System and method for hot wire arc steering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9511441-B2
Application number	US-201313960856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 26, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

The invention described herein generally pertains to a system and method related to influencing a direction of an arc within a welding operation. Within a hot wire welding operation, an arc is generated between an electrode and a workpiece and a welding wire is energized while being supplied to a puddle formed by the electrode in order to deposit the liquefied welding wire onto the workpiece. A welder system and/or method is provided that controls a direction of the arc based on at least one of a polarity of the welding wire (via a power supply that energizes the welding wire), a location of the welding wire in proximity to the arc, a synchronization and/or de-synchronization of a polarity of the welding wire with the electrode, an activation and/or a de-activation of energizing of the welding wire, or a combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welder system, comprising:
a welding torch having an electrode;
a power source configured to output a welding current to the electrode to generate an arc between the electrode and a workpiece, wherein the arc is a first polarity;
a wire feeder coupled to a supply of welding wire and configured to provide a welding wire to a puddle formed by the arc;
a welding wire power source configured to energize the welding wire, wherein the welding wire has a second polarity; and
a controller configured to influence deflection of the arc at least via control of at least one of the power source or the welding wire power source, the controller is further configured to influence deflection of the arc with an adjustment of a location of the welding wire relative to the arc, wherein the arc is deflected along an axis transverse to a direction of travel of the welding torch.

2. The welder system of claim 1 , wherein the arc is created from at least one of a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process such that the first polarity is a positive polarity or a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process such that the first polarity is a negative polarity.

3. The welder system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the power source or the welding wire power source so as to adjust at least one of the first polarity or the second polarity such that:
the first polarity is positive and the second polarity is negative so that a magnetic field of the welding wire repels the arc;
the first polarity is negative and the second polarity is positive so that the magnetic field of the welding wire repels the arc;
the first polarity is negative and the second polarity is negative so that the magnetic field of the welding wire attracts the arc; or
the first polarity is positive and the second polarity is positive so that the magnetic field of the welding wire attracts the arc.

4. The welder system of claim 1 , wherein the location of the welding wire is adjusted by movement from at least one of the welding torch, the workpiece, a weld seamer coupled to the workpiece, or the wire feeder.

5. The welder system of claim 1 , wherein deflection of the arc is influenced based on an oscillating motion of the welding wire in proximity to the arc.

6. The welder system of claim 1 , further comprising an AC component that is configured to energize the welding wire with a waveform having the second polarity.

7. The welder system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to influence deflection of the arc via activation or deactivation of the AC component.

8. The welder system of claim 1 , further comprising a second wire feeder that provides a second welding wire to the arc,
wherein the controller is further configured to influence deflection via control of a third polarity of the second welding wire.

9. The welder system of claim 8 , wherein the wire feeder and the second wire feeder are arranged such that the welding wire and the second welding wire are respectively provided to opposed sides of the arc.

10. The welder system of claim 8 , the controller is further configured to influence deflection of the arc based on at least one of the following:
an adjustment of a location of the welding wire relative to the arc;
an adjustment of a location of the second welding wire relative to the arc;
a change in a polarity of at least one of the welding wire or the second welding wire;
selectively energizing or de-energizing at least one of the welding wire or the second welding wire; or
selectively synchronizing or de-synchronizing a polarity of at least one of the welding wire or the second welding wire with the polarity of the arc.

11. The welder system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a tungsten-based electrode and the welding current is DC negative.

12. A method of welding, comprising:
generating an arc having a first polarity between an electrode and a workpiece;
delivering a welding wire to a puddle formed by the arc;
energizing the welding wire with a current having a second polarity to generate a magnetic field that interacts with the arc; and
controlling the current and adjusting a location of the welding wire relative to the arc to influence deflection of the arc, wherein the arc is deflected along an axis transverse to a direction of travel of the electrode.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising at least one of the following:
adjusting a location of where the welding wire is delivered to the arc thereby influencing deflection of the arc based on the location; or
controlling a phase difference between a waveform provided to the electrode and a waveform provided to the welding wire to influence deflection of the arc, wherein in phase waveforms more deflection in comparison to out-of-phase waveforms.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
selectively controlling activation or deactivation of the current energizing the welding wire to thereby influence deflection of the arc.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising changing at least one of the first polarity or the second polarity to selectively synchronize or desynchronize the first polarity and the second polarity.

16. A welder system, comprising:
an orbital welder having a chassis supported adjacent to a workpiece;
a welding torch coupled to the chassis that includes an electrode;
a power source configured to output a welding current to the electrode to generate an arc between the electrode and the workpiece, wherein the arc is a first polarity;
a wire feeder coupled to a supply of welding wire and configured to provide a welding wire to a puddle formed by the arc;
a welding wire power source configured to energize the welding wire, wherein the welding wire has a second polarity; and
a controller configured to influence deflection of the arc at least via control of at least one of the power source or the welding wire power source and with an adjustment of a location of the welding wire relative to the arc, wherein the arc is deflected along an axis transverse to a direction of travel of the welding torch.

17. The welder system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the power source or the welding wire power source such that the first polarity and the second polarity are one of a alike or different.

18. The welder system of claim 16 , further comprising a second wire feeder that provides a second welding wire to the arc,
wherein the controller is further configured to influence deflection via control of a third polarity of the second welding wire.

19. The welder system of claim 18 , wherein the wire feeder and the second wire feeder are arranged such that the welding wire and the second welding wire are respectively provided to opposed sides of the arc.

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Cole Stephen R
• Peters Steven R

Classifications

• B23K9/173

  and of a consumable electrode · CPC title

• B23K9/08 Primary

  Arrangements or circuits for magnetic control of the arc · CPC title

• B23K9/0737

  Stabilising of the arc position · CPC title

• B23K9/0286

  with an electrode moving around the fixed tube during the welding operation · CPC title

• B23K9/124

  Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire · CPC title