Apparatus and method for welding with AC waveform

A welding system, comprising:

• a welding power converter configured to receive an input power and output a welding waveform to a welding electrode for a welding operation on a workpiece;
• a short circuit detection circuit which detects a short circuit event between said welding electrode and said workpiece and detects a short clearing event between said welding electrode and said workpiece;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the short circuit detection circuit, wherein the controller includes a timer, where said timer begins counting at the detection of said short clearing event for a predetermined duration, wherein the controller is further operatively connected to the welding power converter to control the welding waveform,
• wherein said welding waveform comprises:
• a short circuit clearing portion which is initiated by the controller after the detection of said short circuit event;
• an arc generation portion which is initiated by the controller after the detection of said short clearing event, wherein the arc generation portion includes a peak current level and a background current level that is lower than the peak current level, and wherein said predetermined duration ends while the arc generation portion is at the background current level, and
• a short promotion portion which promotes contact between said welding electrode and said workpiece, where said short promotion portion is initiated by the controller upon said timer counting to the predetermined duration, and said short promotion portion has a lower current level than the background current level and the lower current level is maintained until another short circuit event is detected.