The present disclosure provides a system for feeding a wire. The system may comprise a wire source configured to hold a wire. The system may comprise a driver roller configured to undergo rotation to direct the wire towards a wire receiver. The system may comprise a preload roller adjacent to the driver roller and configured to come in contact with the wire at a position adjacent to the driver roller. The preload roller and the driver roller may be separated by a gap. The size of the gap may be adjustable to permit the wire to be directed through the gap. The system may comprise an actuator coupled to the driver roller or the preload roller and configured to adjust the size of the gap. The system may comprise a controller operatively coupled to the actuator. The size of the gap may be adjusted by real-time closed-loop feedback.

Some examples of the present disclosure relate to a cover cap for a welding torch. The cover cap is attached to a housing of the welding torch and rotatable between a closed position, where the cover cap covers an access port of the welding torch, and an open position, where the cover cap does not cover the access port. The welding torch may have welding components within the handle that may be accessed through the access port when the cover cap is in the open position. A cap holder may be used to hold the cover cap in the open position.

Some examples of the present disclosure relate to welding torches having a thermal insulating plate (400). The thermal insulating plate is comprised of a thermally insulating material, and is positioned between a front housing (302) and a drive gearbox (324) of the welding torch. The front housing (302) is connected to a gooseneck that conducts electrical energy to a torch tip (i.e. front end) of the welding torch. The drive gearbox (324) includes a gear assembly configured to drive a drive roll that moves a wire electrode through the welding torch (e.g. toward the torch tip of the torch). The thermal insulating plate (400) acts as a heat dam to decrease and/or reduce thermal energy transfer from the torch tip of the welding torch (e.g. via the front housing) towards the rear of the welding torch (e.g. through the drive gearbox), where the thermal energy may heat the welding torch handle and/or damage some of the more expensive and/or sensitive components in the handle (e.g. a motor of the drive gearbox).

A harmonic welding wire oscillator configured to oscillate a stretch of welding wire within a wire liner. The oscillator may include an actuator configured to oscillate the welding wire at a resonant frequency of the stretch of welding wire. The oscillation causes reciprocation of the welding wire at the tip of the welding torch.

A welding wire drive roll has an outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface. The circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall having a first sidewall surface, a second sidewall having a second sidewall surface, and a groove base extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The first sidewall surface includes a first surface finishing comprising a first ring of laser-formed craters along the first sidewall surface. The second sidewall surface includes a second surface finishing comprising a second ring of laser-formed craters along the second sidewall surface.

A spool gun having a very unique look, due to its arrangement of external features. The spool gun has its wire spool compartment located below the handle and the user's hand, when the user is gripping the spool gun in an operational position. A gas/power cable is connected to the body of the spool gun forward of the handle.

A spool gun having a very unique look, due to its arrangement of internal and external features. The spool gun has its wire spool compartment located below the handle and the user's hand, when the user is gripping the spool gun in an operational position, thus providing a wire path through the handle to the body of the spool gear wherein the wire feed mechanism is located. The wire feed mechanism includes a 90-degree drive system, which can include a worm gear. A gas/power cable is connected to the body of the spool gun forward of the handle.

A spool gun having a very unique look, due to its arrangement of features. The spool gun has its wire spool compartment located below the handle and the user's hand, when the user is gripping the spool gun in an operational position. Operably connected to the wire spool compartment is wire spool brake configured to engage with the wire wraps. The brake can have a lock and/or a wire spool life indicator. The wire spool compartment has a cover that is non-threadedly engaged. The feed rate of the wire from the wire spool compartment can be adjusted by a control device, such as a knob, located proximate the user's hand, when the user is gripping the spool gun in the operational position.

Methods and apparatus to provide a consistent electrode state for welding, an example welding-type system includes: a first wire drive to feed an electrode wire through a welding torch; a bidirectional assisting wire drive to advance the electrode wire from a wire supply to the first wire drive; a tension-compression detector to detect a first tension-compression state of the electrode wire; and one or more motor controllers to control the first wire drive and the assisting wire drive to put the electrode wire in a predetermined position relative to the welding torch by: controlling the first wire drive to hold the electrode wire; and controlling the assisting wire drive to advance or retract the electrode wire based on the first tension-compression state to put the electrode wire in a second tension-compression state.

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.