Surface improvement of welding wire driving roller

Abstract

The invention relates to surface improvement of a welding wire driving roller. A wire drive roller has an outer circumferential surface with a circumferential groove protruding radially inward from the outer circumferential surface. The circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall having a first sidewall surface, a second sidewall having a second sidewall surface, and a groove bottom extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The first sidewall surface includes a first surface finish that includes a first turn of laser forming craters along the first sidewall surface. The second sidewall surface includes a second surface finish including a second circle of laser forming craters along the second sidewall surface.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application filed on September 10, 2020, with application number 202010946737.8 and invention title "Surface Improvement of Welding Wire Drive Roller". Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 902,085, filed September 18, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and also claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 16 / 987,537, filed August 7, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background of the Invention Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to surface finishing for welding wire drive rollers. Background Technology

[0004] Drive rollers for welding wire electrodes have circumferential grooves, the dimensions of which are determined for the diameter of the welding wire to be fed by the drive rollers. Drive rollers designed to feed solid welding wire typically lack surface finishing (e.g., knurling) in their grooves because the solid wire can be tightly clamped between the drive rollers without deformation. However, cored welding wires (e.g., flux-cored and metal-cored wires) and solid welding wires made of soft metals (e.g., aluminum and silicon bronze) are more prone to deformation under high clamping pressures. The high clamping pressure required to reliably drive typical solid welding wires may be too great for cored or soft welding wires and may crush them. Wire deformation or crushing can lead to feed problems and poor welding arc performance. Typically, when cored or soft metal welding wires are used in the welding process, drive rollers with knurled grooves are used to feed the wire, allowing for a reduction in the clamping pressure of the drive rollers. Knurling provides the necessary friction to drive the welding wire at a lower clamping pressure that does not deform the cylindrical shape or crush the wire. However, knurling tends to create burrs on the outer surface of the wire. Burrs are undesirable because, over time, they can wear down the liner through which the wire is fed in the torch. Furthermore, knurling the grooves on the drive roller requires specialized tools. What is desirable is to add a surface finish to the drive roller grooves that requires fewer tools than knurling, is less likely to create burrs on the driven wire, and provides adequate friction to drive the wire (e.g., cored or soft solid wire) at a clamping pressure that does not deform it. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following overview presents a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the devices, systems, and / or methods discussed herein. This overview is not a comprehensive review of the devices, systems, and / or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key components or define the scope of such devices, systems, and / or methods. The sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed explanations that follow.

[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, a welding wire drive roller is provided. The welding wire drive roller includes an outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface. The circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall having a first sidewall surface, a second sidewall having a second sidewall surface, and a groove bottom extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The first sidewall surface includes a first surface finish comprising laser-formed arc craters along a first ring along the first sidewall surface. The second sidewall surface includes a second surface finish comprising laser-formed arc craters along a second ring along the second sidewall surface.

[0007] In some embodiments, adjacent craters formed by the first laser loop overlap, and adjacent craters formed by the second laser loop overlap.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first laser-formed crater and the second laser-formed crater are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first laser-formed crater is substantially centered along the first sidewall, and the second laser-formed crater is substantially centered along the second sidewall.

[0010] In some embodiments, the diameter of the corresponding arc crater formed by the first laser ring and the arc crater formed by the second laser ring is at least 50% of the width of the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

[0011] In some embodiments, the bottom of the groove is concave.

[0012] In some embodiments, each of the arc craters formed by the first laser ring includes a central recess recessed into the surface of the first sidewall and an outer peripheral portion raised above the surface of the first sidewall.

