Installation for positioning and welding body parts of different types of motor vehicles

A body part positioning and welding unit comprising:

• an assembly frame;
• a conveyor, the assembly frame being guidable on said conveyor and having mounts for at least some body parts, with positioning elements for body parts and with clamping devices for bracing the body parts relative to each other;
• at least one robot movable in a range adjacent to said assembly frame at a location along said conveyor;
• a plurality of auxiliary assembly frames;
• an additional conveyor arranged under said conveyor, said additional conveyor for guiding an auxiliary assembly frame;
• a parking position for an auxiliary assembly frame, said parking position being provided next to said lower conveyor, said auxiliary assembly frames having mounts for additional body parts of different motor vehicle models as well as elements for positioning and bracing the parts on the auxiliary assembly frames to the parts braced on said assembly frame;
• and
• a lifting device for lifting any one of said auxiliary assembly frames.

A vehicle component positioning and welding unit comprising:

• an assembly frame with columns, with supports arranged on said columns, with centering pins for positioning components and with clamps for continuously bracing the positioned vehicle body parts relative to each other to provide a geometry;
• an assembly frame conveyor for moving said assembly frame along a guide path at one horizontal level;
• at least one robot movable in a range adjacent to said assembly frame at a location along said conveyor for operation at said one horizontal level;
• a plurality of auxiliary assembly frames, each of said auxiliary assembly frames including a support for positioning additional vehicle body parts of a particular vehicle model, braces for bracing the position of the additional vehicle body parts relative to each other to provide a geometry and a frame bracing device for connecting the associated auxiliary assembly frame to said assembly frame to position the positioned and braced additional vehicle body parts relative to the positioned and braced body parts of said assembly frame to provide combination geometry for welding additional vehicle body parts together with positioned and braced body parts of said assembly frame;
• an additional conveyor arranged under said assembly frame conveyor, said additional conveyor for guiding any of said auxiliary assembly frames independently of the conveyance of said assembly frame and on a guide path that is independent of from a guide path of said assembly frame conveyor;
• a parking position for an auxiliary assembly frame, said parking position being provided next to said lower conveyor;
• and
• a lifting device for lifting any one of said auxiliary assembly frames for connecting any one of said auxiliary assembly frames to said assembly frame.