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US 2018/0009054 A1Published application
Metal wire feeding system
AssigneeNorsk Titanium AS
InventorsTrond FORSETH, Brede VIGDAL, Tom-Erik FALLA, Dyre ROLSTAD, Arne RAMSLAND
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Abstract
Provided are a systems and methods for continuously providing a metal wire to a welding torch for manufacturing objects by solid freeform fabrication to provide continuous deposition of metal to the freeform object, especially objects made with titanium or titanium alloy wire.
Claims28
A metal wire feeding system, comprising:
- a positionally adjustable wire supply spool;
- a cabinet comprising an entry wire position detector containing an aperture;
- a wire feeding device comprising a first motorized grooved roller, a first passive grooved roller, and a first motor attached to the first motorized grooved roller, wherein the first motorized grooved roller and the first passive grooved roller form a channel therebetween;
- a combination of at least three slack wire guides, wherein a first slack wire guide is positioned after the wire feeding device an in line therewith, a second slack wire guide positioned to the right of and below the first slack wire guide, and a third slack wire guide positioned to the left of and below the first slackwire guide;
- a slack wire pulling device comprising a second motorized grooved roller, a second passive grooved roller, and a second motor attached to the second motorized grooved roller, wherein the second motorized grooved roller and the second passive grooved roller form a channel therebetween;
- and
- a cabinet exit guide.
4 more elements
A method of providing a metal wire to a welding torch, comprising:
- advancing a sufficient amount of the metal wire from a wire supply source to form a loop of slack wire;
- advancing an amount of slack wire from the loop of slack wire to the plasma arc of a welding torch;
- and
- supplying additional metal wire from the wire supply source to compensate for the amount of slack wire advanced to the welding torch to maintain a loop of slack wire.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.