Welding Waveform Phase Adjustment for Low-Spatter Arc Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pulsed and short circuit welding regimes face issues such as excessive spatter, suboptimal penetration, and energy inefficiencies, particularly with cored wire electrodes, limiting travel speed and requiring high power sources.
Innovation Solution
A welder system that adjusts the duration and current phases of short circuit and arc events to control spatter and current levels, using a controller to regulate waveforms based on previous events, ensuring short circuit clearance occurs at desired current levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pulsed welding processes are used to control short circuits between electrode and weld puddle, then welding quality and deposition control are improved, but excessive spatter is generated and travel speed is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts welding parameters including pulse frequency, peak current, background current, and pulse duration in real-time based on weld pool conditions, wire feed speed, and travel speed to optimize deposition control while minimizing spatter generation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes multiple welding parameters simultaneously including current waveform characteristics, pulse timing, wire feed speed, and shielding gas flow to achieve optimal balance between welding quality and spatter reduction
2Reliability
If high power sources are used to clear short circuits with cored wire electrodes, then arc stability is maintained, but excessive energy is added to the weld and wire sheath heating causes arc flaring
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulsed current with distinct peak and background phases to provide sufficient energy for arc stability during peak phases while allowing cooling during background phases, preventing excessive wire sheath heating and arc flaring
Solution Approach 2:
The control system anticipates short circuit events and pre-adjusts current levels and pulse timing to ensure proper short circuit clearance occurs at desired current levels, preventing excessive energy input and wire overheating
3Temperature
If short circuit welding processes are used to reduce heat input, then cooler welding is achieved, but spatter and unwanted weld effects are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to monitor weld pool conditions, arc voltage, and current in real-time, providing feedback to the control system which adjusts pulse parameters and wire feed speed to maintain optimal short circuit welding conditions that minimize spatter while controlling heat input
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
The system reduces spatter and lowers currents, improving weld quality and flexibility by dynamically adjusting phases to maintain stable arc welding processes.
Implementation Method 1
conventional short circuit gas metal arc welding (GMAW), also referred to as metal inert gas (MIG) welding, is a welding process in which an electric arc forms between an electrode and pieces of metal that are to be welded. The electric arc generates heat that causes the pieces of metal to melt.
Implementation Method 2
the electrode may be heated by excessive current added to the wire, particularly insomuch as the weld current tends to flow through the wire sheath
Data Source
AI summary
A welding-type system includes a welding-type power supply configured to generate output power for an arc welding process and a controller. The controller calculates a representative duration of a plurality of short circuit events and/or arc events during the arc welding process. Each short circuit event and/or arc event comprises a transitional phase, an intermediate phase, and an end phase. The controller calculates a sum of a duration of the transitional phase, a duration of the intermediate phase, and a duration of a ramp down time from a target current of the intermediate phase to a target current of the end phase associated with a given short circuit or arc event. The controller controls the welding-type power supply to adjust a duration of the transitional phase, the intermediate phase or the ramp down time associated with the given short circuit event such that the sum is within the threshold range of the representative duration. Additionally or alternatively, the controller maintain a duration of the end phase less than a predetermined value.