A contact tip assembly with a preheating tip comprises a welding-type power source configured to provide welding-type current to a welding-type circuit, the welding-type circuit comprising a welding-type electrode and a first contact tip of a welding torch; an electrode preheating circuit configured to provide preheating current through a first portion of the electrode via a second contact tip of the welding torch; and a preheat controller to: monitor a voltage drop across a second portion of the electrode; adjust at least one of the welding-type current or the preheating current based on the voltage drop, the second portion of the electrode comprising at least part of the first portion of the electrode; and control the preheating current based on a hydrogen reduction goal and based on stored parameters associated with a type of the electrode, a chemistry of the electrode, or a wire size.

Welding wire preheating systems and methods are disclosed. An example welding method includes: receiving a signal indicative of initiation of welding process; prior to initiating a welding arc based on the received signal, controlling voltage or current applied to a welding electrode to preheat the electrode to a temperature above an ambient temperature but below a melting point of the welding electrode; monitoring feedback voltage to determine a termination of preheating; and terminating preheating prior to initiating the welding arc in accordance with a welding protocol.

A contact tip assembly with a preheating tip comprises a welding-type power source configured to provide welding-type current to a welding-type circuit, the welding-type circuit comprising a welding-type electrode and a first contact tip of a welding torch. The assembly also includes an electrode preheating circuit configured to provide preheating current through a portion of the welding-type electrode via a second contact tip of the welding torch, and a voltage sense circuit to monitor a voltage drop across the two contact tips, and the electrode preheating circuit adjusts at least one of the first current or the preheating current based on the voltage drop.

The disclosed technology generally relates to welding, and more particularly to welding multi-layered structures. In an aspect, a method of welding multi-layered metallic workpieces comprises providing a pair of multi-layered workpieces. Each of the workpieces has a base layer and an cladding layer, where the cladding layer comprises a corrosion resistant element adapted to suppress corrosion in a ferrous alloy. The method additionally comprises forming a root pass weld bead to join cladding layers of the workpieces using a first filler wire comprising the corrosion resistant element and focusing a first laser beam on the cladding layers. The method additionally comprises forming one or more weld beads to join base layers of the workpieces by resistively heating a second filler wire and directing a second laser beam over the root pass weld bead. The method is such that a concentration of the corrosion-resistant element in the one or more weld beads is less than 50% of a concentration of the corrosion-resistant element in the root pass weld bead.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for pretreating a wire that is used in a welding operation to reduce the amount of hydrogen introduced into a weld. Using embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein, one passes a wire through a pre-treatment chamber in which a wire is treated to release hydrogen and/or other contaminants, and provides a gas flow through the pre-treatment chamber so that the contaminants that are released from the wire are taken up by the gas. The gas exiting the pre-treatment chamber may be isolated from the shielding gas utilized during a welding operation. For instance, the pretreatment gas may be directed away from the distal end of the welding torch, thereby preventing released contaminants from being transported into a weld.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for pretreating a wire that is used in a welding operation. Using embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein, one may remove hydrogen and/or other contaminants from a wire by passing the wire through a pre-treatment chamber, preferably one that isolates the gas discharged from the pre-treatment chamber from the shielding gas utilized in the welding operation; treating the wire within the pre-treatment chamber to release hydrogen and/or other contaminants; and creating a turbulent flow of gas through the pre-treatment chamber. By creating a turbulent flow of gas within the pre-treatment chamber, the transportation of the released hydrogen and/or other contaminants away from the wire may be improved, thereby preventing released contaminants from being reintroduced to the wire or otherwise transported into a weld.

A welding system includes a power supply configured to output power to a welding device. The power supply is configured to alternate the power output between an arc phase and a hotwire phase. The power output in the arc phase produces an arc between a welding electrode and a workpiece, and the power output in the hotwire phase heats the welding electrode without producing an arc.

A welding or cladding apparatus in which one or more energy beam emitters are used to generate a wide beam spot transverse to a welding or cladding path, and one or more wide feeders feed wire to the spot to create a wide welding or cladding puddle.

Systems, methods, and apparatus to reduce cast in a welding wire are disclosed. Example systems to reduce cast in a welding wire include a wire advancement roller configured to advance welding wire from a welding wire supply toward a welding torch; and a wire straightener configured to reduce cast in the welding wire by applying heat to the welding wire between the welding wire supply and the welding torch.

Apparatus, systems, and/or methods for weld wire preheating are disclosed. Some examples of the present disclosure relate to welding-type systems that use one or more preheaters to heat welding wire prior to an arc and/or deposition on a weldment. The welding wire may have one or more characteristics. A preheating control may determine a governing characteristic of the one or more welding wire characteristics and establish a threshold temperature and/or target temperature based on the governing characteristic. The preheating control may further control the one or more preheaters based on the threshold temperature and/or target temperature, in order to avoid a deformation and/or degradation of the welding wire that would impact column strength, wire feeding, weld process stability, and/or welding consumable longevity.