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US 11,904,402 B2Granted
Spot welding machine
AssigneeCar-O-Liner Group AB
InventorsAnders Bergström, Tony Hedlund
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure generally relates to a welding machine adapted for performing a spot welding process on a workpiece, wherein the welding machine is specifically adapted for automatically applying pre-conditioning a welding pulse portion to the workpiece prior to performing the spot welding process. The present disclosure also relates to a corresponding method and computer program product.
Claims14
A welding machine adapted for performing a spot welding process on a workpiece, wherein the welding machine comprises:
- a welding gun including a pair of opposed electrodes for receiving the workpiece, the pair of electrodes comprising at least one movable welding tip portion;
- a transformer having a primary input side and secondary output side, the secondary output side connected to the pair of electrodes;
- a distance detector arranged to detect the distance moved by the movable welding tip portion;
- and
- a control unit adapted to control the spot welding process,
- wherein the control unit is further adapted to:
- control the transformer for applying, prior to performing the spot welding process, a first welding pulse portion to the workpiece using the welding gun,
- receive, from measurement means arranged at the secondary output side of the transformer, an indication of a first voltage and a first current applied in relation to the first welding pulse portion,
- determine a first resistance value based on the indication of the first voltage and the first current,
- compare the first resistance value with a predetermined resistance threshold, wherein the predetermined resistance threshold is based on a thickness of the workpiece determined using information received from the distance detector,
- control the transformer for applying, prior to performing the spot welding process, a further second welding pulse portion to the workpiece using the welding gun if the first resistance value is above the predetermined resistance threshold, and
- initiate the spot welding process if the first resistance value is below the predetermined resistance threshold.
9 more elements
A method of controlling a resistance at a workpiece prior to performing a spot welding process to the workpiece using a welding machine, the welding machine comprising:
- a welding gun including a pair of opposed electrodes for receiving the workpiece, the pair of electrodes comprising at least one movable welding tip portion;
- a transformer having a primary input side and secondary output side, the secondary output side connected to the pair of electrodes;
- a distance detector arranged to detect the distance moved by the movable welding tip portion;
- and
- a control unit adapted to control the spot welding process,
- wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- controlling, using the control unit, the transformer for applying, prior to performing the spot welding process, a first welding pulse portion to the workpiece using the welding gun,
- receiving, at the control unit from measurement means arranged at the secondary output side of the transformer, an indication of a first voltage and a first current applied in relation to the first welding pulse portion,
- determining, at the control unit, a first resistance value based on the indication of the first voltage and the first current,
- comparing, at the control unit, the first resistance value with a predetermined resistance threshold, wherein the predetermined resistance threshold is based on a thickness of the workpiece determined using information received from the distance detector,
- controlling, using the control unit, the transformer for applying, prior to performing the spot welding process, a further second welding pulse portion to the workpiece using the welding gun if the first resistance value is above the predetermined resistance threshold, and
- initiating, using the control unit, the spot welding process if the first resistance value is below the predetermined resistance threshold.
9 more elements
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for controlling a welding machine adapted for performing a spot welding process on a workpiece, wherein the welding machine comprises:
- a welding gun including a pair of opposed electrodes for receiving the workpiece, the pair of electrodes comprising at least one movable welding tip portion;
- a transformer having a primary input side and secondary output side, the secondary output side connected to the pair of electrodes;
- a distance detector arranged to detect the distance moved by the movable welding tip portion;
- and
- a control unit adapted to control the spot welding process,
- wherein the computer program product comprises:
- code for controlling, using the control unit, the transformer for applying, prior to performing the spot welding process, a first welding pulse portion to the workpiece using the welding gun,
- code for receiving, at the control unit from measurement means arranged at the secondary output side of the transformer, an indication of a first voltage and a first current applied in relation to the first welding pulse portion,
- code for determining, at the control unit, a first resistance value based on the indication of the first voltage and the first current,
- code for comparing, at the control unit, the first resistance value with a predetermined resistance threshold, wherein the predetermined resistance threshold is based on a thickness of the workpiece determined using information received from the distance detector,
- code for controlling, using the control unit, the transformer for applying, prior to performing the spot welding process, a further second welding pulse portion to the workpiece using the welding gun if the first resistance value is above the predetermined resistance threshold, and
- code for initiating, using the control unit, the spot welding process if the first resistance value is below the predetermined resistance threshold.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.