Buffered Wire Feed Control for Stable Short-Circuit Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
In metal inert gas (MIG) welding, maintaining a controlled short circuit regime is challenging due to the reciprocating motion of the welding wire, which can lead to uneven wire feed and heat deposition, resulting in suboptimal weld quality and increased spatter generation.
Innovation Solution
A welding system with a moveable buffer and sensors to monitor and adjust the wire feed motors' movement, ensuring consistent wire feed and tension management between the first and second wire feeder motors, thereby controlling the wire position and speed to maintain a stable arc welding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If reciprocating wire motion is used to control heat and deposition rate, then welding process control is improved, but wire feed consistency deteriorates leading to uneven heat deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The wire feed system is segmented into two independent motors: a first wire feeder motor providing continuous wire feed, and a second wire feeder motor providing reciprocating motion. This segmentation allows each motor to perform its specialized function without interfering with the other, maintaining both wire feed consistency and process control adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts wire feed parameters by superimposing reciprocating motion from the second motor onto the continuous feed from the first motor. The reciprocating motion is controlled to move the wire to and from the workpiece, enabling dynamic control of heat input and deposition rate while the buffer absorbs the resulting wire length variations.
2Temperature
If reciprocating wire motion is applied to control deposition rate, then heat input control is improved, but weld quality deteriorates due to uneven wire supply
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer is positioned between the two wire feeder motors to beforehand cushion and accommodate the changes in wire length caused by reciprocating motion. This buffer absorbs the wire length variations before they reach the welding arc, ensuring consistent wire supply and maintaining weld quality while allowing dynamic heat input control.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer acts as an intermediary element between the reciprocating wire motion and the welding arc. It mediates the wire length variations by storing and releasing wire as needed, decoupling the reciprocating motion from the actual wire feed to the arc, thereby maintaining both heat control and weld quality.
3Productivity
If wire reciprocating motion is used for process control, then deposition rate control is improved, but spatter generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor detects the position of the buffer and provides feedback to the control circuit. The control circuit uses this feedback to adjust the operation of the wire feeder motors, ensuring that wire feed consistency is maintained even during reciprocating motion. This feedback control prevents wire feed irregularities that would otherwise cause spatter, while still allowing deposition rate control through reciprocating motion.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
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AI summary
Disclosed is a welding-type power source (10) that includes a first wire feeder (12) provides a wire (42) to a workpiece (18). A first wire feeder motor (46) of the wire feeder to move the wire from a wire storage device to the workpiece. A second wire feeder motor (53) moves the wire to and away from the workpiece and superimposes movement of the wire onto the movement from the first wire feeder motor. A moveable buffer (60) located between the first and second wire feeder motors, and configured to accommodate a change in length of the wire between the first and second wire feeder motors when the second wire feeder motor moves the wire away from the workpiece. A sensor (66) senses movement or displacement of the moveable buffer, wherein a speed or direction of the first or second wire feeder motors is adjusted based on data from the sensor.