A welding or additive manufacturing contact tip includes an electrically-conductive body extending from a proximal end of the body to a distal end of the body. The body forms a first bore terminating at a first exit orifice at a distal end face of the body, and a second bore terminating at a second exit orifice at the distal end face of the body. The first and second exit orifices are separated from each other by a distance configured to facilitate formation of a bridge droplet between a first wire electrode delivered through the first bore and a second wire electrode delivered through the second bore during a deposition operation.

A system and method generates a short circuit arc welding waveform output, having a pinch phase with a break point and a necking threshold, between a welding electrode and a work piece during a short circuit arc welding process. A necking threshold energy and a break point energy of the short circuit arc welding waveform output are monitored during the short circuit arc welding process, and a running average of the necking threshold energy is generated. An actual pinch energy relationship value is calculated based on the running average of the necking threshold energy and the break point energy, and is compared to a previously specified pinch energy relationship value. The break point energy of the short circuit arc welding waveform output is adjusted in response to the comparison to maintain the actual pinch energy relationship value to be at the specified pinch energy relationship value.

A system and method generates a short circuit arc welding waveform output, having a pinch phase with a break point and a necking threshold, between a welding electrode and a work piece during a short circuit arc welding process. A necking threshold energy and a break point energy of the short circuit arc welding waveform output are monitored during the short circuit arc welding process, and a running average of the necking threshold energy is generated. An actual pinch energy relationship value is calculated based on the running average of the necking threshold energy and the break point energy, and is compared to a previously specified pinch energy relationship value. The break point energy of the short circuit arc welding waveform output is adjusted in response to the comparison to maintain the actual pinch energy relationship value to be at the specified pinch energy relationship value.

A shielded metal arc welding system includes a stick electrode holder, a stick electrode clamped by the holder, and a welding power supply operatively connected to the holder and configured to supply a welding current to the electrode through the holder. The power supply includes a memory storing both of a short circuit threshold voltage level and an arcing threshold voltage level. A welding voltage level is detected during an initial shorting of the electrode to a workpiece for commencing a welding operation. Both of the short circuit threshold voltage level and the arcing threshold voltage level are adjusted based on the detected welding voltage level. A short circuit clearing routine is activated when the welding voltage level is equal to or less than the adjusted short circuit threshold voltage level, and deactivated when the welding voltage level is equal to or greater than the adjusted arcing threshold voltage level.

A shielded metal arc welding system includes a stick electrode holder, a stick electrode clamped by the holder, and a welding power supply operatively connected to the holder and configured to supply a welding current to the electrode through the holder. The power supply includes a memory storing both of a short circuit threshold voltage level and an arcing threshold voltage level. A welding voltage level is detected during an initial shorting of the electrode to a workpiece for commencing a welding operation. Both of the short circuit threshold voltage level and the arcing threshold voltage level are adjusted based on the detected welding voltage level. A short circuit clearing routine is activated when the welding voltage level is equal to or less than the adjusted short circuit threshold voltage level, and deactivated when the welding voltage level is equal to or greater than the adjusted arcing threshold voltage level.

A power supply system includes multiple power supply devices including a first power supply device and a second power supply device that are connected in common to a load. The first power supply device calculates control information for controlling voltage or current to be output to the load and source information for obtaining the control information, and controls the output to the load based on the calculated control information while transmitting the source information to the second power supply device. The second power supply device receives the source information transmitted from the first power supply device, calculates control information based on the received source information, and controls the output to the load while detecting current to be output from itself to the load and transmitting current information to the first power supply device.

A power supply system includes multiple power supply devices including a first power supply device and a second power supply device that are connected in common to a load. The first power supply device calculates control information for controlling voltage or current to be output to the load and source information for obtaining the control information, and controls the output to the load based on the calculated control information while transmitting the source information to the second power supply device. The second power supply device receives the source information transmitted from the first power supply device, calculates control information based on the received source information, and controls the output to the load while detecting current to be output from itself to the load and transmitting current information to the first power supply device.

Provided are an arc welded joint and an arc welding method. The arc welded joint has a slag-coverage area ratio S.sub.RATIO (%) of 15% or less, and a weld bead width ratio W.sub.RATIO (%) of 60% or more. The S.sub.RATIO is calculated by using an equation S.sub.RATIO=100×S.sub.SLAG/S.sub.BEAD. In this equation, an area of a surface of a weld bead formed by performing arc welding on a steel sheet is defined as a weld bead surface area S.sub.BEAD (mm.sup.2) and, of the weld bead surface area S.sub.BEAD, an area of a region covered with slag is defined as a slag surface area S.sub.SLAG (mm.sup.2). The W.sub.RATIO is calculated by using an equation W.sub.RATIO=100×W.sub.MIN/W.sub.MAX from a maximum value W.sub.MAX (mm) and a minimum value W.sub.MIN (mm) of a weld bead width in a direction perpendicular to a welding line of the weld bead.

In controlling an arc welding of consumable electrode type in which pulse welding and short-circuit welding alternately repeat, forward feeding and backward feeding of a welding electrode periodically repeat in a short-circuit welding period. The forward feeding of the welding electrode starts when a welding current is smaller than a base current immediately before a pulse period ends.

A method for providing a referenced distance signal which corresponds to the distance between a contact tip of a welding torch and a workpiece to be machined, includes adjusting an operating point on a predetermined welding characteristic, which is defined at least by a wire feed rate, a welding voltage and/or a welding current, and a CTWD distance between the contact tip and the workpiece; determining a target parameter value of at least one parameter dependent on the CTWD distance for the operating point; determining an actual parameter value of the at least one parameter by measuring at least one of the present wire feed rate, welding voltage and/or welding current; modifying the determined actual parameter value as a function of a calculated difference between the target parameter value and a predetermined reference value; and outputting the referenced distance signal corresponding to the modified actual parameter value to a position control system of a robot arm.