Weaving is an arc welding technique which allows for filling a wide, flat joint or welding thick metals by adding a weave pattern to cover a larger surface area. It is achieved by offsetting the motion of the weld arc as it moves along the taught weld path.
The types of weaving patterns available for use are mentioned below -
Triangle (Cross) Weave
Whip Stitch (In-Line) Weave
Triangle (Cross) Weave
This weave method moves the weld arc in a triangle pattern perpendicular to the travel path. The "Path Offsets" set the amplitude and the "Frequency" determines the number of waves of the weave pattern. The "Dwell" setting controls how long the motion of the torch pauses on each side of the pattern.
The table below shows the weaving parameters available for a user for the triangle weave pattern:
Weave Settings | Units | About |
Path Offset 1 | mm | Peak amplitude of the upper half cycle of the triangle wave |
Path Offset 2 | mm | Peak amplitude of the lower half cycle of the triangle wave |
Weave Frequency | Hz | Number of full waves per second |
Dwell Time 1 | seconds (s) | Time of movement suspension at the peak of the upper half of the wave (Path Offset 1) |
Dwell Time 2 | seconds (s) | Time of movement suspension at the trough of the lower half of the wave (Path Offset 2) |
NOTE: While performing a triangle weave, the robot always begins the weave motion with the bottom half wave i.e., Path Offset 2.
Whip Stitch (In-Line) Weave
The Whip Stitch Weave is a technique used to produce the "Stack of dimes" effect in welding by solidifying the weld seam in intervals using a front to back movement of the torch along the path of travel.
Weave Settings | Units | About |
Path Offset 1 | mm | Reverse push distance along the weld path. Recommended to be set to 0mm |
Path Offset 2 | mm | Forward push distance along weld path. Best results seen between 5mm and 7mm |
Weave Frequency | Hz | Number of cycles per second |
Dwell Time 1 | seconds (s) | Time of movement suspension at the peak of the side pattern along Path Offset 1 |
Dwell Time 2 | seconds (s) | Time of movement suspension at the peak of the side pattern along Path Offset 2 |
Note: The Whip Stitch weave method is primarily used for better appearance purposes only.
How to Calculate the Pitch
The table below shows the relationship between the frequency of pulses and the visual pitch between weld dimes at a particular robot travel speed.
Example: If the frequency is set at 5Hz and the robot travel speed is set at 20 inches/min, the distance between dimes of the weld would be 0.067''.
