US Patent 9511442 Adaptable rotating arc welding method and system

A welding operation is performed utilizing a rotating arc resulting from movement of a welding electrode in a welding torch. Workpiece fit-up is determined as the weld progresses, such as via a camera and image analysis. In the event that fit-up changes, such as by the development of gaps between the workpieces, one or more parameters of the system may be altered, such as the geometry of the electrode movement, the travel speed, the wire feed speed, the weld power applied to the electrode, and so forth. The technique may be automated, such as for accommodating welding via welding robots.