Computer-integrated multi-gun welding system

A multi-gun computer-integrated welding system for supervising a joining of a plurality of workpieces, the system comprising:

• a plurality of weld guns, each of the plurality of weld guns comprising a welding electrode, a cylinder assembly having a cylinder housing, and a piston and a piston rod attached thereto for linearly displacing the welding electrode, wherein at least one of the weld guns is positionable between a pre-weld fit-up position and a retracted home position;
• a device sensor cooperating with a positionable weld gun for determining weld gun locations;
• a fixture for securing the plurality of workpieces in a welding location;
• fixture sensing means, cooperating with the fixture, for measuring a location of the fixture;
• a plurality of displacement sensing means, coupled to each of the weld guns, for measuring displacements of the welding electrodes relative to the corresponding cylinder housings;
• fit-up verification means, operatively responsive to the device sensor, the fixture sensing means, and the plurality of displacement sensing means, for determining a proper positioning in space of the plurality of workpieces and the positionable weld guns before welding power is applied by determining whether the location of the positionable weld gun, the location of the fixture, and the displacements of the welding electrodes are within or outside a specified rejection region when the welding electrodes are in contact with the plurality of workpieces;
• and
• weld power supply, operatively responsive to the fit-up verification means, for initiating an application of electrical power to the welding electrodes if the displacements are outside the specified rejection region, and for inhibiting the application of power to the welding electrodes if the displacements are within the specified rejection region.

A multi-gun computer-integrated welding system for joining of a plurality of workpieces, the system comprising:

• a plurality of weld guns simultaneously cooperating with the workpieces to be joined, each of the plurality of weld guns comprising a welding electrode, a cylinder assembly having a cylinder housing, and a piston and a piston rod attached thereto for linearly displacing the welding electrode, wherein at least one of the weld guns is positionable between a pre-weld fit-up position and a retracted home position;
• a weld gun positioning device;
• a device sensor cooperating with a positionable weld gun for determining the weld gun location;
• displacement sensing means, coupled to each of the weld guns, for measuring pre-weld fit-up and substantially simultaneously measuring displacements of the welding electrodes relative to the corresponding cylinder housings during the joining of the plurality of the workpieces;
• computing means, operatively responsive to the displacement sensing means, for issuing supervisory commands prior to initiating and during the joining of the plurality of the workpieces based on the device sensor, the internal displacement and weld gun position measured displacements and a predetermined weld schedule, a device sensor cooperating with a positionable weld gun for determining weld gun locations;
• and
• control means, operatively responsive to the computing means, for controlling the application of electrical power to the welding electrodes, as a function of the supervisory commands generated by the computing means based on the measured displacement and the predetermined weld schedule.

A computer integrated welding system for joining a plurality of workpieces, the system comprising:

• a weld gun having a welding electrode, a cylinder assembly having a cylinder housing, and a piston and piston rod attached thereto for linearly displacing the welding electrode;
• a displacement sensor coupled to the weld gun for measuring the displacement of the welding electrode relative to the cylinder housing;
• a weld power source for controlling an application of force and for controlling an application of electrical power to the welding electrode;
• a weld computer, operatively responsive to the displacement sensor, for providing a fault signal in the event a good weld is not completed;
• and
• a marking device, operatively responsive to the fault signal, for physically marking the workpiece to indicate if a good weld has not been made.