Arc Welding Wire Buffer Control for Abnormal Feed Stops

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wire feeding devices in arc welding systems often experience abnormal stops due to fluctuations in the buffer amount of welding wire between the push and pull feeders, leading to instability in weldability and requiring manual intervention to restore normal operation.

Innovation Solution

A wire feeding device with a buffer system that detects the accommodated welding wire amount and adjusts the feeding speed of the first and second feeding parts to maintain a predetermined range, allowing for automatic correction and stabilization of the wire buffer, enabling the device to resume normal operation by accepting instructions for increasing or decreasing the wire amount.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a wire buffer is introduced between push feeder and pull feeder to stabilize wire feeding, then wire feeding stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire feeding stabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A wire buffer is introduced as an intermediary component between the push feeder and pull feeder. The buffer temporarily stores welding wire and releases it at a controlled rate, acting as a mediator that decouples the speed variations between push and pull feeders, thereby stabilizing wire feeding without requiring complex synchronization mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The wire buffer provides beforehand cushioning by pre-storing a certain amount of welding wire before it reaches the welding torch. This cushioning effect absorbs speed fluctuations and prevents sudden stops or interruptions in wire feeding, ensuring continuous and stable welding operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Ease of operation

If manual intervention is required to restore wire buffer amount after abnormal stop, then ease of operation deteriorates, but device complexity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A detection unit continuously monitors the amount of welding wire in the buffer and provides feedback to the control unit. When the buffer amount falls outside the predetermined range, the control unit automatically adjusts the speeds of the push and pull feeders to restore the buffer to the appropriate level, eliminating the need for manual intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The wire feeding system performs self-service by automatically detecting and correcting buffer amount abnormalities. The control unit adjusts feeder speeds based on detection unit feedback, enabling the system to self-correct without requiring operator intervention to manually wind or add wire

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If high speed wire feeding is implemented, then productivity increases, but reliability decreases due to timing sensitivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire feeding speedVSAvoidwire feeding stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wire buffer performs preliminary action by pre-storing welding wire before the actual welding process. This allows the high-speed pull feeder to operate independently without being constrained by the push feeder's timing, as the buffer already contains the necessary wire supply

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit dynamically adjusts the speeds of both feeders based on real-time buffer amount detection. During high-speed feeding, the system can optimize speed differentials to maintain appropriate buffer levels, ensuring both high productivity and reliable continuous operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3517239B1Wire feeding device, arc welding device and wire feeding method
Publication Date: 2024.03.20 DAIHEN CORP
  • EP3517239B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3517239B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3517239B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The wire feeding device 4 that feeds welding wire W from the wire source 3 to the welding torch 13 is disposed between the wire source 3 and the welding torch 13 and is configured to temporarily accommodate the welding wire W fed from the wire source 3 and to feed the accommodated welding wire W to the welding torch 13. In the case where feeding of welding wire W is abnormally stopped, if the acceptance unit accepts instructions for increasing or decreasing, the wire feeding device 4 controls the speed of feeding welding wire W fed by the first feeding part 41d or the second feeding part 42 so that a difference is generated in the feeding speed of the first feeding part 41d and the second feeding part and the accommodated amount of welding wire W is in a range from the lower limit of normal to an upper limit of normal.