A system and method for dual-twin SAW cladding is disclosed. The method includes arranging a first twin SAW head in close proximity to a second twin SAW head, delivering electroslag flux to a surface of a workpiece to create a layer of electroslag flux atop the workpiece, directing two first consumable wires through the first twin SAW head towards the surface of the workpiece, directing two second consumable wires through the second twin SAW head towards the surface of the workpiece, introducing the two first consumable wires and the two second consumable wires into a molten slag pool formed on the surface of the workpiece to melt the two first consumable wires and the two second consumable wires via resistive heating, and translating the first twin SAW head and the second twin SAW head together to form a cladded deposit on the workpiece.

Cladding strip feeders having independent pressure rollers and strip cladding systems with cladding strip feeders having independent pressure rollers are disclosed. A disclosed example cladding strip feeder for a strip cladding system includes: a drive roller to advance a cladding strip along a strip feed path through contact plates; a first pressure roller positioned along the strip feed path opposite a first section of the drive roller; a second pressure roller positioned along the strip feed path opposite a second section of the drive roller; a third pressure roller positioned along the strip feed path opposite a third section of the drive roller; a first pressure adjuster to set a first pressure applied to the cladding strip by the first pressure roller and the first section of the drive roller; a second pressure adjuster to set a second pressure applied to the cladding strip by the second pressure roller and the second section of the drive roller; and a third pressure adjuster to set a third pressure applied to the cladding strip by the third pressure roller and the third section of the drive roller, the first pressure roller, the second pressure roller, and the third pressure roller being configured to apply symmetric pressure across a width of the cladding strip by selectively setting at least one of the second pressure adjuster to apply the second pressure or the third pressure adjuster to apply the third pressure based on the cladding strip having one of at least three incremental strip widths.

Strip cladding heads having independent strip pressure adjustments and strip cladding systems with strip cladding heads having independent strip pressure adjustments are disclosed. A disclosed example cladding head for strip cladding system includes a first contact jaw, a second contact jaw, and a third contact jaw. The first contact jaw includes first and second contacts to deliver welding power to a cladding strip that is driven between the first and second contacts. The second contact jaw includes third and fourth contacts to deliver the welding power to the cladding strip that is driven between the third and fourth contacts. The third contact jaw includes fifth and sixth contacts to deliver the welding power to the cladding strip that is driven between the fifth and sixth contacts, where the first, second, and third contact jaws selectively provide symmetrical contact with the cladding strip across a width of the cladding strip when the cladding strip has one of at least three incremental strip widths, and the three incremental strip widths correspond to ones of the first, second, and third contact jaws.

Strip cladding heads having strip pressure limits and strip cladding systems with strip cladding heads having strip pressure limits are disclosed are disclosed. A disclosed example cladding head for a strip cladding system includes a first contact jaw comprising first and second contacts to deliver welding power to a cladding strip that is driven between the first and second contacts, a first contact pressure adjuster to set a first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the cladding strip, and a first strip lock preventer to limit the first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the cladding strip to less than a threshold pressure.

Granular welding flux delivery devices and strip cladding systems with granular welding flux delivery devices are disclosed. A disclosed example granular welding flux delivery device includes a hopper having: an intake opening to receive granular welding flux; a chute; and an output opening to output the granular welding flux to an electroslag strip cladding process, a submerged arc welding process, or a submerged arc strip cladding process. The example granular welding flux delivery device further includes a chute divider positioned within the chute to reduce an intake rate of granular material through the intake opening by reducing a cross-section of the chute based on a dimension of the chute divider. The disclosed example granular welding flux delivery device includes an adjustable output cover attached to the chute proximate to the output opening to extend or retract a length of the chute by adjusting a location of the output opening along the chute.

Strip cladding heads and strip cladding systems are disclosed. A disclosed example strip feeder for a strip cladding system includes; a drive roller to advance a cladding strip along a strip feed path through contact plates; a first guide rail having a first slot extending across an entirety of the strip feed path; a first adjustable bearing and a second adjustable bearing located within the first slot, the first adjustable bearing and the second adjustable bearing capable of being secured at positions within the first slot using corresponding first and second strip width adjusters; a second guide rail having a second slot extending across an entirety of the strip feed path and positioned at a different location than the first guide rail along the strip feed path; and a third adjustable bearing and a fourth adjustable bearing located within the second slot, the third adjustable bearing and the fourth adjustable bearing capable of being secured at positions within the second slot using corresponding third and fourth strip width adjusters, the first, second, third, and fourth strip width adjusters to, when secured, define a location and a width of an effective strip feed path.

An electrode (10) is presented including a sheath (14) formed of a ductile material, an outer coating (16) including a flux material, and a core (12) including at least one of flux material and alloying material. The ductile material may be an extrudable subset of elements of a desired superalloy material and the alloying material may include elements that complement the ductile material to form a desired superalloy material when the electrode is melted. The outer coating may be formed of a flexible bonding material or it may be segmented (18, 20) to facilitate bending the electrode onto a spool. Any hygroscopic material of the electrode may be included in the core to protect it from exposure to atmospheric moisture.

Methods for laser additive manufacture are disclosed in which a plurality of powder layers (48, 50 and 52) are delivered onto a working surface (54A) to form a multi-powder deposit containing at least two adjacent powders layers in contact, and then applying a first laser energy (74) to a first powder layer (48) and a second laser energy (76) to a second powder layer (52) to form a section plane of a multi-material component. The multi-powder deposit may include a flux composition that provides at least one protective feature. The shapes, intensities and trajectories of the first and second laser energies may be independently controlled such that their widths are less than or equal to widths of the first and second powder layers, their intensities are tailored to the compositions of the powder layers, and their scan paths define the final shape of the multi-material component.

An electric melting method for forming a cylinder of a pressure vessel of nuclear power station, in which an electric melting head and a base material are connected to the anode and cathode of a power supply respectively. During the forming of a metal component, the raw metal wire is sent to a surface of the base material by a feeder and the electric melting head to create the electric arc between the raw wire and the base material, wherein the electric arc melts certain of deposited auxiliary material and crates a molten slag pool; a current creates the resistance heat and the electroslag heat; the raw wire is molten under the high-energy heat resource composed of the electric arc heat, the resistance heat and the electroslag heat, and creates a molten pool on partial surface of the base material.

An electric melting method for forming metal components provides an electric melting head (6) and a base material (2) being connected to the anode and the cathode of a power supply (12). During the forming of the component, the raw metal wire (1) is sent to the base material (2) and the electric melting head (6) to generate electric arc (9) between the raw wire (1) and the base material (2). The electric arc melts a part of the deposited auxiliary material (3) and creates a molten slag pool (8). Electric current generates the resistance heat and the electroslag heat. The raw wire (1) is molten under the high-energy heat resource composed of the electric arc heat, the resistance heat and the electroslag heat, and thereby creating a molten pool (11) on partial surface of the base material (2).