Dual wire welding or additive manufacturing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964346-B2
Application number	US-202017010963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2020
Priority date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A system and method of welding or additive manufacturing is provided where at least two welding electrodes are provided to and passed through a two separate orifices on a single contact tip and a welding waveform is provided to the electrodes through the contact tip to weld simultaneously with both electrodes, where a bridge droplet is formed between the electrodes and then transferred to the puddle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding or additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a power supply comprising a controller which controls operations of the power supply during gas metal arc welding, wherein the power supply provides a current waveform to a contact tip having a first channel terminating in a first exit orifice and second channel terminating in a second exit orifice, wherein the first channel is parallel with the second channel, and the first channel is configured to pass through a first wire electrode and the second channel is configured to pass through a second wire electrode, wherein the current waveform includes a bridge current portion and another current portion having a current level greater than the bridge current portion;
wherein the first exit orifice is separated from the second exit orifice such that a distance provided between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode facilitates a formation of a bridge droplet between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode while preventing solid portions of the first wire electrode delivered through the first exit orifice from contacting solid portions of the second wire electrode delivered through the second exit orifice during the gas metal arc welding, wherein the bridge droplet forms during the bridge current portion of the current waveform and couples the first wire electrode and second wire electrode prior to contacting a puddle during the gas metal arc welding, and
wherein a current due to the current waveform flows from the contact tip to the bridge droplet through both of the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode and the current is divided between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode, and wherein the current flows from the bridge droplet to the puddle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance is in the range of 1.5 to 3.5 mm.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wire feeder configured to drive one or both of the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode through the contact tip.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wire electrode has a first composition and the second wire electrode has a second composition different from the first composition.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wire electrode has a first diameter and the second wire electrode has a second diameter which is different than the first diameter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a deposition rate during the gas metal arc welding is in a range of 19 to 26 lbs/hr.

7. A welding or additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a power supply comprising a controller which controls operations of the power supply, wherein the power supply provides a current waveform to a contact tip having a first channel terminating in a first exit orifice and second channel terminating in a second exit orifice, wherein the first channel is parallel with the second channel, and the first channel is configured to pass through a first wire electrode and the second channel is configured to pass through a second wire electrode, wherein the current waveform includes a bridge current portion and another current portion having a current level different from the bridge current portion;
wherein the first exit orifice is separated from the second exit orifice such that a distance provided between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode facilitates a formation of a bridge droplet between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode while preventing solid portions of the first wire electrode delivered through the first exit orifice from contacting solid portions of the second wire electrode delivered through the second exit orifice during a deposition operation, wherein the bridge droplet forms during the bridge current portion of the current waveform and couples the first wire electrode and second wire electrode prior to contacting a puddle during the deposition operation,
wherein a current due to the current waveform flows from the contact tip to the bridge droplet through both of the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode and the current is divided between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode, and wherein the current flows from the bridge droplet to the puddle, and
wherein the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode are cored electrodes.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the distance is in the range of 1.5 to 3.5 mm.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a wire feeder configured to drive one or both of the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode through the contact tip.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first wire electrode has a first composition and the second wire electrode has a second composition different from the first composition.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first wire electrode has a first diameter and the second wire electrode has a second diameter which is different than the first diameter.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein a deposition rate of the deposition operation is in a range of 19 to 26 lbs/hr.

13. A welding or additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a power supply comprising a controller which controls operations of the power supply, wherein the power supply provides a current waveform to a contact tip having a first channel terminating in a first exit orifice and second channel terminating in a second exit orifice, wherein the first channel is configured to pass through a first wire electrode and the second channel is configured to pass through a second wire electrode, wherein the current waveform includes a bridge current portion and another current portion having a current level less than than the bridge current portion;
wherein the first exit orifice is separated from the second exit orifice such that a distance provided between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode facilitates a formation of a bridge droplet between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode while preventing solid portions of the first wire electrode delivered through the first exit orifice from contacting solid portions of the second wire electrode delivered through the second exit orifice during a deposition operation, wherein the bridge droplet forms during the bridge current portion of the current waveform and couples the first wire electrode and second wire electrode prior to contacting a puddle during the deposition operation, and
wherein a current due to the current waveform flows from the contact tip to the bridge droplet through both of the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode and the current is divided between the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode, and wherein the current flows from the bridge droplet to the puddle.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the distance is in the range of 1.5 to 3.5 mm.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a wire feeder configured to drive one or both of the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode through the contact tip.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first wire electrode has a first composition and the second wire electrode has a second composition different from the first composition.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first wire electrode has a first diameter and the second wire electrode has a second diameter which is different than the first diameter.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first channel is parallel with the second channel.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein an angle between a centerline

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Weeks Matthew A
• Peters Steven R
• Chantry Bruce J

Classifications

• B23K9/0017 Primary

  using more than one electrode · CPC title

• B22F10/20

  Direct sintering or melting · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B23K9/04

  Welding for other purposes than joining, e.g. built-up welding · CPC title

• B23K9/092

  characterised by the shape of the pulses produced · CPC title