Method of designing and manufacturing welding-type power supplies

A method of manufacturing a plurality of welding-type system suitable for at least one of a plurality of processes, comprising:

• providing a power module that produces a module output power, and having a maximum module output power of at least Ppm, wherein the power module includes a common boost preregulator and a converter circuit connected to the preregulator;
• determining a desired maximum system power Pd1 for a first particular system;
• connecting N power modules in parallel such that the parallel connection has an input and an output, wherein N is the integer equal to Pd1/Ppm rounded up to the nearest integer, wherein the output is a system output, thereby making a first welding-type system;
• providing a second power module that produces the module output power, and has the maximum module output power of at least Ppm, wherein the second power module includes the common preregulator, and the second power module further includes a second converter circuit connected to the preregulator;
• determining a desired maximum system power Pd2 for a second particular system;
• and
• connecting N2 second power modules in parallel such that the parallel connection has a second input and a second output, wherein N2 is the integer equal to Pd2/Ppm rounded up to the nearest integer, wherein the output is a system output, thereby making a second welding-type system.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of welding-type systems suitable for at least one of a plurality of processes, comprising:

• providing a first power module that produces a first module output power, and having a maximum module output power of at least Ppm1, wherein the first power module includes a boost preregulator capable of receiving any input voltage over a range of input voltages, and the first power module further includes a first converter circuit connected to the preregulator;
• providing a second power module that produces a second module output power, and having a maximum module output power of at least Ppm2, wherein the second power module includes a second preregulator capable of receiving any input voltage over a range of input voltages, and the second power module further includes a second converter circuit connected to the preregulator;
• determining a desired maximum system power Pd1 for a first particular system;
• and
• connecting N first power modules in parallel with M second power modules, such that the parallel connection has an input and an output, wherein the total power output is at least Pd1.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of welding-type systems suitable for at least one of a plurality of processes, comprising:

• providing a power module that produces a module output power, and having a maximum module output power of at least Ppm, wherein the power module includes a common boost preregulator capable of power factor correcting an input, and the power module further includes a convecter circuit connected to the preregulator;
• determining a desired maximum system power Pd1 for a first particular system;
• and
• connecting N power modules in parallel such that the parallel connection has an input and an output, wherein N is the integer equal to Pd1/Ppm rounded up to the nearest integer, wherein the output is a system output, thereby making a first welding-type system.