JP2018114557A - System and method using combination of filler wire feed and high intensity energy source for welding with controlled arcing frequency - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and method for depositing materials by any of padding, cladding, bonding or welding processes using a hot wire technique.SOLUTION: A system relates to depositing a welding material (140) onto a workpiece (115) by using a hot-wire welding technique which employs a combination of hot wire welding and arc welding. A waveform forms arc events during hot wire welding work for adding/controlling heat in the welding process. The hot-wire welding process can be used by itself, with a laser (120) or with another welding process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  This application claims priority to US Provisional Application No. 61/946333 filed February 24, 2014 and US Patent Application No. 14/561904 filed December 5, 2014. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application was filed on August 17, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 352,667, filed Jan. 13, 2009 (incorporated herein in its entirety by reference). This is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 13/212025, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and claims priority from that US patent application.

  Certain embodiments relate to welding and joining applications in addition to filler wire overlaying applications. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to systems that combine either a laser welding process or an arc welding process with a hot wire deposition process. More specifically, the present invention provides a consumable deposition system according to the introduction of claim 1.

  In recent years, hot wire welding has made progress. However, some of these processes and systems may not provide the desired or necessary heat input for welding or overlaying operations. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide additional heat to the welding or overlaying operation.

  Comparing the embodiments of the present invention described in the remainder of this application with conventional approaches, existing approaches and approaches already proposed will reveal further limitations and disadvantages of these approaches to those skilled in the art.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0096373

  Embodiments of the present application include systems and methods for depositing materials in any of the overlaying, cladding, joining or welding processes using a hot wire technique. Embodiments of the present invention employ a hot wire deposition method in which multiple arcing events are generated between the wire and the workpiece to assist the process. Arc events can help control the heat input to a process and can improve process performance without compromising process integrity.

  These and other features of the invention, as well as details of exemplary and further embodiments of the invention, can be better understood from the following description, claims and drawings.

The above and / or other aspects of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a hot wire / laser system. FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a hot wire / arc welding system. FIG. 3 is a further illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a hot wire power supply and the system in which the power supply is used. FIG. 4 is a diagram of exemplary voltage and current waveforms for a hot wire process in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary hot wire current waveform synchronized with the arc welding current waveform. FIG. 6 is an exemplary waveform diagram for hot wire welding at the start of the process. FIG. 7 is a diagram of another exemplary embodiment of the welding system of the present invention. FIG. 8A is a diagram of exemplary current waveforms that can be used in embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a diagram of exemplary current waveforms that can be used in embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram of another exemplary welding waveform that can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary weld joint that may be obtained with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary weld joint that may be obtained with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

  Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrative embodiments described are intended to aid in understanding the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system 100 that combines a filler wire feeder and an energy source for performing any of brazing, cladding, overlaying, filling, hardfacing and joining / welding applications. The schematic functional block diagram of embodiment of this is shown. System 100 includes a laser subsystem that can focus laser beam 110 onto workpiece 115 to heat workpiece 115. The laser subsystem is a high intensity energy source. The laser subsystem may be any type of high energy laser source, including but not limited to carbon dioxide laser systems, Nd: YAG laser systems, Yb disk laser systems, YB fiber laser systems, fiber transmission laser systems or direct diode laser systems. Is mentioned. Other types of laser systems can also be used if there is sufficient energy. Other embodiments of the system include an electron beam that serves as a high intensity energy source, a plasma arc welding subsystem, a gas tungsten arc welding subsystem, a gas metal arc welding subsystem, a flux cored arc welding subsystem, and a submerged At least one of the arc welding subsystems may be included. In the following, reference will be made repeatedly to laser systems, beams and power sources in the present specification, but it will be understood that such references are merely exemplary because any high intensity energy source may be used. For example, a high intensity energy source can provide at least 500 W / cm ² . The laser subsystem includes a laser device 120 and a laser power source 130, and the laser device 120 and the laser power source 130 are operatively connected to each other. The laser power source 130 supplies power to the laser device 120 in order to operate the laser device 120.

  The system 100 provides at least one resistive filler wire 140 and can deliver a hot filler wire that can contact the workpiece 115 in the vicinity of the laser beam 110. Also includes a feeder subsystem. Of course, referring to workpiece 115 herein, reference to contact with workpiece 115 is referred to as contact with workpiece 115 because the molten puddle is considered to be part of workpiece 115. It can be seen that The hot filler wire feeder subsystem includes a filler wire feeder 150, a contact chip 160 and a hot wire power supply 170. In operation, the filler wire 140 preceding the laser beam 110 is resistively heated by a current from a hot wire welding power source 170 operatively connected between the contact tip 160 and the workpiece 115. According to one embodiment of the invention, hot wire welding power source 170 is a pulsed direct current (DC) power source, although alternating current (AC) or other types of power sources are possible as well. The wire 140 is fed from the filler wire feeder 150 toward the workpiece 115 through the contact tip 160 and extends beyond the contact tip 160. The stretched portion of wire 140 is resistance heated so that the stretched portion approaches or reaches the melting point before contacting the weld pool on the workpiece. The laser beam 110 serves to melt a part of the base material of the workpiece 115 to form a weld pool and to melt the wire 140 on the workpiece 115. The power source 170 provides most of the energy required to resistance melt the filler wire 140. According to other particular embodiments of the invention, the feeder subsystem may be capable of providing one or more wires simultaneously. For example, a first wire may be used to provide surface hardening and / or corrosion resistance to the workpiece, and a second wire may be used to add structure to the workpiece.

  The system 100 moves the laser beam 110 and the resistive filler wire 140 along the workpiece 115 (at least in a relative sense) such that the laser beam 110 (energy source) and the resistive filler wire 140 maintain a fixed relationship with each other. ) Further includes a motion control subsystem that can be moved in the same direction 125; According to various embodiments, the relative movement of the workpiece 115 and the laser / wire combination is achieved by actually moving the workpiece 115 or by moving the laser device 120 and the hot wire feeder subsystem. obtain. In FIG. 1, the motion control subsystem includes a motion controller 180 operatively connected to a robot 190. The motion controller 180 controls the operation of the robot 190. The robot 190 is operatively connected to the workpiece 115 (eg, mechanically fixed) and directs the workpiece 115 so that the laser beam 110 and the wire 140 move effectively along the workpiece 115. Move to 125. According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the laser device 110 and the contact chip 160 can be integrated into one head. The head can be moved along the workpiece 115 by a motion control subsystem operatively connected to the head.

  In general, there are several ways to move the high intensity energy source / hot wire relative to the workpiece. For example, if the workpiece is round, the high intensity energy source / hot wire may be fixed and the workpiece may be rotated under the high intensity energy source / hot wire. Alternatively, move the robot arm or linear tractor parallel to the round workpiece and, for example, continuously move the high intensity energy source / hot wire or index once every rotation when the workpiece is rotated. The surface of a round workpiece may be built up. If the workpiece is flat or at least not round, the workpiece can be moved under a high intensity energy source / hot wire as shown in FIG. However, a robot arm or linear tractor or beam mounted carriage may be used to move the high intensity energy source / hot wire head relative to the workpiece.

