Pulsed Arc Welding Torch Shutdown for Bird Nesting Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
During pulsed arc welding, especially in robotic operations with soft wire applications like aluminum, the welding wire often gets tangled ('bird nested') within the welding system, leading to wire stoppage and damage to the welding gun/torch components due to excessive heating and melting.
Innovation Solution
A pulsed arc welding system with a controller that generates a series of welding output pulses, stops pulsing, and attempts to confirm electrical shorting of the wire to the workpiece within a set time, shutting down the system if shorting fails to prevent damage, using feedback circuits for voltage or current indications and calculating pulse number and time based on contact tip to work distance and wire feed speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pulsed arc welding is used with soft wire applications, then welding performance is improved, but wire tangling and gun damage occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The controller proactively monitors wire feed status and predicts potential tangling conditions before they occur. By detecting abnormal wire feed patterns early, the system can take preventive actions such as adjusting wire feed speed or pausing the welding process, thereby preventing wire tangling and subsequent gun damage while maintaining reliable welding performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback monitoring of wire feed speed and arc characteristics. When the controller detects deviations from normal welding parameters that indicate potential wire tangling, it immediately adjusts wire feed speed or terminates the pulse sequence to prevent contact tip melting, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining welding performance and preventing wire tangling
2Productivity
If wire feed speed is increased to maintain productivity, then welding efficiency improves, but wire tangling risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire feed speed is made dynamic rather than constant. The controller continuously adjusts wire feed speed based on real-time monitoring of wire feed characteristics and arc parameters. During normal operation, high wire feed speed maintains productivity, but when tangling is detected, the system automatically reduces speed to prevent wire entanglement, thus resolving the contradiction between welding efficiency and wire feeding stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes wire feed speed parameter dynamically during the welding process. By monitoring wire feed current and voltage characteristics, the controller identifies conditions indicating potential tangling and adjusts the wire feed speed parameter accordingly, allowing high productivity during stable operation while preventing wire tangling when anomalies are detected
3Duration of action of stationary object
If continuous welding pulses are generated without monitoring, then welding process continuity is maintained, but contact tip melting and gun damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors wire feed status and arc parameters during pulsed welding. When wire tangling is detected through abnormal feed patterns, the system immediately terminates the welding pulse sequence, preventing continued heating of the contact tip. This feedback mechanism maintains welding process continuity during normal operation while preventing contact tip melting when problems occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by monitoring wire feed characteristics and predicting contact tip overheating before it occurs. When abnormal conditions are detected, the controller preemptively stops the welding pulses, preventing the harmful thermal accumulation that would lead to contact tip melting and gun damage, thus resolving the contradiction between process continuity and temperature 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
Prevents damage to the welding gun/torch by ensuring the wire electrically shorts to the workpiece, reducing the risk of tangling and overheating, thereby maintaining system integrity and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
generate and output a series of a determined number of welding output pulses to form an arc between the welding wire electrode and the workpiece
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of systems and methods in pulsed arc welding. A robotic welding system, having a welding torch with a contact tip, is configured to perform the following method: (a) generate and output a series of a determined number of welding output pulses as a welding wire electrode is fed toward a workpiece; (b) stop generating welding output pulses while allowing the welding wire electrode to continue to be fed toward the workpiece in an attempt to electrically short to the workpiece; (c) attempt to confirm that the welding wire electrode has electrically shorted to the workpiece within a determined error time period; and (d) repeat steps (a) through (c) if electrical shorting of the welding wire electrode has been confirmed within the determined error time period, else, shut down the robotic welding system to avoid damaging the welding torch.