# US 11,027,359 B2 · Systems and methods for determining welding parameters using material thickness and wire diameter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,359 B2 - Document ID: US11027359B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/468,437 - Filed: 2017-03-24 - Published: 2017-07-06 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-04 - Assignees: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Applicants: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Inventors: Darrell L. Sickels - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027359B2 ## CPC - B23K 9/16: making use of shielding gas - B23K 9/10: Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls - B23K 9/1006: {Power supply} - B23K 9/12: Automatic feeding or moving of electrodes or work for spot or seam welding or cutting - B23K 9/124: {Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire} - B23K 9/167: and of a non-consumable electrode - B23K 9/173: and of a consumable electrode - B23K 9/32: Accessories - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM ## Abstract Systems and methods for determining welding parameters using material thickness and wire diameter are disclosed. An example welding-type system includes a power source; an input device configured to receive a first user input specifying a thickness of a material to be welded; and control circuitry configured to: determine a plurality of welding parameters based on the first user input and based on a user-specified wire diameter; control the power source based on one or more of the welding parameters; and control a wire feeder based on one or more of the welding parameters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A welding-type system, comprising: a power source; an input device configured to receive a first user input specifying a thickness of a material to be welded, wherein the input device is configured to select one of a plurality of discrete predetermined material thicknesses; and control circuitry configured to: determine a plurality of welding parameters for a user-specified welding process based on the first user input and based on a user-specified wire diameter, a user-specified gas type, and a user-specified wire type, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of welding parameters by determining at least a wire feed speed and a power source weld voltage by accessing a look up table based on the material thickness and the wire diameter; control the power source based on at least the power source weld voltage of the plurality of welding parameters; and control a wire feeder based on at least the wire feed speed of the plurality of welding parameters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, further comprising the wire feeder configured to feed wire to a weld. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the material is specified using only the input device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises at least one of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or non-programmable operational circuitry. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a control knob. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the welding-type system is capable of performing MIG welding and TIG welding. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: identify a change in an output voltage or arc length; and in response to identifying the change, change the wire feed speed based on the changed output voltage or arc length. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the user-specified wire diameter based on a second user input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a process type based on a second user input, wherein the control circuitry determines the plurality of welding parameters based further on the process type specified by the second user input. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The welding-type system as defined in claim 1, wherein the discrete predetermined material thicknesses comprise discrete predetermined material thickness ranges. ### Claim 11 A method to control a welding power supply, comprising: receiving, via an input device of a welding power supply, a first user input specifying one of a plurality of discrete predetermined thicknesses of a material to be welded; determining, via a control circuit of the welding power supply, a plurality of welding parameters for a user-specified welding process based on the first user input and based on a user-specified wire diameter, a user-specified gas type, and a user-specified wire type, wherein the determining of the plurality of welding parameters comprises determining at least a wire feed speed and a power source weld voltage by accessing a look up table based on the material thickness and the wire diameter; controlling, via the control circuit, the power source based on at least the power source weld voltage of the plurality of welding parameters; and controlling, via the control circuit, a wire feeder based on at least the wire feed speed of the plurality of welding parameters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the controlling of the power source comprises outputting welding power to a MIG process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as defined in claim 11, further comprising: identifying a change in an output voltage or arc length; and in response to identifying the change, changing the wire feed speed based on the changed output voltage or arc length. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as defined in claim 11, further comprising determining the user-specified wire diameter based on a second user input. ### Claim 15 A welding-type system, comprising: a power source; a user interface on an exterior of the power source, the user interface comprising only a single parameter adjustment control knob configured to receive a first user input specifying one of a plurality of discrete predetermined thicknesses of a material to be welded; a wire feeder integrated into the power source and configured to feed wire to a weld; and control circuitry configured to: determine a wire feed speed and a power source weld voltage based on the first user input and based on a wire diameter; control the power source based on the power source weld voltage; and control the wire feeder based on the wire feed speed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The welding-type system as defined in claim 15, wherein the welding-type system is capable of performing MIG welding and TIG welding. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The welding-type system as defined in claim 15, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the wire diameter based on a second user input within the wire feeder.