  System 100 further includes a sensing / current control subsystem 195. The sensing / current control subsystem 195 is operatively connected to the workpiece 115 and the contact tip 160 (ie, effectively connected to the output of the hot wire power supply 170), and the potential difference between the workpiece 115 and the hot wire 140 ( That is, voltage V) and current (I) through workpiece 115 and hot wire 140 can be measured. The sensing / current control subsystem 195 can further calculate a resistance value (R = V / I) and / or a power value (P = V × I) from the measured voltage and current. Also good. In general, when the hot wire 140 is in contact with the workpiece 115, the potential difference between the hot wire 140 and the workpiece 115 is 0 volts or very close to 0 volts. However, in other embodiments, the range of voltage drop between wire 140 and workpiece 115 is 2-8 volts. As a result, the sensing / current control subsystem 195 can detect when the resistive filler wire 140 is in contact with the workpiece 115. Also, as will be described in more detail later herein, the sensing / current control subsystem 195 is hot so that it can further control the flow of current through the resistive filler wire 140 in response to such sensing. The wire power supply 170 is operatively connected. According to other embodiments of the present invention, the sense / current controller 195 may be an integral part of the hot wire power supply 170.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, the motion controller 180 may further be operatively connected to the laser power source 130 and / or the sensing / current controller 195. In this manner, the motion controller 180 and the laser power supply 130 communicate with each other so that the laser power supply 130 knows when the workpiece 115 is moving and the motion controller 180 knows whether the laser device 120 is active. Also good. Similarly, in this manner, the motion controller 180 and the sense / current controller 195 allow the sense / current controller 195 to know when the workpiece 115 is moving and the hot filler wire feeder subsystem is active. May communicate with each other so that the motion controller 180 knows. Such communication can be used to coordinate activities between the various subsystems of system 100.

  As described above, the high intensity energy source can be any number of energy sources including a welding power source. An exemplary embodiment of this is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a system 200 similar to the system 100 shown in FIG. Since many of the components of the system 200 are the same as the components of the system 100, a detailed description of their operation and use is omitted. However, in system 200, the laser system is replaced with an arc welding system such as a GMAW system. The GMAW system includes a power source 213, a wire feeder 215 and a torch 212. The welding electrode 211 is delivered to the molten pool through the wire feeder 215 and the torch 215. The operation of a GMAW welding apparatus of the type described herein is well known and need not be described in detail here. It should be noted that although the GMAW system is illustrated and described in connection with the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a GTAW system, FCAW system, MCAW system and SAW system, cladding system, brazing system, and the like. Combinations of systems, etc. (including systems that use arcs to assist in moving welding material to the weld pool on the workpiece) can also be used. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a shield gas system or a sub-arc flux system can be used according to known methods.

  An arc generation system (which can be used as a high intensity energy source) is used to form a molten pool, such as the laser system described above, and the hot wire 140 is melted using the system and embodiments detailed above. Added to. However, in the case of an arc generation system, as is well known, additional welding material 211 is also added to the melt. This additional welding material increases the improved performance already provided by the hot wire process described herein. This performance is described in more detail below.

  Also, as is generally known, arc generation systems such as GMAW use high levels of current to generate an arc between the weld material being delivered and the molten pool on the workpiece. Similarly, the GTAW system uses a high level of current to generate an arc (welding material is added to the arc) between the electrode and the workpiece. As is generally known, a wide variety of current waveforms such as constant current and pulse current can be used for GTAW or GMAW welding operations. However, during operation of the system 200, the current generated by the power supply 213 can interfere with the current generated by the power supply 170 used to heat the wire 140. Since the wires 140 are in close proximity to the arc generated by the power source 213 (as described above, they are both directed to the same weld pool), the respective currents may interfere with each other. Specifically, each current generates magnetic fields that can interfere with each other and adversely affect their operation. For example, the magnetic field generated by the hot wire current can hinder the stability of the arc generated by the power supply 213. That is, without proper control and synchronization of the respective currents, competing magnetic fields destabilize the arc and therefore destabilize the process. Thus, the exemplary embodiment uses current synchronization between power supplies 213 and 170 to ensure stable operation. This will be described in detail below.

  As described above, because the magnetic fields induced by the respective currents interfere with each other, embodiments of the present invention synchronize the respective currents. Synchronization can be achieved by various methods. For example, the sensing / current controller 150 can be used to control the operation of the power supplies 213 and 170 to synchronize the current. Alternatively, a master / slave relationship in which one power supply is used to control the other output can be used. Control of relative flow can be achieved in a number of ways, including the use of a state table or algorithm that controls the power supply such that the output current of the power supply is synchronized for stable operation. This will be further described below. For example, a dual-state based system and apparatus similar to that described in US Pat. Patent Document 1 published on April 22, 2010 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

  A more detailed description of the structure, application, control, operation and function of the systems 100 and 200 can be found in the US patent applications to which this application claims priority (at the beginning of this application), each of which is hereby As they relate to the described and described system and alternative embodiments described herein, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety) The description of is omitted.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment of the system 300 of the present invention. Similar to system 200, system 300 uses a combination of hot wire and arc welding processes. Since the functions and operations of the system 300 are the same as the functions and operations of the system 200, descriptions of similar functions are omitted. As shown, the system 300 includes a leading arc welding power supply 301 that precedes a trailing hot wire 140. Although the power supply 301 is illustrated as a GMAW power supply, the embodiment is not limited to this because a GTAW power supply can also be used. The welding power source 301 may be of any known configuration. A hot wire power supply 310 (which may be the same as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) is illustrated with some of its internal components. As described above, it may be desirable to synchronize the power supply waveforms output from each of the power supplies 301 and 310. Therefore, the synchronization signal 303 can be used to ensure that the operations of these power supplies are synchronized. This will be further described below.

