Welding wire positioning system
AssigneeLincoln Global, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Hsu, Elliott K. Stava, Jeffrey R. Klein, David J. Barton, George D. Blankenship
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrode position detection system for a welder having a laser that is projected in a lateral plane to laterally cross a welding wire at a location below a contact tip of a welding gun and a receiver that receive the laser bean after crossing the welding wire, and a measuring device that determines one or more parameter of the welding wire based on the received laser beam. Arc voltage measurements can also be used to determine one or more parameter of the welding wire.
Claims47
An electrode detection system for a weld determine at least one parameter of a consumable welding wire after the consumable welding wire is moved through a welding gun during a weld process comprising:
- a welding wire having a width that is feedable through a contact tip of a welding gun;
- a first electromagnetic wave that is at least partially projected and/or scanned laterally across said welding wire at a location at least partially below said contact tip as said welding wire is moving so that said welding wire eclipses at least a portion of said electromagnetic wave as said moving welding wire is fed from said contact tip, said electromagnetic wave projected and/or scanned over a region larger than said width of said welding wire;
- a receiver that at least partially receives said first electromagnetic wave;
- and,
- a measuring device that determines at least one parameter of said welding wire based on said first electromagnetic wave received by said receiver.
A method of determining at least one parameter of a welding wire that passes through a contact tip of a welding gun comprising the steps of:
- a) passing a welding wire having a width through a contact tip of a welding gun;
- b) directing a first electromagnetic wave toward said welding wire such that at least a portion of said first electromagnetic wave is projected and/or scanned laterally across said welding wire at a region on said welding wire that is positioned below said contact tip, said welding eclipsing at least a portion of said first electromagnetic wave as said moving welding wire is fed from said contact tip, said electromagnetic wave projected and/or scanned over a region larger than said width of said welding wire;
- c) receiving at least a portion of said first electromagnetic wave that has passed said welding wire;
- and,
- d) determining at least one parameter of said welding wire based upon the received portion of said first electromagnetic wave.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.