Method and apparatus for retracting and advancing a welding wire

A welding-type power source, comprising:

• a wire feeder disposed to provide wire to an arc including a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc;
• a power supply disposed to provide power to the arc;
• a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to move the wire to and away from the arc and to superimpose movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• a buffer disposed between the wire feed motor and the reversible motor;
• and
• a controller, connected to the wire feeder, and including a reversible wire feeder control module connected to the reversible wire feeder and, wherein the reversible wire feeder control module includes a reversible motor output, and including a mean arc current control module having an arc current control output responsive to mean arc current and connected to the power supply, and including a buffer feedback module and a wire feed motor output responsive to the buffer feedback module.

A welding-type power source, comprising:

• a wire feeder disposed to provide wire to an arc, including a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc;
• a power supply disposed to provide power to the arc;
• a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to move the wire to and away from the arc and to superimpose movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• a controller, connected to the power supply and the wire feeder, arid including a reversible wire feeder control module connected to the reversible wire feeder and, wherein the reversible wire feeder control module includes a reversible motor output, arid the controller includes a wire feed motor output slaved to an average of the reversible motor output;
• and
• a short detection feedback circuit, providing an input to the controller.

A welding-type power source, comprising:

• a wire feeder, includes a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc, disposed to provide wire to an arc;
• a power supply disposed to provide power to the arc;
• a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to move the wire to and away from the arc whereby movement of the wire is superimposed onto the movement of the wire from the wire feed motor;
• a controller, connected to the power supply, and including a reversible wire motor output connected to the reversible wire feeder and, including a wire feed motor output slaved to an average of the reversible motor output.

A welding-type power source, comprising:

• a wire feeder includes a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc, disposed to provide wire to an arc;
• a power supply disposed to provide power to the arc;
• a reversible wire feed motor, disposed to move the wire to and away from the arc whereby movement of the wire is superimposed onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• a buffer disposed between the wire feed motor and the reversible motor;
• and
• a controller, connected to the power supply, and including a reversible wire feeder control module connected to the reversible wire feeder, and having a buffer feedback input, and having and a wire feed motor output responsive to the buffer feedback input and connected to the wire feeder.

A method of providing welding-type power, comprising:

• feeding wire to the arc;
• providing power to the arc;
• reversing the direction of the wire while continuing to feed wire toward a welding torch, at least once per process cycle for a plurality of consecutive cycles;
• providing a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc;
• providing a reversible motor to superimpose movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• buffering wire from the superimposition;
• and
• controlling a speed of the wire feed motor output in response to the buffering.

A method of providing welding-type power, comprising;

• feeding wire to the arc;
• providing power to the arc;
• reversing the direction of the wire;
• controlling the power in response to mean arc current;
• providing a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc;
• providing a reversible motor that superimposes movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• and
• slaving the speed of the wire feed motor to an average speed of the reversible motor.

A method of providing welding-type power, comprising:

• feeding wire to the arc;
• providing power to the arc;
• reversing the direction of the wire while continuing to feed wire toward a welding torch;
• detecting when the arc has shorted and controlling the power and the direction of the wire in response thereto;
• providing a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc;
• providing a reversible motor to superimpose movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• buffering wire from the superimposition;
• and
• controlling a speed of the wire feed motor output in response to the buffering.

A method of providing welding-type power, comprising:

• feeding wire to the arc with a wire feed motor;
• providing power to the arc;
• reversing the direction of the wire with a reversible motor that superimposes movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor;
• and
• slaving the speed of the wire feed motor to an average speed of the reversible motor.

A method of providing welding-type power, comprising:

• feeding wire to the arc;
• providing power to the arc;
• reversing the direction of the wire;
• buffering wire from the reversing;
• and
• controlling a speed of the wire feed motor output in response to the buffering.

A system for providing welding-type power, comprising:

• means for feeding wire to the arc including a wire feed motor for moving the wire to the arc;
• means for providing power to the arc;
• and
• means for reversing the direction of the wire, including a reversible motor that superimposes movement of the wire onto the movement from the wire feed motor, while continuing to feed wire toward a welding torch at least once per process cycle for a plurality of consecutive cycles, connected to the means for feeding;
• and
• means for slaving the speed of the wire feed motor to an average speed of the reversible motor, connected to the wire feed motor.

A system for providing welding-type power, comprising:

• means for feeding wire to the arc including a wire feed motor and a reversible motor;
• means for providing power to the arc;
• means for reversing the direction of the wire, disposed adjacent the wire;
• means for controlling the power in response to mean arc current, connected to the means for providing;
• and
• means for slaving the speed of the wire feed motor to an average speed of the reversible motor, connected to the means for feeding.

A system for providing welding-type power, comprising:

• means for feeding wire to the arc;
• means for providing power to the arc;
• means for reversing the direction of the wire while continuing to feed wire toward a welding torch, connected to the wire;
• means for detecting when the arc has shorted and controlling at least one of the power and the direction of the wire in response thereto, connected to at least one of the means for feeding and the means for providing;
• and
• means for buffering wire from the reversing, connected to the means for feeding, and means for controlling a speed of the wire feed motor output in response to the buffering, connected to the means for providing.

A system for providing welding-type power, comprising;

• means for feeding wire to the arc;
• means for providing power to the arc;
• means for reversing the direction of the wire with a reversible motor that superimposes movement of the wire onto the movement from the means for feeding, adjacent the wire;
• and
• means for slaving the speed of the wire feed motor to an average speed of the reversible motor, connected to the means for feeding.

A system for providing welding-type power, comprising:

• means for feeding wire to the arc;
• means for providing power to the arc;
• means for reversing the direction of the wire, disposed adjacent the wire;
• means for buffering wire from the reversing, disposed between the means for feeding and the means for reversing;
• and
• means for controlling a speed of the means for feeding in response to the buffering, connected to the means for feeding.