Anyone have a setup they've made for build up welding of shafts? I'm putting something together to semi-automate driveline welding and I'd like it to have the ability to build up a shaft when needed.
I was going to use a chain and sprockets off a DC gearmotor to move the MIG torch, varying the feedrate with a variable DC drive. But the more I think about it it seems like it should somehow be geared off the rotation of the shaft being welded. Having two axis controlled with variable speed motors seems like it could be a nightmare to get dialed in.
What are your guy's thoughts on this? Would a fixed ratio, say .200 per rev or thereabout be right for mig buildup or do you need a few different feedrates for different applications?
I was going to use a chain and sprockets off a DC gearmotor to move the MIG torch, varying the feedrate with a variable DC drive. But the more I think about it it seems like it should somehow be geared off the rotation of the shaft being welded. Having two axis controlled with variable speed motors seems like it could be a nightmare to get dialed in.
What are your guy's thoughts on this? Would a fixed ratio, say .200 per rev or thereabout be right for mig buildup or do you need a few different feedrates for different applications?