Disclosed example power supplies, user interfaces, and methods provide for monitoring, analysis and/or presentation of input power characteristics for a welding-type power supply and/or wire feeder. A welding system includes a power supply to deliver power to a welding torch based on one or more input power characteristics. The input power characteristics may correspond to received input power characteristics values during a welding procedure. The input power characteristics are responsive to the power demanded during the welding operation and may change accordingly. To maintain an accounting of the input power characteristics and their values as they change during the welding operation, control circuitry may receive information regarding the input characteristics, analyze the information, and/or generate presentable indicators for display on one or more graphical interfaces.

Embodiments described herein include wireless control of a welding power supply via portable electronic devices, such as dedicated original equipment manufacturer (OEM) welding remote devices, cellular radio telephones, satellite radio telephones, laptops computers, tablet computers, and so forth. In particular, operating parameters and statuses of the welding power supply may be modified by the portable electronic device, as well as be displayed on the portable electronic device. A pairing procedure may be used to pair the welding power supply and the portable electronic device in a wireless communication network. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, a method of providing location services for the welding power supply includes utilizing location data for the portable electronic device controlling the welding power supply as an approximation for the location of the welding power supply.

Embodiments of welding systems and methods with coordinated dual power outputs supporting a same welding process or a same AC output process are disclosed. One embodiment of a welding system includes an engine and a generator operatively connected to the engine, where the engine is configured to drive the generator to produce electrical input power. The welding system also includes a power supply operatively connected to the generator and having at least one controller. The power supply is configured to convert the electrical input power to form two power outputs that are coordinated with each other, at least in time, via the controller to support a same welding process. The same welding process may be, for example, a hotwire welding process, a tandem metal inert gas (MIG) welding process, or an alternating current (AC) output process.

A welding apparatus is configured to obtain values of one or more real-time operating parameters associated with the welding apparatus. Using the values of the one or more operating conditions, the welding apparatus is configured to determine a dynamic duty cycle of the welding apparatus, given the present/current operating conditions of the welding apparatus.

A sticking detection device for detecting the presence or absence of sticking of a welding wire disposed in an arc welding robot to a workpiece includes a first sticking detection unit and a second sticking detection unit. The first sticking detection unit detects the presence or absence of sticking based on a voltage value detected with respect to voltage being applied to the welding wire and the workpiece. The second sticking detection unit determines the presence or absence of sticking based on the voltage value and a result of the detection by the first sticking detection unit.

A method is performed in a welding or cutting system including a power supply configured to deliver current pulses through a weld circuit to a contact tip extending from a welding torch to create an arc on a workpiece. The method includes: while the contact tip is shorted to the workpiece to set an arc voltage equal to zero: sampling a current pulse to produce current values; and at a voltage sense point, on the power supply or the weld circuit, that is spaced-apart from the welding torch, sampling a voltage pulse associated with the current pulse to produce voltage values that differ from the arc voltage due to an electrical circuit parameter of the weld circuit; and computing a value of the electrical circuit parameter based on the current values, the voltage values, and the arc voltage equal to zero.

Methods and apparatus to communicate via a welding arc are disclosed. An example welding-type power supply includes a power converter, a weld monitor, and an arc modulator. The power converter outputs welding power to sustain a welding-type arc at a welding-type torch. The weld monitor monitors one or more aspects of a weld performed using the welding-type arc and the welding-type torch, and selects an audio message based on the one or more aspects. The arc modulator configured to modify the welding-type arc to output the selected audio message as a plasma speaker.

Engine driven power supplies with output reduction are disclosed. An example engine-driven welding power supply for providing a welding-type output includes an engine, a generator mechanically linked to the engine, power conditioning circuitry, and a controller. The generator generates output power based on mechanical input from the engine. The power conditioning circuitry converts the output power from the generator to welding-type power based on a commanded output. The controller reduce an output of the power conditioning circuitry from the commanded output by an amount proportional to a difference between a speed of the engine and a commanded engine speed while monitoring the difference, decreases the output in response to determining that the reduction in the output does not result in an acceleration in the engine speed, and increases the welding-type output as the difference between the speed of the engine and the commanded engine speed decreases.

An energy storage module (ESM) is provided for connecting to a welding or cutting machine (WCM). The ESM has a controller for connecting to a communication link (CM) to communicate with the WCM when the ESM is connected to the WCM. The ESM also has a battery pack to store electrical energy and output DC electrical power to be used by the WCM, under control of the controller. Electrical input power provided to the WCM from an electrical grid or a renewable energy source during a welding or cutting operation can be supplemented or replaced by the DC electrical power from the ESM. The ESM further has regulation circuitry to regulate the DC electrical power output from the battery pack. The controller controls the regulation circuitry based on identification data received over the CM from the WCM to regulate the DC electrical power to be electrically compatible with the WCM.

An arc start adjustment device adjusting an arc start procedure in a welding process comprises an obtainment unit that obtains welding data indicating a welding state during or after a welding process, and a procedure adjustment unit that adjusts the arc start procedure such that the cycle time of the welding process is shortened based on welding data obtained by the obtainment unit.