Disclosed is an arc welding control method of controlling a welding current in short-circuit arc welding of feeding a welding wire toward a base metal and alternating a short-circuit state and an arc state. The arc welding control method includes: executing, in the short-circuit state, a first increase in the welding current with a first slope, a first decrease in the welding current to a first bottom value after executing the first increase, a second increase in the welding current with a second slope after executing the first decrease, and a second decrease in the welding current to a second bottom value that is smaller than the first bottom value after executing the second increase to shift a state to the arc state.

A system may include a current source; a first metal or alloy component with a first major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a second metal or alloy component with a second major surface electrically coupled to the current source; a metal or alloy powder disposed in at least a portion of the joint region; and a controller. The first and second major surfaces may be positioned adjacent to each other to define a joint region. The controller may be configured to cause the current source to output an alternating current that passes from the first component, through at least a portion of the metal or alloy powder, into the second component. The frequency of the alternating current may be configured to cause standing electromagnetic waves within at least a portion of the particles of the metal or alloy powder.

A technique for dynamically adjusting an output voltage for a welding or cutting operation is provided. The technique allows for varying output voltage at the welding or cutting torch by manipulating the duty cycles of two forward converter circuits. The present disclosure provides methods and systems for increasing synchronized duty cycles in a pair of forward converter circuits in response to increasing output voltage demand then changing a phase shift between the duty cycles in response to further increases in output voltage demand. The present disclosure provides a controller designed to receive input signals and generate output pulse width modulation signals that control the duty cycle width and phase shift of the outputs of the forward converter circuits in response to these signals. Methods of accommodating for the time needed for the transformer core to reset via leading edge or lagging edge compensation are provided.

A method is provided for controlling arc welding including forward and reverse feeding periods alternately switched. By the method, a set of a short circuit period and an arc period is repeated, and the arc welding is controlled such that the reverse feeding period shifts to the forward feeding period when an arc occurs during the reverse feeding period, and that the forward feeding period shifts to the reverse feeding period when a short circuit occurs between the welding wire and the object during the forward feeding period. The reverse feeding period includes a reverse feeding deceleration period having a time length that is adjusted in accordance with the time length of the short circuit period.

Embodiments of systems and methods for supporting predictive and preventative maintenance are disclosed. One embodiment includes manufacturing cells within a manufacturing environment, where each manufacturing cell includes a cell controller and welding equipment, cutting equipment, and/or additive manufacturing equipment. A communication network supports data communications between a central controller and the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells. The central controller collects cell data from the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells, via the communication network. The cell data is related to the operation, performance, and/or servicing of a same component type of each of the manufacturing cells to form a set of aggregated cell data for the component type. The central controller also analyzes the set of aggregated cell data to generate a predictive model related to future maintenance of the component type.

A robotic electric arc welding system includes a welding torch, a welding robot configured to manipulate the welding torch during a welding operation, a robot controller operatively connected to the welding robot to control weaving movements of the welding torch along a weld seam and at a weave frequency and weave period, and a welding power supply operatively connected to the welding torch to control a welding waveform, and operatively connected to the robot controller for communication therewith. The welding power supply is configured to sample a plurality of weld parameters during a sampling period of the welding operation and form an analysis packet, and process the analysis packet to generate a weld quality score, wherein the welding power supply obtains the weave frequency or the weave period and automatically adjusts the sampling period for forming the analysis packet based on the weave frequency or the weave period.

A method of operating a welding system includes supplying a weld current and a weld voltage to an electrode via a plurality of pulse periods, where each pulse period of the plurality of pulse periods includes a background phase and a peak phase. The method also includes detecting the occurrence of an anomalous cathode event during the background phase of a first pulse period of the plurality of pulse periods based at least in part on when a voltage value of the weld voltage is greater than a detect voltage. The method also includes controlling the weld current to a desired current during a portion of the anomalous cathode event. The portion includes an interval of the background phase of the first pulse period, and the weld current is controlled independent of the weld voltage during the portion of the anomalous cathode event.

There is provided an arc welding control method of performing a forward/reverse feeding control of alternating a feeding rate of a welding wire between a forward feeding period and a reverse feeding period, and generating short-circuiting periods and arc periods to perform welding. The welding wire is fed forwardly at a time of staring the welding. The forward/reverse feeding control is started from the reverse feeding period of the welding wire after starting conduction of a welding current.

A method and apparatus for providing welding type power includes a phase shifted double forward converter having a first and second converter with a controller and an output rectifier. The output rectifier has at least one cathode current path that creates a cathode magnetic field when current flows in the cathode current path. The output rectifier also has at least one anode current path that creates an anode magnetic field when current flows in the anode current path. The cathode current path is disposed and oriented and the anode current path is disposed and oriented such that the cathode magnetic field acts to at least partially cancel the anode magnetic field.

An electric arc welder and a method for performing a pulse welding process producing reduced spatter. The welder produces a current between an advancing electrode and a workpiece. The welder includes a short-detecting capability for detecting a short condition upon occurrence of a short circuit between the advancing electrode and the workpiece. The welder may also include a switching module in the welding circuit path of the welder having an electrical switch and a resistive path. Times of occurrence of short intervals can be tracked and a blanking signal can be generated based on the tracked short intervals to anticipate a next short interval in a next pulse period of the pulsed welding process. The blanking signal can be used to reduce a welding current in the welding circuit path by introducing additional resistance into the welding circuit path via the switching module, for example.