The present disclosure relates generally to the field of welding systems and processes, and more particularly to welding systems and processes that utilize induction heating as an additional source of heating energy.
Productivity is of high importance in any manufacturing operation. In many manufacturing operations, welding of workpieces is an important and integral part of producing high quality assemblies. A number of welding systems have been used and are being developed, including gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), and so forth. And all of these may be used depending upon such factors as the parts to be joined, the size and thicknesses of the materials, the final assembly desired, and the materials used.
In some contexts, it has been proposed to utilize secondary heat sources, such as induction heating, in conjunction with welding systems. Such processes are sometimes referred to as “hybrid induction welding” processes. Hybrid induction welding can produce welds at higher speeds, with less pre-weld preparation, and using fewer consumables compared to processes such as arc welding alone. Moreover, supplemental heating can change the cooling rate of the weld, which can improve the quality of the finished weld. All fusion welding processes, where a metal is melted in order to form a weld joint, involve the application of, or generation of, heat in some form. Hybrid induction welding processes add heat from an induction heating head or source which improves the productivity. But, the addition of extra heat can be detrimental—some alloys are sensitive to temperature and higher temperatures or larger heated areas can be detrimental to the quality and properties of the weld or the heat affected zone adjacent to the weld. Added heat can cause increased distortion resulting in welds which must be straightened after the weld, or which require additional processing post-welding.
There continue to be needs for improvement in such hybrid induction welding processes, however, particularly for addressing such drawbacks in existing systems.