US 12,465,992 B2
Systems and methods for controlled arc and short phase time adjustment
Richard M. Hutchison, Iola, WI (US); and Dustin Wagner, Greenville, WI (US)
Assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed by Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/737,587.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/799,342, filed on Jan. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0246902 A1, Aug. 6, 2020
Int. Cl. B23K 9/09 (2006.01); B23K 9/095 (2006.01); B23K 9/12 (2006.01); B23K 9/133 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 9/0953 (2013.01) [B23K 9/0956 (2013.01); B23K 9/125 (2013.01); B23K 9/133 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A welding-type system, comprising:
a welding-type power supply configured to generate output power for an arc welding process; and
a controller configured to:
calculate a representative duration of a plurality of short circuit events during the arc welding process, wherein each short circuit event transitions from an arc event, and each short circuit event comprises a transitional phase that includes a drop in voltage from a peak voltage level to a first low voltage level corresponding to a short circuit, followed by an intermediate phase initiated by current rising from a first background current level to a target current level and an increase in voltage to an intermediate voltage level that is less than the peak voltage level, and then followed by an end phase that includes a drop in voltage to a second low voltage level and a drop in current to a second background current level prior to transitioning to another arc event by maintaining the background current level while the voltage increases;
calculate a sum of a duration of the transitional phase, a duration of the intermediate phase, and a duration of a ramp down time during the end phase from a target current of the intermediate phase to a target current of the end phase associated with a given short circuit event;
select a predetermined value for a duration of the end phase; and
control the welding-type power supply to adjust one of a duration of the transitional phase, the intermediate phase or the ramp down time associated with the given short circuit event such that the sum is within a threshold range of the representative duration, and to maintain the duration of the end phase less than the predetermined value.