A contact device for feeding current to one or more welding wires in a welding apparatus includes a split tip nozzle having first and second diametrically opposed slots formed therein and a biasing means for supplying an adjustable biasing force to first and second split tips to bias the first and second split tips together to ensure that a desired contact between the split tip nozzle and the one or more welding wires is maintained throughout the lifecycle of the nozzle. The biasing force may be applied by any means including, for example, a compression ring, interaction of tapered surfaces between the tube and the split tip nozzle, a compression or cylinder spring pre-mounted on the first and second split tips, a tensioning screw, etc.

A contact device for feeding current to one or more welding wires in a welding apparatus includes a split tip nozzle having first and second diametrically opposed slots formed therein and a biasing means for supplying an adjustable biasing force to first and second split tips to bias the first and second split tips together to ensure that a desired contact between the split tip nozzle and the one or more welding wires is maintained throughout the lifecycle of the nozzle. The biasing force may be applied by any means including, for example, a compression ring, interaction of tapered surfaces between the tube and the split tip nozzle, a compression or cylinder spring pre-mounted on the first and second split tips, a tensioning screw, etc.

Tube forming methods can be used for efficient transition in the production of tubes having varying thickness. Material used to form consecutive tubes may have the same thickness along a separation plane separating a first discrete section from a second discrete section of the material, and the first discrete section and the second discrete section may each have varying thickness in a feed direction of the material. With such a thickness profile, the first discrete section of the material may be formed into a first cylinder having varying thickness and separated from the second discrete portion as the second discrete section is formed into a second cylinder having varying thickness. In particular, the transition between the first cylinder and the second cylinder may be achieved without scrap and/or interruption, resulting in cost-savings and improvements in production throughput associated with forming tubes having varying thickness.

A method for producing an additively manufactured object includes melting and solidifying a filler metal to form weld beads and depositing the weld beads adjoining each other, thereby forming a weld-bead layer, and repeatedly depositing a next weld-bead layer on the formed weld-bead layer to conduct additive manufacturing. The method includes a bead formation step of forming a new weld bead so as to fill a recess formed by at least three of the already formed weld beads, in a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the weld beads.

A method for designing an additively-manufactured object includes: a slicing step of slicing a shape of the additively-manufactured object into weld bead layers each having a height corresponding to one bead layer using data of the shape of the additively-manufactured object, thereby generating a plurality of virtual bead layers; a reference direction setting step of setting, as a reference direction, a direction in which the sliced layer of the additively-manufactured object is continuously provided and extended in an intermediate layer disposed at a deposition-direction center of the plurality of virtual bead layers; and a bead adjusting step of adjusting a bead size of the weld bead to be formed in the plurality of virtual bead layers depending on a bead shape in a section perpendicular to the reference direction.

A laundry appliance defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction and a transverse direction that are mutually perpendicular to one another. The laundry appliance includes a cabinet defining an opening. A clothes vessel is rotatably mounted within the cabinet. The clothes vessel comprises a base and a hoop with a helical seam extending around the hoop. The clothes vessel is configured for receiving laundry articles to be rotated therein via the opening of the cabinet.

Tube forming methods can be used for efficient transition in the production of tubes having varying thickness. Material used to form consecutive tubes may have the same thickness along a separation plane separating a first discrete section from a second discrete section of the material, and the first discrete section and the second discrete section may each have varying thickness in a feed direction of the material. With such a thickness profile, the first discrete section of the material may be formed into a first cylinder having varying thickness and separated from the second discrete portion as the second discrete section is formed into a second cylinder having varying thickness. In particular, the transition between the first cylinder and the second cylinder may be achieved without scrap and/or interruption, resulting in cost-savings and improvements in production throughput associated with forming tubes having varying thickness.

The invention relates to a welding assembly for the permanent joining of a first tubular component with a second component along a two- or three-dimensional intersection curve, along which both components contact, comprising a securing assembly for detachably securely joining on a tubular end of the first component facing away from the intersection curve, a manipulator unit mounted directly or indirectly on the securing assembly such that it can pivot about a tube longitudinal axis assigned to the first component. The manipulator unit has a freely positionable manipulator end, with a welding tool attached to the freely positionable manipulator end. The securing assembly comprises a clamping module that can at least partially be introduced into the tubular end of the first component on the end side and in an axial manner. The clamping module is detachably securely to a tube inner wall of the first tubular component, as well as a carrier ring module which is rotatably attached to the clamping module, which axially extends beyond the tubular end of the first tubular component.

The invention relates to a welding assembly for the permanent joining of a first tubular component with a second component along a two- or three-dimensional intersection curve, along which both components contact, comprising a securing assembly for detachably securely joining on a tubular end of the first component facing away from the intersection curve, a manipulator unit mounted directly or indirectly on the securing assembly such that it can pivot about a tube longitudinal axis assigned to the first component. The manipulator unit has a freely positionable manipulator end, with a welding tool attached to the freely positionable manipulator end. The securing assembly comprises a clamping module that can at least partially be introduced into the tubular end of the first component on the end side and in an axial manner. The clamping module is detachably securely to a tube inner wall of the first tubular component, as well as a carrier ring module which is rotatably attached to the clamping module, which axially extends beyond the tubular end of the first tubular component.

A robot controller controls an arc motion of a robot. The robot controller includes an interpolation point setting unit that sets an interpolation point between movement points in an operation program. The robot controller includes a movement-point angle calculation unit that calculates an angle relating to a reference direction for determining the orientation of the robot, and an interpolation-point angle calculation unit that calculates an angle relating to the reference direction at an interpolation point by interpolating angles relating to the reference direction at the movement points. The reference direction is a direction independent from the positions of the movement points and is set in an operation program in a predetermined coordinate system.