a welding torch in the correct orientation with respect to the heat source of the welding torch for manufacturing objects by solid freeform fabrication to provide continuous deposition of metal to the freeform object, especially objects made with titanium or titanium alloy, or nickel or nickel alloy, wire.

A welding tool comprises a main body; a handle attached to the main body to be held by a welder; an electrode attached to the main body; an adjusting device for moving the consumable electrode forward/backward with respect to the main body; a control unit is connected to the adjusting device and is configured to act on the adjusting device for maintaining a substantially constant distance between the electrode and a weld area.

A welding tool comprises a main body; a handle attached to the main body to be held by a welder; an electrode attached to the main body; an adjusting device for moving the consumable electrode forward/backward with respect to the main body; a control unit is connected to the adjusting device and is configured to act on the adjusting device for maintaining a substantially constant distance between the electrode and a weld area.

An example welding torch neck adapter includes: an electrically conductive body configured to detachably attach to a handle assembly of a consumable electrode-fed welding torch on a first portion of the conductive body and configured to detachably attach to a neck of the welding torch on a second portion of the conductive body to secure the neck to the handle assembly; and a guide tube positioned within the conductive body and configured to support a first consumable wire liner in alignment with a liner lock of a second consumable wire liner.

A multi-process welding machine provides an intuitive user interface to enable a user to select among different welding processes, and to select parameters for a given selected welding process. The multi-process welding machine also provides an arrangement by which a switching module, or DC to AC converter, of an AC TIG unit can be controlled to alternatively supply AC or DC welding voltages or current. Further, a configuration of switches can be leveraged to automatically (or manually) control the polarity of welding cables for different processes and to engage or disengage a wire feeder when, e.g., a MIG welding process is selected, or not selected, respectively. Finally, in an embodiment, the ferrite or magnetic materials used for a main output inductor and an high frequency starting inductor of the welding machine can be combined.

A multi-process welding machine provides an intuitive user interface to enable a user to select among different welding processes, and to select parameters for a given selected welding process. The multi-process welding machine also provides an arrangement by which a switching module, or DC to AC converter, of an AC TIG unit can be controlled to alternatively supply AC or DC welding voltages or current. Further, a configuration of switches can be leveraged to automatically (or manually) control the polarity of welding cables for different processes and to engage or disengage a wire feeder when, e.g., a MIG welding process is selected, or not selected, respectively. Finally, in an embodiment, the ferrite or magnetic materials used for a main output inductor and an high frequency starting inductor of the welding machine can be combined.

Systems and methods for cleaning a wire electrode after a welding process has ended are described. During a welding process, a wire electrode may be fed forward from a wire feeder through a welding torch to create a molten weld pool. While, conventionally, feeding of the wire electrode stops when the welding process ends, the present disclosure contemplates instead continuing to feed the wire electrode forward after the welding process ends. More particularly, the present disclosure contemplates feeding the wire electrode into the weld pool so that the wire electrode can be “cleaned” in the molten weld pool created by the welding process. The “cleaned” wire electrode end can be more easily used to establish an electrical arc at the beginning of the next welding process.

Provided is an arc welding device that performs welding by alternately repeating a short-circuit period provided with a short-circuit state in which a welding wire and a base material are short-circuited, and an arc period provided with an arc state in which an arc is generated between the welding wire and the base material. A calculation unit calculates an integrated power value by integrating power supplied to the welding wire within a predetermined period, after the welding wire is short-circuited. A controller reduces a welding current to be supplied to welding wire when the integrated power value is larger than a predetermined threshold.

In arc welding in which a welding wire serving as a consumable electrode is fed toward a base material and a welding current is caused to flow through the welding wire and the base material to alternately repeat a reverse polarity period and a positive polarity period, after a short circuit between the welding wire and the base material is detected, a feeding speed of the welding wire is changed from a first feeding speed to a second feeding speed on a negative side of the first feeding speed when a speed in a direction toward the base material is defined as positive.

Arc welding, in which a welding wire serving as a consumable electrode is fed toward a base material and a welding current alternately including a peak current and a base current is caused to flow through the welding wire and the base material, is performed such that after a short-circuit between the welding wire and the base material is detected, a feeding speed of the welding wire is changed from a first feeding speed to a second feeding speed that is on a negative side from the first feeding speed when a speed in a direction in which the welding wire is fed toward the base material is defined as positive.