Patent ID: 8158905

Claim:
A method of controlling arc shielding gas during an arc welding operation, the method comprising the steps of: (a) actuating a first valve connected to an arc initiation source of gas to selectively allow an arc initiation gas to flow from the arc initiation source of gas through a mixing chamber and a weld gun; (b) initiating an arc; (c) after step (b), actuating a second valve connected to a primary shielding source of gas to selectively allow a primary shielding gas to flow from the primary shielding source of gas through the mixing chamber and the weld gun; (d) after step (b), actuating the first valve to reduce the arc initiation gas flow from the arc initiation source of gas; (e) after step (c), continuing with the arc welding operation, monitoring weld parameters, and adjusting the flow from the arc initiation and primary shielding sources of gas when a determination is made that more of the arc initiation gas is required; (f) after step (e), determining when the arc welding operation is nearing completion; and (g) when the arc welding operation is nearing completion, actuating the first valve to cause the arc welding operation to operate in a spray transfer welding mode, thereby resulting in a conical shaped wire tip.