Electric arc welder and method for controlling the welding process of the welder

An electric arc welder configured to selectively operate in a non-regulated voltage mode and a regulated voltage mode for performing a given weld process with a selected A.C. pulse current waveform performed between an electrode and a workpiece, said current waveform including a positive segment and a negative segment, with at least one segment including a peak current and background current, said welder comprising:

• a power source with a controller having a digital processor including first program operations operable in the non-regulated voltage mode to calculate the real time power factor of the weld current and weld voltage;
• and, a circuit to adjust said peak current to maintain said power factor at a given level, second program operations operable in the regulated voltage mode to control the waveform voltage by an error circuit having an error output signal generated by a difference between a first input signal representing a desired or set voltage for at least a portion of said waveform and a second input signal representing a sum of an arc voltage and an arc current of said waveform multiplied by a slope constant, and an adjustment operation to reduce said error output signal by adjusting the voltage of said waveform.

An electric arc welder configured to selectively operate in a non-regulated voltage mode and a regulated voltage mode for performing a pulse welding process with a selected waveform performed between an electrode and workpiece where an arc voltage and an arc current are created between the electrode and the workpiece, said waveform having a peak current and a background current, said welder comprising:

• a power source with a waveform generator having a control signal input with a value determining the shape of said waveform;
• a controller with first program operations operable in the non-regulated voltage mode, with a first input representative of the actual power factor of said power source, a second input representing a desired power factor and an output signal directed to said signal control input of said wave shape generator wherein said actual power factor is held at said desired power factor by adjusting said background current of said waveform, and second program operations operable in the regulated voltage mode to generate the waveform voltage to have a slope application of a slope constant.

An electric arc welder configured to selectively operate in a non-regulated voltage mode and a regulated voltage mode for performing a pulse welding process with a selected waveform performed between an electrode and workpiece where an arc voltage and an arc current are created between the electrode and the workpiece, said waveform having a peak current and a background current, said welder comprising:

• a power source with a waveform generator having a control signal input with a value determining the shape of said waveform;
• a controller with first program operations operable in the non-regulated voltage mode, with a first input representative of the actual power factor of said power source, a second input representing a desired power factor and an output signal directed to said control signal input of said wave shape generator wherein said actual power factor is held at said desired power factor by adjusting said peak current of said waveform, and second program operations operable in the regulated voltage mode to generate the waveform voltage to have a slope by application of a slope constant.