Patent ID: 11931832
Assignee: LINCOLN GLOBAL, INC.
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 11:
12. A welding method, comprising the steps of:
providing a welding system comprising:
a welding power supply configured to generate a welding waveform;
a wire feeder operatively connected to the welding power supply to conduct the welding waveform to a wire electrode, wherein the wire feeder includes a drive motor that drives the wire electrode bidirectionally, and a motor current sensor that senses a current level of the drive motor;
a welding current sensor that senses a welding current level; and
a welding voltage sensor that senses a welding voltage level;

detecting a contact event between the wire electrode and a non-workpiece object that is electrically insulated from the welding power supply based on the current level signal from the motor current sensor and one or both of the welding current level and the welding voltage level; and
automatically reversing the drive motor and retracting the wire electrode upon detecting the contact event between the wire electrode and the non-workpiece object.