Wire Feed Speed Referenced Variable Frequency Pulse Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing welding systems face difficulties in controlling wire feed speed during pulsed waveform regimes, especially when using aluminum wires, due to the need for coordination between push and pull motors, leading to less than optimal system performance.
Innovation Solution
A welding system that includes a power supply and wire feeder with operator-selectable wire feed speed, where the power supply generates welding power based on the commanded wire feed speed, and control circuitry adjusts pulsed waveform parameters to synchronize with the feed speed, simplifying motor coordination and improving wire feed control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire feed speed is controlled based on pulsed waveform frequency, then pulsed welding operation can be maintained, but wire feed control becomes difficult and system performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of controlling wire feed speed based on pulse frequency (conventional approach), the patent inverts the control logic by using wire feed speed as the primary control parameter and adjusting pulse frequency accordingly. The wire feeder operates independently at a commanded speed, and the power supply synchronizes pulse parameters to match the actual wire feed rate, eliminating the coordination problems between push and pull motors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system that acts as a mediator between the wire feeder and power supply. This intermediary controller receives the commanded wire feed speed, determines appropriate pulse parameters, and coordinates both motors to work in unison based on the primary wire feed speed parameter rather than requiring direct coordination between push and pull motors.
2Ease of operation
If push and pull motors are coordinated for aluminum wire feeding, then wire can be fed through the torch, but system complexity increases and performance becomes suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of push and pull motors under a single control framework based on commanded wire feed speed. Rather than coordinating two independent motor systems, both motors are controlled to work together based on the primary wire feed speed parameter, simplifying the control architecture while maintaining the dual-motor feeding capability necessary for aluminum wire.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary control system serves as a mediator that receives the commanded wire feed speed and translates it into coordinated control signals for both push and pull motors. This intermediary layer eliminates the need for complex direct coordination between motors, as the intermediary handles the synchronization based on the primary speed parameter.
3Speed
If rapid changes in wire feed speed are implemented, then pulsed waveform frequency can be adjusted, but control difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the control relationship by making wire feed speed the independent variable that drives pulse frequency adjustment, rather than the reverse. The wire feeder operates at the commanded speed with minimal control intervention, and the power supply adaptively adjusts pulse parameters to match the actual wire feed rate, reducing control complexity even during speed transitions.
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 enables precise control of wire feed speed and welding power output, enhancing the consistency and efficiency of pulsed welding operations, particularly with aluminum wires, by eliminating the need for complex motor coordination and allowing for adaptive adjustments during welding.
Implementation Method 1
Electrical power is applied to the welding wire and a circuit is completed through the workpiece to sustain an arc that melts the wire and the workpiece to form the desired weld
Implementation Method 2
current and/or voltage pulses are commanded by the power supply control circuitry to regulate the formation and deposition of metal droplets from the welding wire, to sustain a desired heating and cooling profile of the weld pool
Data Source
AI summary
A pulsed waveform welding operation is implemented by reference to a commanded wire feed speed set by an operator. The wire feed speed is set on a wire feeder, and a signal representative of the commanded wire feed speed is applied to a power supply. The power supply control circuitry references a look-up table in which pulsed waveform parameters are provided based upon wire feed speed. The parameters may include multiple parameters such as pulse frequency, peak current, background current, and current ramp rates. The control circuitry commands power conversion circuitry to generate the commanded waveform as a function of the commanded wire feed speed.