Stopping electroslag strip cladding operations feeding multiple strips includes detecting, during a welding phase of an electroslag welding operation feeding a first strip and a second strip towards a molten slag pool formed on a work piece, initiation of a stop phase. Upon detection the feeding of the first strip towards the molten slag pool is stopped. Additionally, a feed direction of the feeding of the second strip is reversed to retract the second strip away from the molten slag pool.

A method and system for electroslag strip cladding (ESSC) of rail heads without preheating utilizing twin electroslag strip welding techniques. The twin ESSC techniques include depositing a layer of wear and corrosion resistance cladding material onto the entire running surface of the rail head at a relatively fast welding speed of approximately sixty cm/minute with less than one cm/meter of distortion. The welding speed is achieved by moving a twin ESSC welding head along a rail, with the running surface of the rail head facing upward, or advancing a rail through a space under the twin ESSC welding head, with the running surface of the rail head facing upward, while cladding material is deposited continuously onto the running surface of the rail head.

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.

A method of manufacturing a tube is provided. The method includes: selecting a core pipe having a thickness that is initially less than a desired thickness of the tube; and building-up an outer layer over an exterior surface of the core pipe via additive manufacturing so as to increase the thickness of the core pipe such that the thickness of the core pipe is equal to the desired thickness of the tube.

A hybrid electroslag cladding method includes the steps of: providing a workpiece (6) to be cladded; guiding a strip electrode (4) onto the surface of the workpiece (6); cladding the strip electrode (4) onto the surface of the workpiece (6) using electroslag cladding; guiding a metal cored hybrid electroslag cladding wire (7) into the weld puddle (9) of the strip electrode (4) for controlling the chemical composition of the cladding.

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.

A rail welding method and device are provided. The method includes: welding a bottom of rail, wherein welding is repeatedly performed along a first swing trajectory in a lengthwise direction of a weld seam, from one end of the bottom of rail to the other end of the bottom of rail; welding a waist of rail, wherein welding is repeatedly performed in the lengthwise direction of the weld seam along a second swing trajectory, from one end of the waist of rail, and the second swing trajectory is divided into two regions for respective welding in a width direction of the weld seam; and welding a head of rail, wherein welding is performed in the lengthwise direction of the weld seam along the first swing trajectory, between one end of the head of rail and the other end of the head of rail.

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.

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.