  The hot wire power supply 310 includes an inverter power section 311. The inverter power supply 311 receives an input (which can be either AC or DC) and uses the input to heat the wire 140 so that the wire 140 can be deposited in the molten pool on the workpiece W. To output. The inverter power supply unit 311 can be configured as any known inverter type power supply used for a welding power supply, a cutting power supply, or a hot wire power supply. The power supply also includes a preset heating voltage circuit 313. Preset heating voltage circuit 313 uses a process-related input data to preset the heating voltage for the output signal of power supply 310 so that wire 140 is maintained at the desired temperature and properly deposited on workpiece W. Set. For example, the preset heating voltage circuit 313 can use settings such as wire size, wire type and wire feed rate to set the preset heating voltage to be maintained during the process. During operation, the output heating signal is maintained such that the average voltage of the output signal is maintained at a preset heating voltage level over a predetermined duration of time or a predetermined number of periods. In some embodiments, the range of preset heating voltage levels is 2-9 volts. Also, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the wire feed rate is low (200 inches / min or less), the preset heating voltage level range is 2-4 volts, whereas the wire feed rate is high. In the case (higher than 200 inches / minute), the wire feed rate of the wire 140 can affect the optimal preset heating voltage level, such that the range of preset heating voltage levels is 5-9 volts. Also, in some exemplary embodiments, when the current is small (150 amperes or less), the preset heating voltage level range is 2-4 volts, whereas the current is large (greater than 150 amperes). The preset heating voltage level range is 5-9 volts. Thus, during operation, the power supply 310 maintains an average voltage between the wire 140 and the workpiece W at a preset heating voltage level for a predetermined operation. In other exemplary embodiments, the preset heating voltage circuit 313 can set an average voltage range, and the average voltage is maintained within the preset range. By maintaining the detected average voltage at a preset heating voltage level or within a preset heating voltage range, the power supply 310 provides a heating signal that heats the wire 140 as desired but avoids arc formation. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the average voltage is measured over a predetermined period so that a moving average is determined during the process. The power supply uses the time average filter circuit 315 that detects the output voltage through the sense leads 317 and 319 and performs the voltage average calculation described above. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the obtained average voltage is compared with the preset heating voltage.

  Of course, in other exemplary embodiments, the power source 310 can control the output signal of the power source using current and / or power preset thresholds. The operation of such a system may be similar to the voltage based control described above.

  The power supply 310 also includes an arc detection threshold circuit 321. The arc detection threshold circuit 321 compares the detected output voltage through the sense leads 317 and 319, compares the detected output voltage with the arc detection voltage level, and detects an arc event between the wire 140 and the workpiece W. Determine if it happened or if it happened. When the detected voltage exceeds the arc detection voltage level, the circuit 321 outputs a signal to the inverter power supply unit 311 (or controller device). The signal causes the power unit 311 to cut off the output in order to extinguish or suppress the arc or prevent its generation. In some exemplary embodiments, the arc detection voltage level range is 10-20 volts. In another exemplary embodiment, the arc detection voltage level range is 12-19 volts. In a further exemplary embodiment, the arc detection voltage level is determined based on a preset heating voltage level and / or wire feed rate. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the range of arc detection voltage levels is 2-5 times the preset heating voltage level. In other exemplary embodiments, the anode voltage level and cathode voltage level for any shield gas being used affects the preset heating voltage level. In some exemplary embodiments, the arc detection voltage range is 7-10 volts, while in other embodiments, the arc detection voltage range is 14-19 volts. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the arc detection voltage range is 5-8 volts higher than the preset heating voltage level.

  The power supply 310 also includes a nominal pulsed waveform circuit 323. The nominal pulse waveform circuit 323 generates a waveform that is used by the inverter power supply 311 to output a desired heating waveform to the wire 140 and the workpiece W. As shown, the nominal pulse waveform circuit 323 is coupled to the arc welding power supply 301 through a synchronization signal 303 so that the output waveforms from each power supply are synchronized as described herein.

  As shown, the nominal pulse waveform circuit 323 synchronizes its output signal with the arc welding power supply 301 and outputs the generated heating waveform to a multiplier (also receives an error signal from the comparator 327 as shown). . As described above, the error signal allows adjustment of the output command signal to the inverter power supply unit 311 in order to maintain a desired average voltage.

  Note that the circuits and basic functions described above are the same as those used in the welding power source and the cutting power source, and therefore detailed description of the detailed configuration of these circuits is omitted in this specification. In addition, part or all of the above functions can be realized by a single controller in the power supply 310.

  Describing in detail in the aforementioned US patent applications to which this application claims priority, such applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if their disclosures were incorporated herein in their entirety. As described above, when the hot wire bonding method and the hot wire overlaying method are used, since the wire 140 is generally kept in contact with the molten pool at all times, the arc between the wire 140 and the molten pool is generally maintained. It is desirable to prevent the generation of. However, in some hot wire applications, it may be desirable to have discrete arching events during the hot wire process in order to apply heat to the process and weld pool as desired. It was issued. This is especially true for joining or overlaying applications where at least one workpiece is coated (eg galvanized steel). This will be further described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 shows exemplary voltage and current waveforms for the hot wire process described herein. As shown, current waveform 500 includes a plurality of heating pulses 501 having a peak current level 503. The range of peak current levels can be 200-700 amps. The peak current level 503 is selected so that the wire 140 is heated and melted in the desired manner during the process. Similarly, the voltage waveform 400 shows a plurality of voltage pulses 401 having a peak voltage 403. However, it also shows an arc event in which an arc is generated for a short period between the wire 140 and the weld pool. During the arc event, the wire 140 loses contact with the weld pool, causing the voltage to jump to the arc level 405. At that time, the hot wire power supply detects that an arc event has occurred and stops the current to extinguish or suppress the arc 507. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the arc is present for a time in the range of 350 to 1000 milliseconds. In other exemplary embodiments, the arc is present for a time in the range of 500 to 800 milliseconds. If the period of the arc is such a relatively short period, heat can be applied to the molten pool without excessively disturbing the molten pool by the arc. The power supply can use various control methods to detect arc events. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a threshold is set, and the threshold is set by the power supply so that if the threshold is exceeded, the power supply determines that an arc event has occurred. As previously described, in some embodiments, the arc detection voltage level range is 10-20 volts. In another exemplary embodiment, the arc detection voltage level range is 12-19 volts. In a further exemplary embodiment, the arc detection voltage level is determined based on a preset heating voltage level and / or wire feed rate.

  After the arc is generated, the wire 140 is no longer in contact with the molten pool and there is a gap between the wire 140 and the molten pool. After the power supply has stopped the heating current (507), the power supply peaks (since the wire 140 is still being fed by the wire feeder) so that contact between the wire 140 and the molten pool can be detected again. An open circuit voltage (OCV) 407 having a level 409 is provided to the wire 140. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the OCV range is 10-25 volts. In another exemplary embodiment, the OCV range is 17-22 volts. The selected OCV for the operation may be based on a number of parameters including but not limited to wire type and wire diameter. When the wire 140 contacts the molten pool (at 410), the power source detects the contact (using any known contact sensing control method), turns off the OCV, and begins providing heating current to the wire 140. As shown in FIG. 4, the current peaks after the contact peak level 509 and is maintained at the level of the lead-in current 511.

