Method and system of controlling heating current for hot wire processes

Abstract

A system and method for controlling heating current for hot-wire processes in any of brazing, cladding, building up, filling, hard-facing overlaying, welding, and joining applications is provided. The system includes a high intensity energy source configured to heat at least one workpiece to create a molten puddle. The system also includes a feeder subsystem that includes a wire feeder configured to feed a filler wire to the molten puddle, a first power supply configured to supply a first current through a first length of the filler wire, and a second power supply configured to supply a second current through a second length of the filler wire. The first current and the second current provide a power sufficient to resistance-heat the filler wire to at or near a melting temperature of the filler wire, and in some embodiment, the first power supply provides more than 50% of the power.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.