[0013] In some embodiments, the outer peripheral portion is formed of a material displaced from the central recess.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface has a second circumferential groove protruding radially inward from the outer peripheral surface, and wherein the second circumferential groove is formed by: a third sidewall having a third sidewall surface; a fourth sidewall having a fourth sidewall surface; and a bottom of a second groove extending between the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall, wherein the third sidewall surface includes a third surface finish, the third surface finish including a third laser-formed arc pit along the third sidewall surface, and wherein the fourth sidewall surface includes a fourth surface finish, the fourth surface finish including a fourth laser-formed arc pit along the fourth sidewall surface.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first laser-formed crater, the second laser-formed crater, the third laser-formed crater, and the fourth laser-formed crater are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, a welding wire drive roller is provided. The welding wire drive roller includes an outer circumferential surface having a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove axially offset from the first circumferential groove. Both the first and second circumferential grooves project radially inward from the outer circumferential surface. The first circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall having a first sidewall surface, a second sidewall having a second sidewall surface, and a bottom of a first concave groove extending between the first and second sidewalls. The first sidewall surface includes a first surface finish comprising a plurality of first laser-formed craters arranged annularly along the first sidewall surface and having corresponding central recesses recessed into the first sidewall surface and outer peripheral portions raised above the first sidewall surface. The second sidewall surface includes a second surface finish comprising a plurality of second laser-formed craters arranged annularly along the second sidewall surface and having corresponding central recesses recessed into the second sidewall surface and outer peripheral portions raised above the second sidewall surface. The second circumferential groove is formed by a third sidewall having a third sidewall surface, a fourth sidewall having a fourth sidewall surface, and a bottom of a second concave groove extending between the third and fourth sidewalls. The third sidewall surface includes a third surface finish comprising a plurality of third laser-formed arc craters arranged circumferentially along the third sidewall surface, each having a corresponding central recess recessed into the third sidewall surface and an outer peripheral portion raised above the third sidewall surface. The fourth sidewall surface includes a fourth surface finish comprising a plurality of fourth laser-formed arc craters arranged circumferentially along the fourth sidewall surface, each having a corresponding central recess recessed into the fourth sidewall surface and an outer peripheral portion raised above the fourth sidewall surface.

[0017] In some embodiments, the plurality of first laser-formed craters, the plurality of second laser-formed craters, the plurality of third laser-formed craters, and the plurality of fourth laser-formed craters are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

[0018] In some embodiments, adjacent craters in each ring arrangement overlap.

[0019] In some embodiments, the plurality of first laser-formed craters arranged in a ring along the surface of the first sidewall are substantially centered along the first sidewall, the plurality of second laser-formed craters arranged in a ring along the surface of the second sidewall are substantially centered along the second sidewall, the plurality of third laser-formed craters arranged in a ring along the surface of the third sidewall are substantially centered along the third sidewall, and the plurality of fourth laser-formed craters arranged in a ring along the surface of the fourth sidewall are substantially centered along the fourth sidewall.

[0020] In some embodiments, the diameter of the plurality of first laser-formed craters is at least 50% of the width of the first sidewall, the diameter of the plurality of second laser-formed craters is at least 50% of the width of the second sidewall, the diameter of the plurality of third laser-formed craters is at least 50% of the width of the third sidewall, and the diameter of the plurality of fourth laser-formed craters is at least 50% of the width of the fourth sidewall.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, a welding wire drive roller is provided. The welding wire drive roller includes an outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface. The circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a groove bottom extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. At least one of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the groove bottom includes a surface finish comprising laser-forming an arc crater along a ring of the surfaces of the at least one of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the groove bottom.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for surface finishing of a welding wire drive roller is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing the welding wire drive roller, wherein the welding wire drive roller includes an outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface, and wherein the circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall having a first sidewall surface, a second sidewall having a second sidewall surface, and a groove bottom extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The method further includes the step of rotating the welding wire drive roller while irradiating the first sidewall with a pulsed laser beam, thereby forming a first arc crater along the surface of the first sidewall.