  The drawn current 509 is a relatively low current level (compared to the peak level of the pulse) to re-enter the wire 140 a predetermined distance into the weld pool and to perform pulse synchronization (discussed further below). Used for. The draw current is maintained for a duration TLI (discussed further below). The draw current is set by the power supply and is based on a number of factors including any one or all of the wire feed rate, wire type, wire diameter, hot wire pulse frequency and hot wire pulse peak 503 current level. Selected current level. In general, the pull-in current 511 is lower than the peak 503 level. In the exemplary embodiment, the range of the ratio of the pulse peak current to the draw current is 10: 1 to 5: 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the range of draw current is 25-100 amps, and in other embodiments, the range of draw current is 40-80 amps. In other exemplary embodiments, the pull can be set using the power level as opposed to setting using the current level. In such embodiments, the range of drawn power levels may be 100-1500 watts. In additional exemplary embodiments, the draw current 509 is less than the average current level of the corrugated hot wire portion, eg, less than the average current for a heating pulse 501 ′ during an arc event as shown in FIG. Has a current level. In the illustrated embodiment, the peak and average current of the draw current 509 is less than the average current for the waveform 500 and the average current of the hot wire current pulse 501 ′ during the arc event.

  As described above, the draw current is maintained for a duration TLI. The duration TLI can re-enter the wire 140 into the molten pool to a desired depth. Therefore, the TLI is determined based on at least the wire feed speed of the wire 140. In the illustrated embodiment, the pull-in duration TLI ranges from 5 to 20 milliseconds and the off-time 507 ranges from 1 to 7 milliseconds. In the illustrated embodiment, the range of time that is the sum of the off-time 507 and the TLI is 6-20 milliseconds. However, as previously described with respect to at least FIGS. 2 and 3, in some exemplary embodiments, the hot wire process is integrated with an arc welding process (such as GMAW) that operates in the same weld pool. In such embodiments, the retraction duration TLI is based on the wire feed rate of the wire 140 and is the duration based on the start of a current pulse from the arc welding process in conjunction with the hot wire process. When using a hot wire process integrated with an arc welding process, it is desirable to synchronize the current pulses from each process. Thus, in such an embodiment, the hot wire power supply (1) terminates the predetermined pull-in delay and causes the wire 140 to enter the weld pool in an appropriate manner, and (2) the next arc welding pulse of the arc welding waveform. The first pulse 501 ′ is started after the duration TLI only after the start of the first pulse. Having an extended duration TLI to meet these conditions allows the wire 140 to enter the weld pool in an appropriate manner to resume the hot wire pulse 501 and arc welding in which the hot wire waveform is used simultaneously. Ensures proper synchronization with the process. This is illustrated in FIG. In FIG. 5, the welding process uses a hot wire current waveform 500 that is synchronized with a pulsed arc welding process (eg, GMAW) using a current waveform 600. A priority application referred to at the beginning of this application and incorporated in its entirety and a US patent application entitled “Method and System Using Combination of Filler Wire Feeding and High Strength Energy Source for Welding” Is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is filed simultaneously with this application), and in some applications it is desirable to synchronize the pulses of each waveform. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pull-in duration TLI is a combination of the inrush duration Tp and the synchronization duration Ts. The rush duration Tp is determined by the hot wire power supply based on at least the wire feed rate of the wire 140 to ensure that the wire 140 rushes into the molten pool in a proper manner and is synchronized with the synchronization duration Ts. Is the time between the end of the rush duration Tp and the start of the next arc welding pulse 601 '. That is, in general, the maximum duration of the pull-in duration TLI (or pull-in period) is the inrush duration Tp (or inrush period) and the duration of the background portion 603 of the arc welding waveform. This ensures that the wire 140 fully enters the weld pool and that the two respective waveforms are synchronized. Thus, during operation of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the hot wire power supply determines the inrush duration Tp and maintains the draw current 511 at the draw current level for the duration Tp, and the end of the inrush duration Tp. Later, the hot wire power supply waits for a pulse start signal from the controller or arc welding power supply. Based on the start signal or synchronization signal, the hot wire power supply initiates the first pulse 501 'after the draw current 511 to coincide with the next pulse 601' of the arc welding process.

  FIG. 5 shows two waveforms 500/600 whose phases are not shifted so that each of pulse 501 'and pulse 601' starts simultaneously. However, other exemplary embodiments can be configured with a phase shift between current waveforms 500 and 600 such that the pulses of each waveform are synchronized but out of phase with each other. . In such an embodiment, the pull-in duration TLI ensures that the pulses 501 ′ and 601 ′ are started at an appropriate time relative to each other after the inrush duration with the phase shifted in the proper manner. It is the length to make. In some exemplary embodiments, the wire is plunged into the weld pool by a distance that is approximately the same as the diameter of the wire.

  As previously described, arc events are used to apply additional heat to the process. To achieve this, the hot wire power supply 170 is controlled so that an arc event occurs at a frequency in the range of 1-20 Hz. In other exemplary embodiments, the arc event occurs at a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. By maintaining the arc frequency at regular intervals, additional heat can be added to the process in a controlled manner without destabilizing the hot wire or arc welding process. In some exemplary embodiments, the frequency of arc events can be adjusted to adjust the heat input during the process. That is, it may be desirable to use an arc frequency of 3 Hz during the first part of the process, while it may be desirable to have an arc frequency of 10 Hz in other parts of the process. That is, the power supply 170 can control the waveform 400/500 to achieve the desired arc event frequency for different parts of the process, and thus can better control the overall heat input of the process.

  FIG. 4 also shows multiple (n) current and voltage pulses during the arc event. As shown, current pulse 501/501 ′ has a relatively constant peak current level 503. That is, the peak current levels of these pulses are substantially the same, but may vary depending on the actual state of the welding operation and may not be exactly the same for each pulse. However, as shown, the corresponding voltage pulse generally increases from the first voltage pulse 401 ′ (after the arc event) to the last full voltage pulse 401 ″ (after the arc event). It has a peak voltage 403. In some exemplary embodiments, it has been found desirable to gradually increase the peak voltage level of pulses 401'-401 "during an arc event. In general, this increase in voltage occurs at least in part due to increased heat in the wire 140 and process. This affects the overall immunity of the wire 140 and therefore generally increases the voltage from the first peak voltage level to the second higher peak voltage level over multiple voltage pulses during the arc event. Let 4 illustrates the peak voltage levels (applicable to some embodiments) of pulses 401′-401 ″ that increase between pulses, some example embodiments are not limited to this. . That is, in some exemplary embodiments, although the voltage generally increases over the pulse (as indicated by ramp 413), not all subsequent pulses have a higher peak voltage than the preceding pulse. In some embodiments, subsequent pulses may have a peak voltage that is the same as or slightly less than the peak voltage of the immediately preceding pulse. However, the last pulse 401 "has a higher peak voltage than the first pulse 101 '. Also, the illustrated embodiment shows a generally linear peak voltage increase (slope 413), but other embodiments are not limited to linear voltage increases. In the illustrated embodiment, the range of the peak voltage difference from the first voltage pulse 401 'to the last voltage pulse 401 "is 2-8 volts. In another exemplary embodiment, the peak voltage difference range is 3-6 volts. Also, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the range of the number of voltage pulses 401'-401 "between arc events is 8-22. In another exemplary embodiment, the range of the number of voltage pulses between arc events is 12-18.

