WTC MedWeld 5000, Technical Reference Manual

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Stepper Data
7 - 2 MedWeld 5000 Technical Reference Manual
M-032170
Linear Steppers
The conventional linear stepper tracks the number of welds completed.
It increases the heat provided to the weld at several programmed set
points. This serves to compensate for drifts in the welding process.
The stepper profile consists of a number of linear steps, and a parameter
to allow stepper grouping. Each linear step applies additional weld
current over a number of welds.
Because the stepper is linear, if a step is programmed to add 3% current
over 100 welds, it will actually add 1% after 33 welds, and another 1%
after 66 welds. (Heat is added in minimum increments of 1%, based on
the function selected.) By the 100th weld, the stepper is adding the full
3% current boost to the amount of current programmed in the weld
function.
At the end of a weld schedule, the control will verify the stepper that
was activated to see which group it belongs to. The control then
increments the weld count on all steppers that are associated to the
group. (Use the DEP-100S or other programming device to assign
steppers to a group.)
For example, if one gun (tips) was used to several different schedules
using different steppers, grouping allows you to automatically
increment the stepper for every schedule in the group every time the gun
is fired.
When the control completes the last weld in the last step, the electrode
tips must be dressed and the stepper reset.
To use the linear stepper, you must include Function #82 as the first
function in the weld schedule.
NOTE:
The stepper is not active during every weld function: it is incremented
only when you execute the following functions that provide weld current:
20 WELD 00 CY 00 %I
26 WELD 0000 MSEC 00 %I
30 WELD 00 CY 00000 AMPS
36 WELD 0000 MSEC 00000 AMPS
40 SLOPE 00 CY 00% TO 00% I
45 SLOPE 00 CY 00000 AMPS TO 00000 AMPS
Auxiliary Weld
Counters
Attached to each linear stepper is an Auxiliary Weld Counter. When a
stepper increments, its auxiliary weld counter also increments. When
the counter reaches the programmed value for the Aux. Counter Max
Counts = nnnnn setup parameter, the AUX. COUNTER AT MAX
output will be turned on. This gives the operator another output to alert
them to a condition without having to reset the steppers or rely on the
STEPPER ALERT alone.