Hotwire deposition material processing system and method
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsKevin Michael Scott, Richard Martin Hutchison
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Abstract
A material processing system includes a power supply and a wire feeder to feed a wire electrode for a material processing operation. The enthalpy and/or temperature of a region of the tip of the electrode is maintained substantially constant via closed loop control. The control may be based upon regulation of current applied to the electrode. The control of the current may be based upon an electrode extension error. Wire feed speed may also be controlled to assist in maintaining a substantially constant enthalpy and/or temperature near the electrode tip.
Claims20
A material processing method, comprising:
- determining a desired change of enthalpy in an extension of a consumable electrode;
- advancing the electrode toward a workpiece to initiate a material processing operation;
- measuring enthalpy of the electrode;
- determining an actual change of enthalpy of the electrode;
- and
- regulating the enthalpy of an end of the extension of the electrode during the material processing operation to maintain a desired enthalpy change in the extension of the electrode using a linear relationship between a temperature of the electrode and the enthalpy above a fusion transition temperature of the electrode, wherein the enthalpy is regulated by regulating hotwire current applied to the electrode.
A material processing method, comprising:
- determining a desired change of enthalpy of a consumable electrode in an extension of the electrode;
- advancing the electrode toward a workpiece to initiate a material processing operation;
- measuring enthalpy of the electrode;
- determining a change of enthalpy in the extension of the electrode;
- and
- regulating the enthalpy of the tip of the electrode by regulating a wire feed speed of the electrode to maintain the desired enthalpy change in the extension of the electrode using a linear relationship between a temperature of the electrode and the enthalpy above the fusion transition temperature of the electrode.
A material processing system comprising:
- a power supply configured to provide power for a material processing operation;
- a wire electrode feeder configured to advance a consumable electrode during the material processing operation;
- and
- a control system configured to:
- determining a desired change of enthalpy in an extension of the electrode;
- measure enthalpy of the electrode;
- determining a change of enthalpy of the electrode;
- and
- regulate enthalpy of a tip of the electrode by regulating wire feed speed of the electrode to maintain the desired enthalpy change in the extension of the electrode using a linear relationship between the temperature of the electrode and the enthalpy, wherein the desired enthalpy change is configured to heat a portion of the electrode to a first temperature less than or equal to a melting temperature of a material of the electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.