Variable PWM frequency responsive to power increase event in welding system

An apparatus comprising:

• a power inverter of a welding or cutting system and configured to generate an alternating current (AC) signal responsive to pulse width modulation (PWM) that controls the AC signal;
• and
• a controller configured to perform, upon detecting a power increase event in the welding or cutting system that necessitates an increase in the AC signal, controlling the PWM to cause the power inverter to increase the AC signal over consecutive PWM cycles by:
• generating a first PWM cycle having a first period and a first on-time corresponding to a first duty cycle of the first PWM cycle that is greater than 50%;
• and
• immediately after the first PWM cycle, generating a second PWM cycle having a second period that is greater than the first period and a second on-time that is greater than the first on-time and that corresponds to a second duty cycle of the second PWM cycle that is greater than 50%.