Patent ID: 8203099

Claim:
A method of cladding or hard-facing an alloyed metal onto a parent metal with minimal admixture by generating a series of electric arc pulses between an advancing electrode comprising said alloyed metal and a workpiece comprising said parent metal, said method comprising: (a) increasing an output current level above a background current level over a first time segment; (b) regulating said output current level to a peak current level over a second time segment; (c) decreasing said output current level from said peak current level toward said background current level in an attempt to induce a first short of molten metal between said advancing electrode and said workpiece; (d) regulating said output current level to said background current level; (e) remaining at said background current level when said first short is not detected as occurring; (f) when said first short is detected as occurring, ramping said output current level above said background current level, until said first short is cleared at a ramped output current level; (g) generating a plasma boost pulse immediately upon clearing said first short by pulsing said output current level above said ramped output current level, starting when said first short is cleared, over a third time segment to prevent a second short from occurring; and (h) repeating steps (a) through (g) at a pre-defined pulse repetition rate for said series of pulses.