Patent ID: 9616514
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: B23K

Claim:
1. A process for detecting detachment of a droplet from a wire during a welding operation that uses a shielding gas comprising the steps of: providing a welding signal to a welding electrode in a succession of welding cycles during a spray or pulsed spray welding process, each said welding cycle including a pulsed output comprised of a background output condition with a superimposed high output pulse condition during which the welding electrode heats up to a molten droplet and is pinched off and separates from the end of the electrode; measuring at least one welding parameter during said welding process to determine a start time for the measurement of the at least one welding parameter; calculating a derivative over time of said at least one welding parameter; during said high output pulse condition, identifying droplet detachment from the wire by detecting a peak signature in the absence of a short circuit condition within said derivative of at least one welding parameter during an arc of the welding operation to determine an end time for the measurement of the at least one welding parameter, a difference between the start time and end time being a time duration; and returning to said background output condition by reducing a magnitude of at least one welding parameter of said pulsed output used with said welding process based on said step of detecting the peak signature within said derivative, and using the time duration to modify a subsequent welding cycle.