[0023] In some embodiments, each of the first concentric rings of arc pits includes a central recess recessed into the surface of the first sidewall and an outer peripheral portion raised above the surface of the first sidewall, wherein the outer peripheral portion is formed of a material displaced from the central recess.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes the steps of rotating the welding wire drive roller and simultaneously irradiating the second sidewall with the pulsed laser beam to form a second arc crater along the surface of the second sidewall.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first and second arc craters are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

[0026] In some embodiments, adjacent craters of the first ring overlap, and adjacent craters of the second ring overlap. Attached Figure Description

[0027] After reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the above and other aspects of the invention, in which: Figure 1 An exemplary drive roller is shown; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an exemplary drive roller; Figure 3 The cross-section of the drive roller that feeds the double welding wires is shown; Figure 4 The surface finishing on the drive roller groove is shown; Figure 5 The surface finishing on the drive roller groove is shown; Figure 6 The cross-section of the drive roller that feeds a single welding wire is shown; Figure 7 Laser surface finishing applied to drive roller grooves was demonstrated; and Figure 8 It's a flowchart. Detailed Implementation

[0028] This invention relates to surface finishing for wire drive rollers. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used throughout to refer to the same elements. It will be understood that these different drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale with each other, nor within the given drawings, and in particular, the dimensions of the parts are drawn arbitrarily for ease of understanding of the drawings. In the following description, several specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, it may be apparent that the invention can be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, other embodiments of the invention are possible and can be practiced and implemented in ways other than those described. The terminology and phrases used in describing the invention are adopted for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention and should not be considered limiting.

[0029] As used herein, “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and / or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunction and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and / or C” refers to A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together. Any disjunctive words and / or phrases that give two or more alternative terms, whether in the description of embodiments, claims, or drawings, should be understood to cover the possibility of including one, any, or all of these terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” should be understood to include the possibility of “A”, or “B,” or “A and B.”

[0030] This document describes embodiments of the invention within the context of welding systems. Exemplary welding systems include gas shielded metal arc welding (GMAW) systems, submerged arc welding (SAW) systems, flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) systems, metal-cored arc welding (MCAW) systems, etc. Furthermore, the welding wire described herein can be a solid welding wire or a cored welding wire (e.g., flux-cored electrode and metal-cored electrode). Embodiments of the invention can be used for manual, semi-automatic, and robotic welding operations. In addition to welding operations, embodiments of the invention can also be used in welding-type processes, such as additive manufacturing processes and wear-resistant surfacing processes. The welding wire described herein can be, for example, a filler wire used in gas tungsten inert welding (GTAW), plasma arc welding (PAW), or laser welding. Therefore, the term "welding" should be interpreted to include both welding and welding-type processes, and the term "welding wire" should be interpreted to include both wire electrodes and filler wire.

[0031] Figure 1 and Figure 2An exemplary drive roller 100 is shown. The drive roller 100 has a central bore. The inner surface of the bore may include a protruding shaped recess 102 on a drive mechanism (e.g., a drive gear) for receiving a wire feeder to transmit drive torque to the drive roller 100. Figure 2 The diagram shows the axis 104 of the drive roller 100, about which the drive roller 100 will rotate during operation or surface finishing. The drive roller 100 includes one or more annular or circumferential wire receiving grooves 106, 108. The circumferential wire receiving grooves 106, 108 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 100 and project radially inward toward the axis 104. The circumferential grooves 106, 108 are axially spaced apart or axially offset along the circumference of the drive roller 100.

[0032] In some embodiments, the circumferential grooves 106, 108 are sized and shaped to receive and drive a single welding wire. In other embodiments, the circumferential grooves 106, 108 are designed and shaped to simultaneously receive and drive two welding wires. The two welding wires driven simultaneously may have the same diameter or different diameters. Exemplary standard welding wire diameters used with the drive roller 100 include 0.030 inches, 0.035 inches, 0.040 inches, 0.045 inches, etc. The circumferential grooves 106, 108 may have the same width and depth as each other, or have different widths and depths to accommodate different sizes of welding wires or combinations of welding wires. If each circumferential groove 106, 108 has the same width and depth, when one groove is worn, the drive roller 100 can be reused by simply flipping the drive roller and reinstalling it on the welding wire feeder.