  Referring now to FIG. 6, another current waveform 600 is shown. However, this waveform 600 shows the beginning of the hot wire welding process. As previously described, welding material is deposited in the molten pool in the absence of an arc during hot wire welding. Meanwhile, a heating current is provided to the welding material to cause the welding material to melt in the molten pool. However, this process requires a molten pool before the hot wire process begins. In some situations, the weld pool can be formed by a laser, an arc from another process, or other heat source. However, in an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a weld pool is formed using a short pulse routine at the beginning of the process with hot wire welding material to establish the process. The hot wire process can proceed after the weld pool is formed. For example, the hot wire process can proceed in the manner described above with respect to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the waveform 600 has a start routine portion SR and a hot wire portion HWR. The start routine portion SR can be started like any known arc welding operation. For example, the start routine portion SR can begin like a known GMAW type welding process to initiate an arc between the welding material and the workpiece. After the arc is generated, a short pulse welding process with multiple current pulses 601 begins. During this time, the pulse has a peak current level 605 and a background level 603 during pulse 601. This is similar to the known GMAW type pulse welding process. This pulse welding process is used to form a molten pool on the workpiece and is maintained for a predetermined duration to ensure that sufficient molten pool is formed. When the molten pool is formed, the waveform 600 is changed from the arc welding start process SR to the hot wire portion HWR. At the end of the start routine SR, the current is reduced or stopped to extinguish the arc between the welding material and the weld pool. As previously described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5, the welding material is then advanced so that the welding material contacts the weld pool and the hot wire routine HWR is initiated. As shown, in waveform 600, the hot wire routine has a heating pulse 611 having a peak level 611 and a background level 613 (which may be 0 amperes in some embodiments). Note that the transition between the start routine portion SR and the hot wire portion HWR may be as described above with reference to FIG.

  As described above, the start routine portion is relatively short. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the duration range for the start routine is 0.01 to 5 seconds. The start of the duration is the time when the arc is started and the end of the duration is when the arc is extinguished (eg, at 610). In a further exemplary embodiment, the start routine ranges from 0.01 to 1 second. In another exemplary embodiment, the start routine duration range is 0.1-0.5 seconds. In a further exemplary embodiment, the power supply transitions to the hot wire routine HWR only from the background portion 603 of the start routine SR. For example, if the predetermined duration ends in the middle of the arc pulse 601, the power source does not simply extinguish at that time, but until the pulse 601 is completed and the welding current reaches the background portion 603 before the transition. wait. It should be noted that in some exemplary embodiments, the wire feed rate of the welding material during the start routine may be slower than the wire feed rate during the hot wire portion of the welding process. The start routine may also use a known arc welding process such as a short circuit arc, STT, wire retract or other low heat input arc welding process during the start routine. In such embodiments, excessive heat input is avoided during startup.

  In a further exemplary embodiment, instead of using a duration, the power supply uses a predetermined number of arc pulses 601 for the start routine SR and extinguishes the arc after the predetermined number of pulses is reached. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the number of pulses for the start routine is n pulses, and when n pulses are reached, the power supply transitions to the hot wire routine HWR. In the illustrated embodiment, the range of the number of pulses n is 1-1000 pulses. In other exemplary embodiments, the range of the number of pulses n is 5-250 pulses, and in a further embodiment, the range of number of pulses is 5-100 pulses. In an additional exemplary embodiment, the power supply may use a combination of duration and number of pulses to determine the length of the start routine SR. That is, in such an embodiment, the power supply uses both a set duration and the number of pulses until each of the duration and the number of pulses reaches a specification (regardless of which has reached the specification first). ) No transition to hot wire routine HWR.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the duration of the start routine portion SR and / or the number of pulses is predetermined by the power source based on user input information. User input information may include wire feed speed, weld material size, weld material type, weld metal type, and the like. In further exemplary embodiments, other factors can be used to determine the duration of the start routine and / or the number of pulses. Other factors include whether the hot wire process is integrated with a laser process, a GMAW process or a SAW process. In further embodiments, the type of welding / joining application can affect the parameters of the start routine or the desired size of the weld pool. For example, the size of the molten pool can be different in a high speed sheet process (generally a small molten pool), a heavy fabrication process (large molten pool) or a cladding process (very large molten pool). In such embodiments, based on user input information, the power supply controller uses a look-up table, status table, etc. to set the duration of the start routine SR to be used and / or the number of pulses. The duration and / or number of pulses are selected to ensure that the weld pool reaches the desired size, depth and / or temperature before the hot wire routine is initiated. In other exemplary embodiments, the system can be used to observe the heat of the weld pool and / or workpiece and / or the size / shape of the weld pool.

  As described herein, the transition from the start routine SR to the hot wire routine HWR can occur in the manner described with respect to FIGS. However, in other exemplary embodiments, a transition may occur during a short circuit condition created during the start routine. For example, if the initiation routine is using a process that shorts the weld material to the weld pool / workpiece, the power supply controller transitions to a hot wire during the short circuit condition. This can be done when the start routine SR uses a start routine such as STT, short circuit welding or short circuit arc welding. In such an embodiment, the controller monitors the duration of the start routine SR, and if the desired duration and / or number of pulses is complete, the power supply transitions to the hot wire at the next short circuit event.

  In another exemplary embodiment, the start routine may use a pulse welding operation as shown in FIG. However, after a predetermined duration / number of pulses, the current in pulse 601 is reduced to shorten the arc length until a short circuit event occurs. When a short circuit occurs, a transition to the hot wire process occurs. By using a short circuit event, there is no need to artificially suppress the arc for transition.

  In additional embodiments, the duration of the start routine SR can be determined by monitoring the heat input during the start routine SR. For example, in such embodiments, the controller / power supply uses the user input data described above to determine the desired / predetermined heat input required for the start routine SR. That is, the controller of the power supply can set a predetermined amount of heat input, and when the heat input threshold is reached, the power supply can transition from the arc routine to the hot wire routine as described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, the heat input threshold range may be 0.01-10 kj. In a further exemplary embodiment, the heat input threshold range may be 0.01-1 kj.

  FIG. 7 illustrates an additional embodiment of a system 700 having the hot wire power supply 310 described with respect to FIG. In this embodiment, the power source 310 is coupled to a controller 710 (which can be built into the power source). The controller 710 is coupled to a sensor device 701 that monitors the process. The sensor device 701 can be any type of sensor device that monitors the desired parameters of the weld pool / workpiece. For example, the sensor device may be a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the weld pool and / or workpiece. Feedback from the sensor device is then used by the power supply 310 to control the start of the hot wire process and / or the hot wire process itself. For example, as described with respect to FIG. 4, the arc frequency can be integrated with the hot wire process to control heat input to the workpiece / molten pool. In such an embodiment, feedback from sensor 701 is used by the power supply to determine an arc frequency suitable for hot wire current output from power supply 310. In other embodiments, sensor 701 may be an optical sensor that monitors the formation and size of the molten pool on the workpiece. The controller 710 uses the feedback from the sensor to control the output of the hot wire waveform and / or the arc frequency. Other sensors may be used to support control of the power supply 310, or a combination of sensors may be used.

