Welding or additive manufacturing system with discontinuous electrode feeding

Abstract

A welding system includes a consumable electrode, torch, wire feeder, and power supply. The power supply is configured to provide a plurality of waveforms to the torch to generate a welding current in the electrode. Each of the plurality of waveforms includes a pinch current portion followed by an arcing current portion, and the pinch current portion is preceded by a first arc suppression portion and the arcing current portion is followed by a second arc suppression portion. An arc exists between the electrode and a workpiece during the arcing current portion, and an air gap without an arc exists between the consumable electrode and the workpiece during the arc suppression portions. The power supply is configured to detect a short between the electrode and workpiece and generate the pinch current portion when the short is detected, and the wire feeder stops feeding the electrode when the short is detected and restarts feeding the electrode after the short is clear.