Patent ID: 11931835
Assignee: LINCOLN GLOBAL, INC.
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 13:
14. A robotic welding system, comprising:
a robotic subsystem configured to control movement of a welding torch, having a contact tip, across a workpiece while maintaining a set contact tip to work distance (CTWD) during a pulsed welding operation;
a wire feeder configured to feed a welding wire electrode toward the workpiece through the welding torch during the pulsed welding operation; and
a welding power source operatively connected to the robotic subsystem and the wire feeder, the welding power source configured to:
(a) generate and output a series of a determined number of welding output pulses to form an arc between the welding wire electrode and the workpiece as the welding wire electrode is fed toward the workpiece during the pulsed welding operation,
(b) stop generating welding output pulses after generating and outputting the series of the determined number of welding output pulses while allowing the welding wire electrode to continue to be fed toward the workpiece in an attempt to electrically short to the workpiece during the pulsed welding operation,
(c) attempt to confirm that the welding wire electrode has electrically shorted to the workpiece within a determined error time period after stopping generation of the welding output pulses during the pulsed welding operation, and
(d) repeat steps (a) through (c) if electrical shorting of the welding wire electrode has been confirmed within the determined error time period, else
express a system fault and shut down the robotic welding system to avoid damaging the welding torch.