  8A and 8B show additional exemplary waveforms that can be used in exemplary embodiments of the invention. As described above, the current waveforms 800 and 800 'are similar to the waveforms described in FIG. Specifically, waveforms 800 and 800 'are a combination of a hot wire waveform and an arc waveform. However, in waveforms 800 and 800 ', there are two or more arc welding pulses between the hot wire sections. Such embodiments can be used to further control the heat input to the workpiece and / or to optimize the welding parameters and welding speed as desired. Such an embodiment can also be used for coated workpieces, such as galvanized workpieces, as desired without the porosity typically associated with arc welding of the coated material. You can get performance.

  FIG. 8A shows a current waveform 800 having an arc weld 801 and a hot wire portion. The arc weld 801 can be any known pulse welding process, such as a GMAW type pulse welding process. Arc weld 801 includes a plurality of pulses 802 separated by a background current. Since the GMAW type pulse welding waveform is known, its detailed description is omitted in this specification. After a period of time or when the desired number of pulses 801 are formed, the arc weld ends at 804. At 804, the current is reduced or stopped so that the arc is extinguished and the waveform 800 transitions to the hot wire stage 820. It should be noted that the transition between the arc welding stage and the hot wire stage may be the one described with reference to the waveform of FIG. In the illustrated embodiment, after the arc welding current is over (804), the current is set very low or stopped during time 805. This is because the welding material is advanced towards the molten pool (this is because, as explained earlier, the wire is not in contact with the molten pool due to the arc welding operation). During the off time 805, OCV can be applied to the welding material to detect contact with the weld pool. As described above, when contact is detected, a heating current is applied (at 807) to the draw level 809 (which can be the draw current level) and maintained for the draw time (as described previously). Is done. After drawing, the current is raised to the heating current level 810. The heating current level 810 is maintained to heat the welding material to ensure that the welding material melts in the molten pool without generating an arc. Similar to the previous description (eg, the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5), the power source does not form an arc between the welding material and the workpiece, but the welding material is deposited in the molten pool in an appropriate manner. In order to ensure this, an arc suppression control scheme is used between the hot wire portions 820.

  Unlike the hot wire pulse shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 8A illustrates the hot wire current as a constant current of level 810. FIG. In such embodiments, the heating current level 810 is maintained at the desired melt level. However, in other exemplary embodiments, similar to that shown in FIG. 4, the hot wire portion 820 of the waveform of FIG. 8A (and FIGS. 8B and 9) can be replaced with a pulsed hot wire waveform. That is, in such an embodiment, the arc weld 810 can be integrated with either a constant current or a pulsed hot wire waveform for the hot wire portion 820. After a period of time, the hot wire portion 820 is stopped and transitions to the arc welded portion 810 again to perform the arc welding operation. As shown in FIG. 8A, the hot wire current is lowered to a reduced level (which may be 0 amperes over period 811), after which the arc welding current is started at level 813, after which the arc welding pulse 802 is It starts again. Of course, any known arc welding operation such as pulse welding, STT type welding, short circuit arc welding, etc. can be initiated. The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this point. In addition, the arc welding operation that begins after the corrugated hot wire portion 820 need not be the same as the arc welding operation that is used before the hot wire portion. For example, a pulse welding arc welding waveform can be used before the hot wire portion of the waveform, and an STT waveform can be used after the hot wire portion 820. The transition from the hot wire weld 820 to the arc weld 810 can be made through a known arc welding start procedure. In some exemplary embodiments, the wire feeder can reduce or reverse the speed of the welding material to form a gap between the welding material and the molten pool prior to the start of the arc. In another exemplary embodiment, the end of the weld material can be shredded and then a transition routine initiated by the power source to initiate the arc. The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this point. As previously described, in the exemplary embodiment, an STT, short circuit arc, or wire retract process can be used for the arc phase, and the transition to the hot wire is only during a short circuit condition.

  By using both a hot wire process and an arc welding process with the same welding material, embodiments of the present invention can improve control of heat input to the welding process and improve the welding performance of certain welding operations. For example, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can use a system similar to the system illustrated in FIG. 7, where the temperature of the workpiece is monitored and the controller 710 controls the waveform 800 based on the detected temperature. Use the desired transition process. That is, the controller 710 can control the ratio of arc welding to hot wire welding to control heat input to the weld. For example, if it is determined that additional heat is required, the controller can increase the ratio of arc welding to hot wire welding in the welding waveform. Also, if the heat input is too high, the controller 710 can control the power supply 310 to reduce the amount of arc welding and increase the amount of hot wire welding of the waveform 800.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the ratio of the hot wire process to the arc welding process is optimized to obtain the desired heat input and deposition rate. For example, in the exemplary embodiment, the range of the ratio of the hot wire process to the arc welding process is 50/50 to 0/100, and such ratio uses process duration. A 50/50 ratio means that 50% of the welding time is in hot wire mode, while the other 50% is in arc welding mode. It should be noted that the ratio should be selected so as to ensure the formation of an appropriate weld pool and to ensure that the welding material is properly melted during the hot wire phase. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the ratio can be adjusted over a predetermined period of time or based on heat input feedback to obtain the desired heat input. Since the time that the current waveform is in transition mode may not necessarily be characterized as either arc welding or hot wire, in such embodiments, the duration of the arc welding process is the hot without arc present. The duration of the arc is determined relative to the duration of the wire process. Other exemplary embodiments may use other ratio relationships between the hot wire portion and the arc weld portion of the process without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. For example. In other exemplary embodiments, a ratio of pulse counts may be used, such ratio representing the number of hot wire pulses to arc welding pulses. In another exemplary embodiment, the ratio of pulse counts for each part (hot wire vs. arc welding) is maintained, but the frequency of each pulse is adjusted. In such embodiments, the overall duration of each process is adjusted as the frequency of each pulse changes. For example, in FIG. 8A, the frequency of arc welding pulse 802 can be adjusted (eg, increased), while the duration of hot wire phase 820 is such that the overall frequency or occurrence of hot wire phase 820 occurs more frequently. (So that the duration of the arc weld 810 is shortened).

