Provided is a spatter scattering prevention apparatus that eliminates the necessity to, for example, remove scattered spatters and thus makes it possible to facilitate maintenance work, and also provided is a flash butt welder including the spatter scattering prevention apparatus. The spatter scattering prevention apparatus 1 according to the present invention is characterized by being configured to form a water screen in midair in the vicinity of a welding spot, at which welding is performed, wherein the water screen is for preventing spatters, generated during the welding, from scattering. The spatter scattering prevention apparatus is also characterized by being configured to form the water screen on one side in a lateral direction of the welding spot and form the water screen on the other side, laterally opposite to the one side, of the welding spot.

In a method for scanning the surface of metallic workpieces, during scanning, a welding torch with a consumable welding wire is moved over and towards the workpiece surface, until contact of the welding wire with the workpiece is detected, and the welding wire is subsequently moved away from the workpiece. Before scanning, slag-removal is carried out to remove slag at the welding wire end, wherein the welding current is lowered to a minimum, and the welding wire is moved cyclically with a rapid recurrent forward/backward movement over a specified path length toward the workpiece, and by a smaller distance away from the workpiece, until a short circuit between the welding wire and the workpiece is detected, whereupon slag-removal is ended, and upon the detection of no short circuit, slag-removal is repeated, and upon the detection of several short circuits one after the other, slag-removal is ended.

A welding torch maintenance apparatus and a welding tip changer are described. The welding torch maintenance apparatus and the welding tip changing apparatus each comprise a first gripping means for fastening the welding torch/diffuser so that the nozzle/welding tip is aligned with the rotational axis, a second gripping means for holding the nozzle/welding tip, the second gripping means rotates about the rotational axis to remove the nozzle/welding tip, and moves along the rotational axis. A drive means is provided for rotating the second gripping means, and a lift system is provided for moving the second gripping along the rotational axis. The welding torch maintenance apparatus further includes a cleaning means which enters the nozzle at the distal end and cleans an interior of the nozzle.

An anti-spatter spray containment system includes: an enclosure having a nozzle insertion orifice on a first side and a drain orifice on a second side of the enclosure; a spray nozzle configured to spray fluid toward a nozzle inserted into the nozzle insertion orifice, wherein the enclosure is configured to funnel the fluid in a direction toward the second side; and a baffle configured to block at least a first portion of sprayed fluid from the spray nozzle from exiting the enclosure via the nozzle insertion orifice, the first side configured to block at least a second portion of the sprayed fluid from the spray nozzle that is not blocked by the baffle.

The present invention relates to a welding jig micro-cleaning apparatus, and more particularly a welding jig micro-cleaning apparatus including a housing, a sandbox connected to the housing, an air supply unit connected to the sandbox through with a hose, a blasting gun positioned in the housing, a jig fixing portion positioned at a lower first end of the blasting gun, and a controller, wherein the jig fixing portion includes a magnetic unit configured to fix a welding jig.

In a method for scanning the surface of metallic workpieces, during scanning, a welding torch with a consumable welding wire is moved over and towards the workpiece surface, until contact of the welding wire with the workpiece is detected, and the welding wire is subsequently moved away from the workpiece. Before scanning, slag-removal is carried out to remove slag at the welding wire end, wherein the welding current is lowered to a minimum, and the welding wire is moved cyclically with a rapid recurrent forward/backward movement over a specified path length toward the workpiece, and by a smaller distance away from the workpiece, until a short circuit between the welding wire and the workpiece is detected, whereupon slag-removal is ended, and upon the detection of no short circuit, slag-removal is repeated, and upon the detection of several short circuits one after the other, slag-removal is ended.

Systems and methods for cleaning a wire electrode after a welding process has ended are described. During a welding process, a wire electrode may be fed forward from a wire feeder through a welding torch to create a molten weld pool. While, conventionally, feeding of the wire electrode stops when the welding process ends, the present disclosure contemplates instead continuing to feed the wire electrode forward after the welding process ends. More particularly, the present disclosure contemplates feeding the wire electrode into the weld pool so that the wire electrode can be “cleaned” in the molten weld pool created by the welding process. The “cleaned” wire electrode end can be more easily used to establish an electrical arc at the beginning of the next welding process.

A welding torch maintenance apparatus and a welding tip changer are described. The welding torch maintenance apparatus and the welding tip changing apparatus each comprise a first gripping means for fastening the welding torch/diffuser so that the nozzle/welding tip is aligned with the rotational axis, a second gripping means for holding the nozzle/welding tip, the second gripping means rotates about the rotational axis to remove the nozzle/welding tip, and moves along the rotational axis. A drive means is provided for rotating the second gripping means, and a lift system is provided for moving the second gripping along the rotational axis. The welding torch maintenance apparatus further includes a cleaning means which enters the nozzle at the distal end and cleans an interior of the nozzle.

A high index contrast grating (HICG) structure is disclosed. The HICG structure includes plurality of gratings fabricated from a high refractive index layer. The high refractive index layer is situated over a low refractive index substrate, wherein the high refractive index layer is patterned after determining a period and a duty cycle of each of the plurality of gratings for a desired reflection phase profile based on a lookup table. The low refractive index substrate includes sapphire. The plurality of gratings includes polycrystalline or amorphous silicon. The HICG structure includes subwavelength gratings for incident wavelengths of equal to or greater than 2.5 microns. An exemplary method for forming the HICG structure is also disclosed.

The invention described herein generally pertains to systems and methods related to repeatable and accurate setting of welding torch lead and lag positions, particularly with orbital welding systems. Specifically, a torch is coupled with a lead-lag coupler having a stop lug. A stop set with a stop pin is rotated to a desired position of lead or lag and secured. The lead-lag coupler, and torch which rotates therewith, are then unsecured and rotated until the stop lug contacts the stop pin. In this position, the torch is maintained at the desired angle. The stop pin remains in place throughout operation(s) to permit quick, accurate return to the desired angle if the torch is temporarily moved out of position.