Programmable resistance seam welding apparatus and method
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsPeter Sun, Pei-Chung Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A resistance welding apparatus having a pair of programmable ball electrodes carried on universally movable positioners. The positioners are programmed to move the ball electrodes simultaneously along a seam line so that the ball electrodes clamp and support opposite sides of a pair of stacked workpieces and are electrically charged to form resistance seam welds along the seam lines to connect the workpieces.
Claims12
An apparatus for resistance seam welding workpieces, the apparatus comprising:
- a support for holding a pair of workpieces in a temporary assembly with opposing surfaces in contact along a seam line;
- first and second ball electrodes simultaneously engagable with opposite surfaces of the assembly along the seam line for locally conducting welding current through the workpieces to weld the workpieces together along the seam line;
- a first programmable positioner carrying the first ball electrode and operative to move the first ball electrode along the seam line in engagement with one side of the assembly;
- a second programmable positioner carrying the second ball electrode and operative to move the second ball electrode along the seam line in alignment with the first ball electrode on an opposite side of the assembly;
- and
- an electric current producing device connected with the ball electrodes for welding the assembly together along the seam line.
An apparatus as in clam 1 wherein at least one of the ball electrodes is rotatably supported by a holder carried by one of the positioners.
A method for resistance seam welding workpieces, the method comprising:
- combining a pair of workpieces into a temporary assembly having at least selected portions in contact for resistance seam welding of the workpieces together;
- actuating a first programmable mechanism to move a first ball electrode in a prescribed pattern along one side of the assembly;
- actuating a second programmable mechanism to simultaneously move a second ball electrode in the same pattern along an opposite side of the assembly with the electrodes maintained at opposite positions of the assembly during their motion;
- and
- conducting electric welding current between the electrodes through the assembly to create a seam weld along the prescribed pattern.
An apparatus for resistance seam welding workpieces, the apparatus comprising:
- a support for holding a pair of workpieces in a temporary assembly with opposing surfaces in contact along a seam line;
- a first ball electrode and a second electrode simultaneously engagable with opposite surfaces of the assembly along the seam line for locally conducting welding current through the workpieces to weld the workpieces together along the seam line;
- a first programmable positioner carrying the first ball electrode and operative to move the first ball electrode along the seam line in engagement with one side of the assembly;
- the second electrode operatively engaging an opposite side of the assembly and operative to conduct current passed through the assembly opposite the locations of the first ball electrode;
- and
- an electric current producing device connected with the electrodes for welding the assembly together along the seam line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.