[0033] Figure 3A partial cross-section of an exemplary drive roller 100 is shown when mounted on a wire feeder for supplying dual welding wires. The drive rollers 100 are biased together to provide clamping force on a first welding wire E1 and a second welding wire E2 (e.g., a cored welding wire). Welding wires E1 and E2 are both located in annular or circumferential grooves of the upper and lower drive rollers 100. Due to the biasing or clamping force applied to the drive rollers 100, welding wires E1 and E2 are clamped in the circumferential groove against the upper and lower sidewalls 110 forming the groove and against adjacent welding wires. Welding wires E1 and E2 are stably held in the circumferential groove via three contact points. This clamping system allows the two welding wires E1 and E2 to be fed in a consistent manner through the wire feeder and the welding torch. The two welding wires E1 and E2 support each other during feeding and are pulled against each other by friction. Because the inner and outer sidewalls 110 of the circumferential groove are angled, they apply both vertical and horizontal clamping forces to the welding wires E1 and E2. The horizontal clamping force pushes the welding wires E1 and E2 together, bringing them into contact. In some embodiments, the welding wires E1 and E2 are clamped within the circumferential groove so as to be radially offset from the bottoms 112 of the two grooves. That is, the welding wires E1 and E2 are held between the angled sidewalls 110 of the grooves, thus creating a gap between the welding wires and the bottoms 112 of the grooves. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the drive roller 100 has circumferential grooves having straight, angled sidewalls 110 connected by concave, curved, or rounded groove bottoms 112 extending between the sidewalls. In an exemplary embodiment, the angle between the sidewalls 110 and the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 100 is approximately 150°, but other angles are possible and can be determined according to reasonable engineering judgment. It will be understood that the sidewalls 110 do not need to be straight as shown, but may have curved sidewall surfaces, and the groove bottoms 112 do not need to be concave as shown, but may be straight (e.g., to form a circumferential groove with a trapezoidal shape). The circumferential grooves can have various shapes. For example, if a horizontal clamping force is not required, the circumferential grooves can be square, rectangular, or U-shaped. Moreover, Figure 3 The shapes of the circumferential grooves in the upper and lower drive rollers shown can be different from each other.

[0034] Figure 4 and Figure 5 An exemplary surface finish is shown on the circumferential grooves 106, 108. The surface finish is applied to the surfaces of the sidewalls of the circumferential grooves 106, 108 to increase friction between the sidewalls and the welding wire, allowing the drive rollers to feed the welding wire at lower clamping pressures without slippage. Figure 4 and Figure 5In this embodiment, surface finishing is achieved by pulsed laser etching instead of knurling. The surface finish produced by pulsed laser etching is neither as sharp nor as blunt as that produced by knurling; therefore, it is less likely to create burrs on the driven welding wire, which could abrade the welding torch liner. Pulsed laser etching also requires fewer tools than knurling grooves 106 and 108.

[0035] To achieve a surface finish, a pulsed laser irradiates the sidewalls of circumferential grooves 106, 108. The laser pulse forms craters 114 in the sidewalls of grooves 106, 108. The laser pulse removes material from the center of the crater 114 to its outer peripheral portion. Each crater 114 has a central recess 116 recessed into the sidewall of the groove, and an elevated peripheral portion 118 raised above the sidewall surface. The elevated outer peripheral portion 118 of the crater 114 is formed by material displaced from the central recess 116 of each crater 114. Each laser pulse forms one crater in the sidewall of the groove.

