Strip cladding heads having strip pressure limits and strip cladding systems with strip cladding heads having strip pressure limits

A cladding head for a strip cladding system, comprising:

• a first contact jaw comprising first and second contacts configured to deliver welding power to a cladding strip that is driven between the first and second contacts;
• a first contact pressure adjuster configured to set a first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the cladding strip;
• a first strip lock preventer configured to limit the first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the cladding strip to less than a threshold pressure, wherein the threshold pressure is set to prevent locking of the cladding strip by the first and second contacts;
• a second contact jaw comprising third and fourth contacts configured to deliver the welding power to the cladding strip that is driven between the third and fourth contacts;
• a second contact pressure adjuster configured to set a second pressure applied by the third and fourth contacts to the cladding strip;
• and
• a second strip lock preventer configured to limit the second pressure applied by the third and fourth contacts to the cladding strip.

A strip cladding system, comprising:

• a power source to provide welding power;
• and
• a cladding head configurable to deliver first cladding strips having a first width to a workpiece using the welding power and configurable to deliver second cladding strips having a second width to the workpiece, the cladding head comprising:
• a first contact jaw comprising first and second contacts configured to:
• deliver the welding power to the first cladding strips when the first cladding strips are driven between the first and second contacts;
• and
• deliver the welding power to the second cladding strips when the second cladding strips are driven between the first and second contacts;
• a second contact jaw comprising third and fourth contacts to deliver the welding power to the second cladding strips when the second cladding strips are driven between the third and fourth contacts;
• a first contact pressure adjuster configured to set a first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the first cladding strips when the first cladding strips are driven between the first and second contacts and to set the first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the second cladding strips when the second cladding strips are driven between the first and second contacts;
• a first strip lock preventer configured to limit the first pressure applied by the first and second contacts to the first cladding strips or to the second cladding strips to less than a threshold pressure;
• a second contact pressure adjuster configured to set a second pressure applied by the third and fourth contacts to the second cladding strips when the second cladding strips are driven between the third and fourth contacts, and to relieve the second pressure when the first cladding strips are driven between the first and second contacts of the first contact jaw;
• and
• a second strip lock preventer configured to limit the second pressure applied by the third and fourth contacts to the second cladding strips to less than the threshold pressure when the second cladding strips are driven between the third and fourth contacts, wherein the threshold pressure is set to prevent locking of the second cladding strips by the first and second contacts.