  In another exemplary embodiment, instead of using sensor 701, controller 710 uses the derivative of the power of waveform 800 to determine the overall heat input to the weld, and based on the determined heat input, controller 710 determines waveform 800. Controls the ratio of arc to hot wire. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 710 uses the user input information to determine the desired heat input for the operation and maintains this desired heat input. For example, in some embodiments, the controller 710 determines a desired moving average heat input and / or input for a given operation and controls the power supply to provide the moving average. The moving average for heat input and / or input can be user input or user settings, but can also be determined by the controller based on user input data. For example, the user can select workpiece material, welding material information, wire feed speed, workpiece thickness, weld size, welding position, application type (cladding, high speed bonding, pressure film bonding) joining), etc.), any one or combination of gap sizes and any build-up parameters or requirements. Based on this information, the controller 710 determines a heat input and / or input threshold (which may be a moving average threshold) and controls the power supply to generate a waveform 800 that achieves the desired set output heat and / or power. Output. Of course, the controller 710 monitors the actual heat (such as through the sensor 701) and / or calculates the provided heat and actual power and adjusts the waveform 800 as necessary to produce the desired heat and / or output. Can be maintained. The controller 710 can use various control methods. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the controller 710 adjusts the waveform 800 with a desired moving average for heat input and / or input over a set duration or distance to obtain a desired moving average. Can be maintained. In such an embodiment, a joule / second or joule / inch ratio can be used for control, in which case the predetermined moving average is set based on user input information.

  For example, in some example embodiments, the offset ratio of the arc process joule to the hot wire process joule may be used for system control. For example, the system controller can determine a desired or predetermined heat input ratio and the process is controlled to achieve the desired ratio over a predetermined time or over a moving average. In the illustrated embodiment, the range of the determined ratio of arc process joules to hot wire process joules is 2.5: 1 to 10: 1. In another exemplary embodiment, the ratio range is 3: 1 to 7: 1.

  FIG. 8B shows another exemplary embodiment of a waveform 800 'similar to waveform 800 of FIG. 8A. However, in this embodiment, since the hot wire portion 820 'of the waveform 800' has a negative polarity, the overall waveform 800 'is an AC waveform. Note that. During some welding operations, the same current polarity can always be used to magnetize the workpiece and / or workpiece fixture. This is undesirable for a number of reasons. However, by using an alternating current as shown in FIG. 8B, magnetic accumulation can be relaxed and minimized. Generally, the waveform 800 'is generated and controlled in the same manner as described above with respect to FIG. 8A, but the hot wire portion has a negative polarity as shown. Unlike arc welding, the use of negative polarity has a small effect on the overall heat input of the welding operation. This is because there is no arc. Indeed, in some exemplary embodiments, the power supply may use a combination of both waveforms shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. That is, the hot wire portion of the current waveform can alternate between positive and negative polarities and need not have the same polarity throughout the welding process. AC current has a degassing effect on the fixture and the frequency of the AC is related to this effect. Thus, in some exemplary embodiments, the polarity is changed to optimize the degassing effect. In some embodiments, the polarity of successive pulses is alternating. Also, the welding process has a plurality of consecutive hot wire portions having a first polarity (eg, positive) followed by a single (or multiple) hot wire portions having a second polarity (eg, negative). Can do. The controller / power supply can prevent the build up of magnetic forces in the workpiece / fixture while adjusting the polarity of the hot wire section as needed to achieve the desired performance. Also, not only can the polarity be changed for the hot wire portion, but it can also be changed for the arc weld 810 of the waveform 800/800 '. That is, embodiments of the present invention can use an AC arc welding process for the arc weld 810. Also, other embodiments can use negative arc welding while using positive hot wire welding, as opposed to that shown in FIG. 8B.

  In a further exemplary embodiment, the controller 710 can be coupled to a magnetic sensor that detects the accumulation of a magnetic field in the workpiece and / or a fixture that holds the workpiece. Based on the feedback from the magnetic sensor, the controller 710 can control the power source to adjust the polarity of the hot wire part 820/820 ', and can reduce or control the accumulation of unnecessary magnetic force.

  FIG. 9 shows another exemplary embodiment of a waveform 900 similar to the waveform 800 shown in FIG. 8A. However, in this embodiment, the power supply quickly transitions from the corrugated hot wire portion 820 to the arc welded portion 810. As shown, in this embodiment, the hot wire current is lowered to a transition level 901 that is lower than the peak of the hot wire current (810) or the peak of the arc welding pulse 802 but higher than the background current 803. When the current reaches transition level 901, the power supply switches from the arc suppression mode of operation to the conventional arc generation mode of operation and an arc is generated immediately. Such an embodiment can be used when using high wire feed rates to transition from a hot wire process to an arc welding process while preventing the welding material from reaching the bottom in the weld pool. In the illustrated embodiment, the transition level range is 100-250 amps. In another exemplary embodiment, the transition can use a ramped current to minimize the possibility of an explosion or splash event during arc formation. Other embodiments can also retract or decelerate the wire during the transition. In a further exemplary embodiment, an STT control approach can be used that uses a prediction circuit to reduce the current just prior to arc formation. In addition, in other embodiments, the peak current can be used independently of the process current to establish a gap between the weld pool and the weld material immediately after the arc is formed. Also, other exemplary embodiments can use an extended background current when transitioning from an arc welding process to a hot wire process. The extended background prompts a short circuit event and can initiate a transition to a hot wire if a short circuit occurs.

  Of course, other transition waveforms and control methods may be used to change the waveform 800/800 '/ 900 from the hot wire portion 820 to the arc weld 810.

  In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the wire feed rate of the welding material can be adjusted during the process to optimize the process. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the wire feed rate during the arc welding phase may be slower than the wire feed rate during the hot wire process. For example, when using a short-circuit arc welding process in the arc welding phase, the wire feed rate is reduced during the transition from hot wire to arc welding and accelerated when switching back to the hot wire process.

  Since embodiments of the present invention provide improved thermal control, they can be used to optimize welding operations. For example, embodiments of the present invention can be used to weld joints, such as butt joints and T-joints, without the need for backing, especially on relatively thin workpieces. This is generally illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B. FIG. 10A illustrates a butt joint in which the backing plate that supports the weld is not used on the back side BS of the weld. Embodiments of the present invention have improved thermal control so that the weld can be completed without backing and without the weld pool blowing through the back side BS of the weld. In an exemplary embodiment, an arc welding process can be used to apply heat to the weld and provide the desired penetration, and the process can be overheated (or cooled) so that the weld pool does not penetrate the back of the joint. The hot wire part of the welding process can be used to add material without). These greatly increase the productivity of welding operations. In addition, in an additional exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a sensor 701 (eg, a temperature sensor) is positioned to monitor the backside BS of the weld joint and feedback from the sensor 701 to achieve the desired heat input and deposition. Can be used to control the output of the power source 310. That is, the feedback from the sensor 701 can be used to control the ratio of the hot wire process to the arc welding process output from the power source. For example, if an undesired temperature rise is detected at the backside BS of the weld, the power source switches to a hot wire to cool the process and prevent the weld pool from penetrating to the backside of the weld. Similarly, embodiments of the present invention can be used to weld a T-joint as shown in FIG. 10B without a backing. Of course, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these types of joints and can be used with a wide variety of types of joints.

