Method and apparatus for welding with restrike

A method of controlling a welding process comprising:

• a) detecting it a short is present;
• b) if a short is detected increasing an output current;
• c) repeating a) and b) at least one additional time;
• d) detecting if the short is present;
• and
• e) if a short is present increasing the current to a second clearing magnitude;
• wherein the increase of step e) is greater than any increase of step b).

A method of clearing a short in an arc welding process, comprising:

• raising an output current by a first increment;
• raising the current by a second increment if the short has not cleared;
• and
• raising the current by a third increment if the short has not cleared;
• wherein the third increment is greater than the first and second increments.

A method of clearing a short in a welding process comprising:

• increasing an output current from a first magnitude to a second magnitude;
• detecting if the short has cleared after the current has reached the second magnitude;
• and
• increasing the current to a hard clearing magnitude, in the event the short hasn't cleared, and without regard to the short clearing when the current is increasing;
• wherein the difference between the second magnitude and the first magnitude is less than the difference between the hard clearing magnitude and the second magnitude.

A method of clearing a short in a welding process comprising:

• increasing an output current from a first magnitude to a second magnitude;
• detecting if the short has cleared after the current has reached the second magnitude;
• and
• linearly increasing the current to a third magnitude, in the event the short hasn't cleared;
• wherein the difference between the second magnitude and the first magnitude is less than the difference between the third magnitude and the second magnitude.

A system for welding comprising:

• a source of welding power, having a control input;
• a feedback module;
• a controller, having
• a current command output connected to the control input, and
• a short detection module having a short detect output, responsive to the feedback module, and indicative of the presence or absence of a shorted arc,
• a restrike module receiving as an input the short detect output, and having an incremented current command module responsive to the short detect output, further wherein the incremented current command output has at least first, second and third increments;
• wherein the first increment is provided from a normal operating magnitude to a first clearing magnitude;
• further wherein the second increment is provided from the first clearing magnitude to a second clearing magnitude;
• further wherein the third increment is provided from the second clearing magnitude to a third clearing magnitude;
• and
• further wherein the third increment is greater than the first and second increments.

A system for welding comprising:

• a source of welding power having a control input;
• a feed back module;
• a controller, having
• a current command output connected to the control input, and
• a short detection module having a short detect output, responsive to the feedback module, and indicative of the presence or absence of a shorted arc,
• a restrike module receiving as an input short detect output, and having an incremented current command module responsive to the short detect output, further wherein the incremented current command output has at least first and second increments;
• wherein the first increment is provided from a first magnitude to a second magnitude;
• further wherein the second increment is provided from the second magnitude to a third magnitude;
• further wherein the second increment is greater than the first increment.

A system for welding comprising:

• means for providing welding power;
• means for feeding back;
• and
• means for controlling the welding power, connected to the means for providing welding power and the means for feeding back;
• wherein the means for controlling includes means for incrementing an output current command in response to a shorted arc such that the current is incremented at least a first increment and a second increment, such that the first increment is performed after a shorted arc is detected, and further such that the second increment is performed after the first increment, and if the shorted arc has not cleared, and further wherein the second increment is greater than the first increment.

A system for welding comprising:

• means for providing welding power;
• means for feeding back;
• and
• means for controlling the welding power, connected to the means for providing welding power and the means for feeding back;
• wherein the means for controlling includes means for clearing a short by increasing current by at least first and second increment, wherein an output current is increased if the short has not cleared prior to the increase, and further wherein the second increment is greater than the first increment.

A controller that commands a welding system to clear a short comprising:

• a current command output;
• means for soft-clearing the short, connected to the current command output;
• and
• means for hard-clearing the short if the short did not clear in response to the means soft-clearing.

An apparatus for clearing a short in a welding process comprising:

• means for increasing an output current from a first magnitude to a second magnitude, connected to a current command input;
• means for detecting if the short has cleared after the current has reached the second magnitude;
• and
• increasing the current to a third magnitude, in the event the short hasn't cleared, connected to the current command input an further connect tot he means for detecting;
• wherein the difference between the second magnitude and the first magnitude is less than the difference between the third magnitude and the second magnitude.

An apparatus for clearing a short in an arc welding process, comprising:

• means for providing current;
• means for raising an output current by a first increment, connected to the means for providing;
• means for raising the current by a second increment if the short has not cleared, connected to the means for providing;
• and
• means for raising the current by a third increment if the short has not cleared, connected to the means for providing;
• wherein the third increment is greater than the first and second increments.

An apparatus for clearing a short in a welding process comprising:

• a source of current;
• means for increasing an output current from a first magnitude to a second magnitude, connected to the source of current;
• means for detecting if the short has cleared after the current has reached the second magnitude, connected to the source of current;
• and
• means for linearly increasing the current to a third magnitude, in the event the short hasn't cleared, connected to the source of current;
• wherein the difference between the second magnitude and the first magnitude is less than the difference between the third magnitude and the second magnitude.