Systems, methods, and apparatus to preheat welding wire are disclosed. An example welding assembly for a welding torch includes: a first contact tip configured to conduct welding current to a consumable electrode; a second contact tip configured to conduct preheating current to the consumable electrode; and a cooling body configured to transfer heat from at least the first contact tip to coolant and to conduct the welding current.

Systems, methods, and apparatus to preheat welding wire are disclosed. An example welding assembly for a welding torch includes: a first contact tip configured to conduct welding current to a consumable electrode; a second contact tip configured to conduct preheating current to the consumable electrode; and a cooling body configured to transfer heat from at least the first contact tip to coolant and to conduct the welding current.

An arc welding system providing improved molten metal droplet transfer. The system includes a welding power source having a welding power supply, a welding waveform generator, and a controller. Two fluxed cored welding wire electrodes are connected to the power source and are powered by the same welding output voltage and current produced by the power source. A feedback circuit is connected to the power source to provide an adaptive response to maintain an average welding output voltage. The controller controls the waveform generator and the power supply to superimpose welding current pulses onto a welding waveform of a CV flux cored arc welding process, that uses CO.sub.2 as a shielding gas, to generate a modified waveform of a modified CV flux cored arc welding process. The current pulses are superimposed in time to form molten metal droplets between ends of the two electrodes during the modified welding process.

An example welding torch includes: a first contact tip configured to conduct welding current to a consumable electrode; a second contact tip configured to conduct preheating current to the consumable electrode; a cooling assembly configured to transfer heat from at least the first contact tip to coolant and to conduct the welding current through the cooling assembly; wherein the first contact tip and the cooling assembly are removable from the welding torch as a single unit.

An example welding torch includes: a first contact tip configured to conduct welding current to a consumable electrode; a second contact tip configured to conduct preheating current to the consumable electrode; a cooling assembly configured to transfer heat from at least the first contact tip to coolant and to conduct the welding current through the cooling assembly; wherein the first contact tip and the cooling assembly are removable from the welding torch as a single unit.

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 consumable electrode arc welding method using a shielding gas containing argon comprises: setting a first welding condition in which a first welding current is supplied to a welding wire; and setting a second welding condition in which a second welding current is supplied to a welding wire. The first welding condition and the second welding condition are welding conditions in which a reference current of the welding current is 350 A or higher and a current variation range is from 50 A to 150 A, and the first welding condition and the second welding condition are switched at a cycle of a frequency ranging from 1 Hz to 5 Hz.

A welding method for joining a first plate made of a material other than steel and a second plate made of steel includes a step of making a hole through each of the first plate and the second plate, a press-fitting step, an overlapping step, and a filling and welding step. A shaft portion of a joining assist member being solid, being made of steel, and having an outer shape with step having the shaft portion and a flange portion is press-fitted in the hole of the first plate. The first plate and the second plate is overlapped such that the shaft portion faces the hole of the second plate. The hole of the second plate is filled with a weld metal and the second plate and the joining assist member are welded.

A welding method for joining a first plate made of a material other than steel and a second plate made of steel includes a step of making a hole through each of the first plate and the second plate, a press-fitting step, an overlapping step, and a filling and welding step. A shaft portion of a joining assist member being solid, being made of steel, and having an outer shape with step having the shaft portion and a flange portion is press-fitted in the hole of the first plate. The first plate and the second plate is overlapped such that the shaft portion faces the hole of the second plate. The hole of the second plate is filled with a weld metal and the second plate and the joining assist member are welded.

A jacketed consumable cartridge is provided for a liquid cooled plasma arc torch. The jacketed consumable cartridge comprises an electrode, a swirl ring securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the electrode, and a nozzle securely affixed to the swirl ring, the nozzle disposed circumferentially about the distal end of the electrode with a portion of the swirl ring located therebetween. The cartridge also comprises a cartridge jacket securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the nozzle and a shield securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the cartridge jacket. A proximal end of the cartridge jacket is adapted to extend (i) axially past a proximal end of the shield and (ii) radially beyond a radial extent of the shield.