[0036] The drive roller 100 can rotate simultaneously with the pulsed laser to create multiple laser-formed craters along the sidewall surface of the circumferential groove. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In this design, each groove sidewall has a single ring of laser-formed craters. However, the sidewall can have more than one ring of laser-formed craters. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Each laser-formed crater 114 in the ring is shown located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the drive roller 100 (e.g., each central recess is located at substantially the same radial position along the sidewall of the groove). However, the craters 114 do not need to be located at the same radial distance from the central axis of the drive roller 100. The craters 114 can be positioned at any location along the sidewall surface of the grooves 106, 108 as needed. For example, some craters 114 can be positioned higher along the groove sidewall surface closer to the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 100, while others can be positioned lower along the groove sidewall surface closer to the bottom of the groove. These rings of laser-formed craters within or between different grooves in the circumferential grooves 106, 108 on the drive roller 100 can have substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the drive roller or different radial distances. For example, the radial distance and position of a ring of laser-formed craters on the outer sidewall of the circumferential groove can differ from that of a ring of laser-formed craters on the inner sidewall of the groove. If desired, laser surface finishing can also be applied along the bottom of the groove. Accordingly, in addition to the craters formed on the sidewalls of grooves 106, 108, the bottom of the groove may also include one or more rings of laser-formed craters. In some embodiments, such as in a drive roller for a single welding wire with a U-shaped circumferential groove, laser-formed craters are formed only along the bottom of the groove and not along the sidewalls.

[0037] exist Figure 4 and Figure 5 In this process, adjacent craters 114 formed by each laser rotation overlap each other. The diameter of each crater 114 is slightly larger than the spacing between the central recesses 116 of each crater. However, the craters 114 do not need to overlap; if necessary, each crater can be spaced apart from each adjacent crater. The size, spacing, number, etc. of the craters on the sidewall of the groove can be determined based on the characteristics of the welding wire electrode to be driven by the drive roller (e.g., compressive strength) and the characteristics of the drive roller (e.g., friction generated by the surface finishing of the groove).

[0038] Figure 6 A partial cross-section of an exemplary drive roller 111 with a U-shaped circumferential groove 113 is shown. Figure 6 In the process, a U-shaped groove 113 receives and drives a single cored welding wire E1. The dimensions (e.g., radii) of the two grooves 113 are closely matched to the diameter of the welding wire E1. The central portion or bottom of the circumferential groove 113 forms the groove bottom, and the sidewalls of the groove are concave and extend from the groove bottom to the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 113. The groove bottom and sidewalls may have the same radius or different radii. Surface finishing of laser-formed craters, such as that discussed above, can be applied to one or more groove bottoms and each sidewall. In an exemplary embodiment, a single circle of laser-formed craters is formed along the groove bottom at the bottom of each groove 113. The craters may overlap, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, they can be spaced apart from each other.

[0039] Figure 7 A laser etching process applied to the sidewalls of the circumferential grooves 108 of the drive roller 100 is schematically illustrated. The surface finishing of the groove sidewalls can be completed in a single rotation of the drive roller 100 or in several rotations. Each groove sidewall can accommodate a single surface finish (e.g., a single laser loop forming an arc crater) or multiple surface finishes (e.g., multiple laser loops forming an arc crater). Each groove sidewall can accommodate surface finishing via the same laser device 120 or simultaneously via different laser devices. In one embodiment, the same laser device 120 provides surface finishing on all four groove sidewalls of the two circumferential grooves 106, 108 of the drive roller 100 and / or on the groove bottom.

[0040] During surface finishing, drive roller 100 rotates at a given angular velocity while laser device 120 is pulsed to irradiate portions of circumferential grooves 106, 108 (e.g., sidewalls and / or groove bottoms) with laser beam 122. The energy of the laser beam pulse creates craters in the surface of circumferential grooves 106, 108. The angular velocity of drive roller 100 and the pulse frequency of laser device 120 determine the number of craters in a given circle on the sidewalls of circumferential grooves 106, 108. Craters along the groove sidewalls or groove bottoms can be created during a single rotation of drive roller 100 or during multiple rotations of drive roller 100. Laser device 120 can remain in a fixed position while surface finishing the groove sidewalls, or it can be moved to create craters along the sidewalls at multiple radial distances. Laser device 120 does not need to be pulsed during the surface finishing operation or can be intermittently pulsed to create grooves (e.g., stripes, waves, etc.) along the groove sidewalls or bottoms. The size and depth of craters, grooves, etc., generated by the laser device 120 can be controlled or adjusted by adjusting the power or energy of the laser beam 122. The laser beam 122 can be oriented perpendicular to the sidewall or bottom of the circumferential groove to produce surface finishing, or at another angle relative to the sidewall / bottom. The tilt of the laser pulse relative to the groove wall affects the shape of the crater. For example, a vertical laser pulse can be used to produce a relatively uniform crater with a consistent height in the outer peripheral portion. Angled pulses can be used to produce craters with variations in the height of the outer peripheral portion.

