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-type system includes a power supply configured to control preheating of an electrode wire. A controller is configured to receive a plurality of power values corresponding to a power output of the power supply and calculate an arc power value corresponding to an arc condition at the preheated electrode wire based on a rate of change of the plurality of power values. A target power output value is determined based on the calculated arc power value, and the power output is adjusted based on the determined target power value.

Embodiments of a high speed laser hot wire spraying system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a laser subsystem includes a laser power oscillator and a laser focusing device to generate a laser beam directed toward a substrate. The laser focusing device includes a high velocity coaxial gas nozzle to direct, coaxially with the laser beam, a stream of inert gas toward the substrate. A hot wire subsystem includes a power supply and a wire feeding device to feed a consumable metal wire toward the laser beam while resistively pre-heating a distal portion of the consumable metal wire. The laser beam provides energy to liquefy the distal portion of the consumable metal wire upon intersecting the laser beam. The stream of inert gas has a velocity to cause the distal portion of the consumable metal wire to be sprayed as liquefied particles onto a surface of the substrate.

A system for and a method of controlling filler wire is provided. The system includes a high intensity energy source configured to heat at least one workpiece to create a molten puddle on a surface of the at least one workpiece. A filler wire feeder is configured to feed a filler wire into said molten puddle, and a travel direction controller is configured to advance the high intensity energy source and the filler wire in a travel direction to deposit the filler wire on the at least one workpiece. The system also includes a filler wire controller configured to move the filler wire in at least a first direction during the feeding and advancing of the filler wire. At least the first direction is controlled to obtain a desired shape, profile, height, size, or an admixture of a bead formed by the molten puddle.

Disclosed is a welding system configured to perform additive manufacturing, particularly a welding system to achieve a stable a laser metal deposition with hot wire process by controlling the contact point between the welding wire and the workpiece. For example, the resistance of the stick-out wire is measured and the measured resistance is converted to a distance signal, which can then be used for comparison to a desired distance. The distance between the contact tip and the workpiece can then be adjusted based on the comparison. The present disclosure also relates to using a constant enthalpy system to determine and control the contact tip to workpiece distance.

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.

An example conversion apparatus for a welding torch includes: an insulator configured to be mechanically coupled to a first component of a welding torch, to insulate the first component from a first contact tip, and to guide shielding gas through a bore of the insulator, wherein the first component is configured to be in electrical contact with a second contact tip; and a contact tip holder configured to be attached to the welding torch via the insulator, to hold the first contact tip, to conduct welding current to the first contact tip, and to receive the shielding gas from the insulator.

An example welding power supply includes: a power input configured to receive alternating current (AC) input power; and power conversion circuitry configured to: convert a first portion of the input power to welding power; output the welding power to a weld circuit; convert a second portion of the input power to preheating power; and output the preheating power to a preheater.

An example welding system includes: power conversion circuitry configured to: output welding-type power to a weld circuit; and output preheating power to a preheater; and control circuitry configured to: receive an input selecting one of a plurality of weld schedules, each of the plurality of weld schedules specifying a combination of a welding-type output power and a preheating output power; and control the power conversion circuitry to output the welding-type power and the preheating power based on the selected one of the plurality of weld schedules.

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.