Method and apparatus for controlling a welding system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a welding-type power supply includes providing a current wave form having an arc current portion and a short circuit current portion. An arc state is entered by retracting a welding wire, and a short circuit state is entered by advancing the wire. The current enters the arc current portion prior to the creation of the arc and the current enters the short circuit current portion prior to the creation of the short, by coordinating the wave form with the wire retraction. This may be preformed on a wire having a diameter of 2.4 mm or more to a weld and applying a welding current of less than 100 amps, or of less than 35 amps. One current waveform during the arc state includes at least three segments, and the last segment is entered into prior to the short circuit state being entered, and is the same current magnitude as the current magnitude at the start of the short circuit state. Penetration and/or bead formation may be controlled by controlling the advancement of the wire into the weld pool. The balance may be user set.

1 - 22 . Cancelled.  
   
   
       23 . A method of short circuit welding comprising: 
 feeding wire to a weld,    advancing the wire to enter into a short circuit state;    retracting the wire while the wire is advancing to a torch, to enter into an arc state, thereby using wire movement to control the process; and using current magnitude to control the heat applied to the weld pool.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising controlling the penetration by controlling the advancement of the wire into the weld pool.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising controlling bead formation by controlling the advancement of the wire into the weld pool.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein a current magnitude during the arc state and the short circuit state is used to control heat applied to the weld, and wherein advancing and retracting the wire is used to control the time at which the process transitions from the arc state to the short circuit state and from the short circuit state to the arc state.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising, controlling the portion of time the process spends in the arc state relative to the short circuit state, by controlling the length of time between the successive retraction and advancing of the wire.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising receiving a user selectable input indicative of a desired arc state time relative to short circuit state time.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising controlling the welding process to enter a pulse state, in addition to the arc state and the short circuit state, wherein the amount of time spend in the pulse state, relative to the short circuit state, is responsive to a user selectable input.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising, controlling the mixture of gas from two or more sources in response to the users selectable input.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising using current magnitude to control the heat applied to the weld pool.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising using polarity control to control the heat applied to the weld pool.  
   
   
       33 . A method of welding comprising: 
 entering a short circuit state by advancing the wire to create a short circuit;    entering a pulse state by retracting the wire to enter into a pulse state;    applying a short circuit current when the process is in the short circuit state; and    applying a pulse current when the process is in the pulse state.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the time spent in the pulse state, relative to the short circuit state, is controlled in response to a user selectable input.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the relative mixture of gases from two or more sources is controlled in response to the users selectable input.  
   
   
       36 - 47 . Cancelled.  
   
   
       48 . A welding-type power supply for short circuit welding comprising: 
 a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to drive wire to a weld;    a power source, disposed to provide welding-type power to a weld;    a power output control module, having a wave shaping output operatively connected to the power source, wherein the wave shaping output causes the power source to enter in to an arc current portions and short circuit current portions;    a wire feed control module having a speed and direction output operatively connected to the wire feed motor; wherein the direction output has a forward and reverse portion that causes the wire feed motor to advance and retract the wire, thereby entering short circuit states and arc states; and    a heat control module having a current magnitude output provided to the power output control module, thereby controlling heat by controlling the current magnitude.    
   
   
       49 . A welding-type power supply for short circuit welding comprising: 
 a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to drive wire to a weld;    a power source, disposed to provide welding-type power to a weld;    a power output control module, having a wave shaping output operatively connected to the power source, wherein the wave shaping output causes the power source to enter in to an arc current portions and short circuit current portions;    a wire feed control module having a speed and direction output operatively connected to the wire feed motor; wherein the direction output has a forward and reverse portion that causes the wire feed motor to advance and retract the wire, thereby entering short circuit states and arc states; and    a polarity control module having a polarity selection provided to the power output control module, thereby controlling heat by controlling the polarity.    
   
   
       50 . A welding-type power supply welding comprising: 
 a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to drive wire to a weld;    a power source, disposed to provide welding-type power to a weld;    a power output control module, having a wave shaping output operatively connected to the power source, wherein the wave shaping output causes the power source to enter in to an arc current portions, short circuit current portions and pulse portions; and    a wire feed control module having a speed and direction output operatively connected to the wire feed motor; wherein the direction output has a forward and reverse portion that causes the wire feed motor to advance and retract the wire, thereby entering short circuit states, pulse states and arc states.    
   
   
       51 . The welding-type power supply of  claim 50  further comprising a user selectable input to the power output control, wherein the time spent in the pulse state, relative to the short circuit state, is response to the user selectable input.  
   
   
       52 - 65 . Cancelled.  
   
   
       66 . A welding-type power supply for short circuit welding comprising: 
 means feeding wire to a weld; disposed near the wire    means for advancing the wire to enter into a short circuit state, disposed near the wire;    means for retracting the wire while the wire is advancing to a torch, disposed near the wire, thereby entering an arc state; and    means for using current magnitude to control the heat applied to the weld pool, connected to a power source, disposed to provide power to the wire.    
   
   
       67 . A welding-type power supply for short circuit welding comprising: 
 means feeding wire to a weld; disposed near the wire;    means for advancing the wire to enter into a short circuit state, disposed near the wire;    means for retracting the wire while the wire is advancing to a torch, disposed near the wire, thereby entering an arc state; and    means for using polarity control to control the heat applied to the weld pool, connected to a power source, disposed to provide power to the wire.    
   
   
       68 . A welding-type power supply comprising: 
 means for entering a short circuit state by advancing the wire to create a short circuit, disposed near the wire;    means for entering a pulse state by retracting the wire to enter into a pulse state, disposed near the wire;    means for applying a short circuit current when the process is in the short circuit state, disposed to apply current to the wire; and    means for applying a pulse current when the process is in the pulse state, disposed to apply current to the wire.    
   
   
       69 . Cancelled.  
   
   
       70 . A welding-type power supply for welding with a process that includes an arc state and a short circuit state, comprising: 
 means for feeding and retracting a wire, disposed to drive wire to a weld;    means for providing welding-type power, disposed to provide power to the weld;    power control means for controlling the means for providing such that the power output has a wave shape including arc current portions and short circuit current portions, operatively connected to the means for providing;    wire control means for controlling the means for feeding, operatively connected to the means for feeding, such that process enters short circuit states and arc states; and    means for controlling the penetration control penetration by controlling the advancement of the wire into the weld pool, connected to the wire control means.    
   
   
       71 . Cancelled.  
   
   
       72 . A welding-type power supply for short circuit welding comprising: 
 means for feeding and retracting a wire, disposed to drive wire to a weld;    means for providing welding-type power, disposed to provide power to the weld;    power control means for controlling the means for providing such that the power output has a wave shape including arc current portions and short circuit current portions, operatively connected to the means for providing;    wire control means for controlling the means for feeding, operatively connected to the means for feeding, such that process enters short circuit states and arc states; and    means for controlling the heat by controlling a current polarity, connected to the power control means.    
   
   
       73 . A welding-type power supply for short circuit welding comprising: 
 means for providing welding-type power, disposed to provide power to the weld; and    control means for controlling power control means and for causing the transitions between the arc current portions and the short circuit portions.    
   
   
       74 . A method of welding, comprising directing a wire having a diameter of 2.4 mm or more to a weld; and applying a welding current of less than 100 amps.  
   
   
       75 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein, applying a current includes applying a current of less than 35 amps.  
   
   
       76 . A method of controlled short circuit welding, comprising providing an arc state and a short circuit state, wherein the current waveform during the arc state includes at least three segments, and the last segment is entered into prior to the short circuit state being entered, and is the same current magnitude as the current magnitude at the start of the short circuit state.