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US 2024/0025129 A1Published application
Welding assembly & method using separately actuatable rams
AssigneeRohr, Inc.
InventorsJonathan S. Huang, Michael van Tooren, Dominic J. Elliott, Jeffrey D. Woods
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A welding assembly is disclosed. The welding assembly includes a plurality of separately controllable actuators (e.g., pneumatic, having an axially movable ram) to press a corresponding portion of a first workpiece (e.g., a discrete flange of a first stiffener) against a second workpiece (e.g., an outer skin) for welding operations (e.g., via induction welding).
Claims20
A welding assembly, comprising:
- a first support;
- a tooling block spaced from said first support;
- a plurality of workpiece retention rams incorporated by said tooling block and that are spaced from one another proceeding along a first dimension;
- a workpiece zone disposed between said first support and said tooling block;
- and
- a welding head, wherein said workpiece zone is disposed between said welding head and said tooling block, wherein each workpiece retention ram of said plurality of workpiece retention rams is movable in a direction of said workpiece zone and said first support, and wherein said welding head is movable relative to first support and separately into alignment with each said workpiece retention ram of said plurality of workpiece retention rams for a separate welding operation.
3 more elements
A method of assembling a panel, comprising:
- positioning a plurality of flanges of a first stiffener at least in proximity to an outer skin, wherein said plurality of flanges are spaced proceeding along a length dimension of said first stiffener, and wherein each flange of said plurality of flanges is aligned with a different ram of a plurality of rams;
- positioning a welding head in alignment with a first flange of said plurality of flanges;
- actuating a first ram of said plurality of rams to press said first flange against said outer skin;
- and
- operating said welding head to weld said first flange to said outer skin while said first flange is pressed against said outer skin by said first ram.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.