Electroslag Strip Cladding Stop Control for Trailing Strip Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electroslag strip cladding processes face challenges in efficiently stopping operations with multiple strips, leading to potential weld integrity issues and increased costs due to trailing strips becoming stuck in the molten slag pool, requiring additional cutting and finishing operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that detect the initiation of a stop phase during electroslag welding, stop the feeding of the leading strip, and reverse the feed direction of trailing strips to retract them from the molten slag pool, ensuring they are removed before solidification, thereby preventing bonding and potential damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple strips are fed into the same molten slag pool to increase productivity and deposition rate, then productivity and deposition rate are improved, but trailing strips may become stuck in the solidifying slag pool when operations are stopped, requiring additional cutting and finishing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting the initiation of a stop phase and stopping the leading strip feed before the trailing strip is completely consumed. This prevents the trailing strip from becoming stuck in the solidifying slag pool, eliminating the need for additional cutting and finishing operations while maintaining high productivity during the welding phase
2Reliability
If the leading strip is stopped during a stop phase, then weld integrity is improved by preventing trailing strips from becoming stuck, but additional control complexity is required to manage the feeding of multiple strips
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by detecting the initiation of a stop phase and automatically controlling the feed rates of multiple strips accordingly. The controller monitors the welding phase and automatically adjusts strip feeding during the stop phase, ensuring the leading strip is stopped while preventing the trailing strip from becoming stuck, thereby maintaining weld integrity without requiring complex manual control
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves weld quality by preventing trailing strips from becoming stuck in the solidified slag, reducing the need for additional operations and minimizing costs associated with repairing or re-cladding damaged areas.
Implementation Method 1
a power source to transfer a current to at least one of the first strip and the second strip to create a molten slag pool on the work piece
Implementation Method 2
the molten slag pool begins to solidify approximately 20-25 mm after the trailing strip
Data Source
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AI summary
Stopping electroslag strip cladding operations feeding multiple strips includes detecting, during a welding phase of an electroslag welding operation feeding a first strip and a second strip towards a molten slag pool formed on a work piece, initiation of a stop phase. Upon detection the feeding of the first strip towards the molten slag pool is stopped. Additionally, a feed direction of the feeding of the second strip is reversed to retract the second strip away from the molten slag pool.