[0041] Laser etching can be performed relatively quickly (e.g., within seconds) on the drive roller 100, which has two circumferential grooves 106, 108 and therefore four sidewalls and / or two groove bottoms to be surface-finished. If multiple laser devices 120 are used, the individual groove surfaces can be etched simultaneously. Alternatively, a single laser device 120 can sequentially surface-finish each sidewall of the grooves 106, 108. If desired, the laser device 120 can also surface-finish the groove bottom by orienting the laser beam 122 downward toward the bottom of the groove.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, each crater in the surface finish or the circular crater has a diameter ranging from 0.020 inches to 0.050 inches, although other diameters are also possible. If it is desired that adjacent craters overlap, the spacing between adjacent craters may be smaller than the diameter of the crater. If it is desired that adjacent craters be spaced apart from each other, the diameter of the craters should be smaller than the spacing between adjacent craters. The crater size will be determined by the characteristics of the laser beam 122 (e.g., power and pulse duration), while the spacing between craters will be determined by the laser pulse frequency and the angular velocity of the drive roller 100 during surface finishing.

[0043] In an exemplary embodiment, the drive roller 100 has a diameter of approximately 1 3 / 4 inches. The drive roller 100 can rotate at approximately 3 seconds while pulsed laser light between 20 Hz and 60 Hz to create a ring of laser-formed craters along the sidewalls of a groove having approximately 60 and 180 craters, respectively. This process can be repeated for each sidewall, such that all four sidewalls of the two circumferential grooves are surface-finished in approximately 12 seconds, which is relatively fast. Of course, other drive roller angular velocities and laser pulse frequencies are also possible and should be considered within the scope of this invention.

[0044] exist Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the diagram, the crater 114 and each crater are shown as being centered substantially along the sidewalls of each circumferential groove 106, 108. However, it will be understood that the crater 114 does not need to be centered along the sidewalls of the grooves 106, 108, and can be positioned as needed closer to the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 100 or closer to the bottom of the groove. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The diameter of the crater 114 is greater than 50% of the width of the sidewalls of the circumferential grooves 106 and 108. However, the crater 114 can have a smaller diameter, for example, less than 50% of the width of the sidewalls of the circumferential grooves 106 and 108. The diameter of the crater 114 can be controlled by the energy level of the laser pulse applied to the sidewalls of the grooves 106 and 108.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of an exemplary method for surface finishing of a welding wire drive roller. In step 200, a drive roller as discussed above is provided. The drive roller is rotated (e.g., rotated once or multiple times) while a pulsed laser beam is used to irradiate the first sidewall of the first circumferential groove as discussed above (step 202). The drive roller is further rotated while a pulsed laser beam is used to irradiate the second sidewall of the first circumferential groove (step 204). The drive roller is further rotated while a pulsed laser beam is used to irradiate the first sidewall of the second circumferential groove (step 206). The drive roller is further rotated while a pulsed laser beam is used to irradiate the second sidewall of the second circumferential groove (step 208). The surface finishing produces at least one crater on each sidewall of the circumferential welding wire drive groove.