  Embodiments of the present invention also provide improved welding to coated workpieces such as galvanized. Traditionally, when welding galvanized materials, the coating can be removed and / or the welding done very slowly before welding to prevent excessive weld joint porosity. It is generally known that it is necessary. However, embodiments of the present invention can be used to join coated / galvanized workpieces without these disadvantages. That is, by using a combination of arc welding and hot wire welding with the same welding material, the weld joint can be formed at an improved speed while minimizing the porosity of the weld joint. Whereas the arc welding process can be used to penetrate the workpiece and vaporize the coating, the hot wire process keeps the overall heat input low and is affected by the heat of the weld. Vaporization of the coating (for example, zinc) can be prevented. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the range of the ratio of the duration of arc welding to the duration of hot wire when welding coated workpieces is 70/30 to 40/60. In a further exemplary embodiment, the ratio range is 60/40 to 45/55. As such, embodiments of the present invention can be used to achieve improved performance over known welding methods when welding coated materials.

  The systems and methods according to embodiments of the present invention relate to depositing a welding material 140 on a workpiece 115 using a hot wire process that utilizes a combination of hot wire welding and arc welding. Waveform 500 forms an arc event during a hot wire welding operation to apply / control heat in the welding process. The hot wire welding process itself can be used with the laser 120 or in conjunction with other welding processes.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications can be made and equivalents can be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but the invention includes all embodiments within the scope of the present application.

100 System 110 Laser Beam 115 Workpiece 120 Laser Device 125 Direction 130 Laser Power Supply 140 Filler Wire 150 Filler Wire Feeder 160 Contact Tip 170 Hot Wire Power Supply 180 Motion Controller 195 Current Controller 200 System 211 Welding Electrode 212 Torch 213 Power Supply 215 Wire Feed Feeder 300 System 301 Welding power supply 303 Synchronization signal 310 Hot wire power supply 311 Inverter power supply unit 313 Preset heating voltage circuit 315 Time average filter circuit 317 Sense lead 319 Sense lead 321 Arc detection threshold circuit 323 Nominal pulse waveform circuit 400 Voltage waveform 401 Voltage pulse 403 Peak voltage 405 Arc level 407 Open circuit voltage (OCV)
409 Peak level 500 Current waveform 501 Heating pulse 503 Peak current level 507 Arc 509 Pulling current 511 Pulling current 600 Current waveform 601 Arc current pulse 603 Background portion 611 Heating pulse 700 System 701 Sensor device 710 Controller 800 Current waveform 800 ′ Current waveform 801 Arc welding waveform 802 Pulse 804 Time point 805 Time 809 Level 810 Heating current level 811 Period 813 Level 820 Hot wire stage 900 Waveform 901 Transition level

Claims (22)

A welding material deposition system,
A power source that provides a current waveform to the welding material deposited in the molten pool on the at least one workpiece;
The current waveform includes an arc deposition portion that provides an arc between the welding material and the molten pool, and a hot wire portion, and a heating current is provided to the welding material between the hot wire portions and the hot wire portion. An arc is not formed between the welding material and the molten pool,
The power source includes a controller that determines a desired heat input to the at least one workpiece from the current waveform, wherein the power source alternates the current waveform between the arc deposition portion and the hot wire portion. A deposition system that controls heat input to the workpiece from the current waveform to maintain the desired heat input.   The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the arc deposition section is a GMAW type process.   The sensor further includes a sensor for detecting heat input to the workpiece, and the controller controls the power source using feedback from the sensor and transmits the current waveform between the arc deposition unit and the hot wire unit. The deposition system of claim 1, which alternates.   The deposition system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the current waveform such that a range of a ratio of the hot wire portion to the arc deposition portion of the current waveform is 50/50 to 0/100.   The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the ratio of the hot wire section to the arc deposition section of the current waveform to maintain the desired heat input.   2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller controls at least one of a frequency and a number of current pulses in at least one of the hot wire portion and the arc deposition portion to maintain the desired heat input. Deposition system.   The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the desired heat input is a moving average heat input of the current waveform.   The desired heat input includes the material type of the workpiece, the type of welding material, the welding size, the welding position, the type of application, the size of the gap to be filled, the wire feed rate for the welding material and the The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the deposition system is determined based on at least one or a combination of workpiece thicknesses.   The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the desired heat input is a moving average power input of the current waveform.   The deposition system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the current waveform such that a range of a ratio of the arc deposition process joule to the hot wire process joule is 2.5: 1 to 10: 1. .   The deposition system of claim 10, wherein the controller controls the current waveform such that a range of a ratio of the arc deposition process joule to the hot wire process joule is 3: 1 to 7: 1. A method of depositing welding material,
Generating and supplying a deposition current to the welding material;
Sending the welding material toward the workpiece and depositing the welding material on the workpiece using the deposition current, wherein generating the current waveform comprises the welding material and the weld pool; Generating an arc deposit that provides an arc between, and
Generating a hot wire portion, during which heating current is provided to the welding material and no arc is generated between the welding material and the weld pool;
A desired heat input to the at least one workpiece is determined from the current waveform, and the current waveform is alternated between the arc deposition portion and the hot wire portion to enter the workpiece from the current waveform. Controlling heat to maintain the desired heat input;
A deposition method comprising:   The deposition method according to claim 12, wherein the arc deposition part is preferably a GMAW type process.   The deposition method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of detecting heat input to the workpiece and controlling the alternating between the arc deposition portion and the hot wire portion using feedback from the sensor. .   The deposition method according to claim 12, further comprising controlling the current waveform such that a range of a ratio of the hot wire portion to the arc deposition portion is 50/50 to 0/100.   The deposition method according to claim 12, further comprising controlling a ratio of the hot wire portion to the arc deposition portion of the current waveform to maintain the desired heat input.   The method further comprises controlling at least one of a frequency and a number of current pulses in at least one of the hot wire portion and the arc deposit portion to maintain the desired heat input. 13. The deposition method according to 12.   The deposition method according to claim 12, wherein the desired heat input is a moving average heat input of the current waveform.   The desired heat input includes the material type of the workpiece, the type of welding material, the welding size, the welding position, the type of application, the size of the gap to be filled, the wire feed rate for the welding material and the The deposition method of claim 12, wherein the deposition method is determined based on at least one or a combination of workpiece thicknesses.   The deposition method of claim 12, wherein the desired heat input is a moving average power input of the current waveform.   The deposition method of claim 12, wherein the controller controls the current waveform such that a range of a ratio of the arc deposition process joule to the hot wire process joule is 2.5: 1 to 10: 1. .   13. The deposition method of claim 12, wherein the controller controls the current waveform such that a range of a ratio of the arc deposition process joule to the hot wire process joule is 3: 1 to 7: 1.

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