[0046] The laser etching surface finishing process for wire drive rollers has been discussed above. However, other surface finishing processes can be employed besides or as alternatives to the laser etching process discussed above. For example, thermal spraying can be used to bond powder to the surface of the drive roller. Thermal spraying processes include laser powder, plasma spraying powder, HVOF (high-speed oxygen fuel), or dual-wire arc spraying. The particle size of the powder can be controlled so that the surface drives the wire appropriately with minimal wire marking and wire deformation, thereby mitigating feeding problems.

[0047] Another surface finishing process used for wire drive rollers is electroplating with embedded hard particles. The electroplating process creates a coated surface with embedded hard particles (such as tungsten carbide or diamond). Common electroplating substrates are nickel or chromium. The size of the embedded particles can be controlled to minimize surface damage to the driven wire.

[0048] Another surface finishing process for wire drive rollers involves applying a hard coating to the surface of the soft drive roller.

[0049] It should be understood that this disclosure is by way of example, and various changes may be made by adding, modifying, or removing details without departing from the reasonable scope of the teachings contained herein. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details of this disclosure unless so required by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A welding wire drive roller, comprising: An outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface, wherein the circumferential groove includes: - A first sidewall having a first sidewall surface; and - A second sidewall having a second sidewall surface; - Wherein, the first sidewall surface includes a first surface finishing process, the first surface finishing process including laser-forming an arc pit along a first ring along the first sidewall surface, and - Wherein, the second sidewall surface includes a second surface finishing process, the second surface finishing process including laser-forming an arc pit along a second ring along the second sidewall surface, and - Wherein, the diameter of the corresponding arc crater formed by the first laser and the arc crater formed by the second laser is in the range of 0.020 inches to 0.050 inches.

2. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, wherein, The adjacent craters in the first laser-formed crater overlap, and the adjacent craters in the second laser-formed crater overlap.

3. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, wherein, The first and second laser-formed craters are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

4. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, wherein, The first laser-formed crater is substantially centered along the first sidewall, and the second laser-formed crater is substantially centered along the second sidewall.

5. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, wherein, The diameters of the corresponding arc craters formed by the first and second laser cycles are at least 50% of the widths of the first and second sidewalls, respectively.

6. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, further comprising a groove bottom extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein, The bottom of the groove is concave.

7. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, wherein, The first laser-formed craters include a central depression recessed into the surface of the first sidewall and an outer peripheral portion raised above the surface of the first sidewall.

8. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 7, wherein, The outer perimeter portion is formed of material displaced from the central depression.

9. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 1, wherein, The outer circumferential surface has a second circumferential groove protruding radially inward from the outer circumferential surface, and wherein the second circumferential groove includes: A third sidewall having a third sidewall surface; and A fourth sidewall having a fourth sidewall surface; The third sidewall surface includes a third surface finishing process, which includes forming an arc crater along the third sidewall surface using laser technology. The fourth sidewall surface includes a fourth surface finishing process, which includes forming an arc crater along the fourth sidewall surface using laser technology.

10. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 9, wherein, The first, second, third, and fourth laser-formed craters are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

11. A welding wire drive roller, comprising: An outer circumferential surface having a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove axially offset from the first circumferential groove, wherein both the first and second circumferential grooves protrude radially inward from the outer circumferential surface, wherein the first circumferential groove includes: - A first sidewall having a first sidewall surface; and - A second sidewall having a second sidewall surface; - Wherein, the first sidewall surface includes a first surface finish, the first surface finish including a plurality of first laser-formed arc craters, the plurality of first laser-formed arc craters being arranged in a ring along the first sidewall surface, and having a corresponding central recess recessed into the first sidewall surface and an outer peripheral portion raised above the first sidewall surface, and - Wherein, the second sidewall surface includes a second surface finish, the second surface finish including a plurality of second laser-formed arc craters, the plurality of second laser-formed arc craters being arranged in a ring along the second sidewall surface, and having a corresponding central recess recessed into the second sidewall surface and an outer peripheral portion raised above the second sidewall surface, and The second circumferential groove includes: - A third sidewall with a third sidewall surface; and - A fourth sidewall with a fourth sidewall surface; - Wherein, the third sidewall surface includes a third surface finish, the third surface finish including a plurality of third laser-formed craters, the plurality of third laser-formed craters being arranged in a ring along the third sidewall surface, and having a corresponding central recess recessed into the third sidewall surface and an outer peripheral portion raised above the third sidewall surface, and - Wherein, the fourth sidewall surface includes a fourth surface finish, the fourth surface finish including a plurality of fourth laser-formed craters, the plurality of fourth laser-formed craters being arranged in a ring along the fourth sidewall surface, and having a corresponding central recess recessed into the fourth sidewall surface and an outer peripheral portion raised above the fourth sidewall surface. - Wherein, the diameters of the arc craters formed by the plurality of first lasers, the plurality of arc craters formed by the plurality of second lasers, the plurality of arc craters formed by the plurality of third lasers, and the plurality of arc craters formed by the plurality of fourth lasers are in the range of 0.020 inches to 0.050 inches.

12. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 11, wherein, The plurality of first laser-formed craters, the plurality of second laser-formed craters, the plurality of third laser-formed craters, and the plurality of fourth laser-formed craters are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

13. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 12, wherein, Adjacent craters in each ring arrangement overlap.

14. The welding drive roller according to claim 12, wherein: The plurality of first laser-formed craters, arranged in a ring along the surface of the first sidewall, are substantially centered along the first sidewall. The plurality of second laser-formed craters, arranged in a ring along the surface of the second sidewall, are substantially centered along the second sidewall. The plurality of third laser-formed craters, arranged in a ring along the surface of the third sidewall, are substantially centered along the third sidewall, and The plurality of fourth laser-formed craters arranged in a ring along the surface of the fourth sidewall are substantially centered along the fourth sidewall.

15. The welding drive roller according to claim 11, wherein, The diameter of the arc crater formed by the plurality of first lasers is at least 50% of the width of the first sidewall, the diameter of the arc crater formed by the plurality of second lasers is at least 50% of the width of the second sidewall, the diameter of the arc crater formed by the plurality of third lasers is at least 50% of the width of the third sidewall, and the diameter of the arc crater formed by the plurality of fourth lasers is at least 50% of the width of the fourth sidewall.

16. A welding wire drive roller, comprising: An outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface, wherein the circumferential groove is formed by the following: - First sidewall; - Second sidewall; and - At the bottom of the groove extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, - Wherein, at least one of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom of the groove includes a surface finish, the surface finish including a circle of laser-formed craters along the surface of at least one of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom of the groove, wherein each crater has a diameter in the range of 0.020 inches to 0.050 inches.

17. A method for surface finishing of a welding wire drive roller, the method comprising the following steps: A welding wire drive roller is provided, wherein the welding wire drive roller includes an outer circumferential surface having a circumferential groove projecting radially inward from the outer circumferential surface, and wherein the circumferential groove is formed by a first sidewall having a first sidewall surface, a second sidewall having a second sidewall surface, and a groove bottom extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; and The welding wire drive roller is rotated while the first sidewall is irradiated with a pulsed laser beam, thereby creating a first ring of craters along the surface of the first sidewall, wherein the diameter of each crater is in the range of 0.020 inches to 0.050 inches and is at least 50% of the width of the first sidewall.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, Each of the first ring of arc pits includes a central recess recessed into the surface of the first sidewall and an outer peripheral portion raised above the surface of the first sidewall, wherein the outer peripheral portion is formed of material displaced from the central recess.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of rotating the welding wire drive roller and simultaneously irradiating the second sidewall with the pulsed laser beam to generate a second arc crater along the surface of the second sidewall.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The first and second arc craters are located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the welding wire drive roller.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, Adjacent craters in the first ring overlap, and adjacent craters in the second ring overlap.

22. The welding wire drive roller according to claim 11, wherein, The first circumferential groove also includes the bottom of a first concave groove extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and the second circumferential groove also includes the bottom of a second concave groove extending between the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall.

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