A robot includes: a robot body including a plurality of joints, and a cleaning mechanism provided to the robot body and configured to clean a predetermined cleaning target site of the robot body to which a foreign material is likely to adhere.

A spatter production information storage unit stores spots where spatter has been produced. For the spots where spatter has been produced, a comparison information generation unit acquires weld design information stored in a design information storage unit and weld instruction information stored in an instruction information storage unit, compares both pieces of information, and generates comparison information. An image information output unit outputs the generated comparison information to a display device. The display device displays the comparison information on a screen so as to allow checking by an operator. Hence, it is possible to check, on the screen, comparison information for weld instruction information and weld design information highly likely as a cause for spatter being produced, and to efficiently perform the task of analyzing the causes for spatter being produced.

Systems and methods for cleaning a wire electrode after a welding process has ended are described. During a welding process, a wire electrode may be fed forward from a wire feeder through a welding torch to create a molten weld pool. While, conventionally, feeding of the wire electrode stops when the welding process ends, the present disclosure contemplates instead continuing to feed the wire electrode forward after the welding process ends. More particularly, the present disclosure contemplates feeding the wire electrode into the weld pool so that the wire electrode can be cleaned in the molten weld pool created by the welding process. The cleaned wire electrode end can be more easily used to establish an electrical arc at the beginning of the next welding process.

A welding apparatus including: a welding unit (20) that includes a pair of electrode wheels (21A, 21B) arranged to face each other with a welding object therebetween; a pressing unit (30) that includes a pair of press rolls (31A, 31B) that are arranged to face each other with the welding object therebetween and press a welded portion of the welding object welded by the electrode wheels (21A, 21B); a cooling unit (40) that supplies a cooling medium toward the welded portion pressed by the press rolls; a heating unit (50) that heats the welded portion cooled by the cooling unit (40); and a moving body (10) that supports the welding unit (20), the pressing unit (30), the cooling unit (40), and the heating unit (50), and reciprocates in a welding direction of the welding object.

A welding torch maintenance apparatus and a welding tip changer are described. The welding torch maintenance apparatus and the welding tip changing apparatus each comprise a first gripping means for fastening the welding torch/diffuser so that the nozzle/welding tip is aligned with the rotational axis, a second gripping means for holding the nozzle/welding tip, the second gripping means rotates about the rotational axis to remove the nozzle/welding tip, and moves along the rotational axis. A drive means is provided for rotating the second gripping means, and a lift system is provided for moving the second gripping along the rotational axis. The welding torch maintenance apparatus further includes a cleaning means which enters the nozzle at the distal end and cleans an interior of the nozzle.

Provided is a spatter scattering prevention apparatus that eliminates the necessity to, for example, remove scattered spatters and thus makes it possible to facilitate maintenance work, and also provided is a flash butt welder including the spatter scattering prevention apparatus.

The spatter scattering prevention apparatus 1 according to the present invention is characterized by being configured to form a water screen in midair in the vicinity of a welding spot, at which welding is performed, wherein the water screen is for preventing spatters, generated during the welding, from scattering.

The spatter scattering prevention apparatus is also characterized by being configured to form the water screen on one side in a lateral direction of the welding spot and form the water screen on the other side, laterally opposite to the one side, of the welding spot.

A welding torch maintenance apparatus and a welding tip changer are described. The welding torch maintenance apparatus and the welding tip changing apparatus each comprise a first gripping means for fastening the welding torch/diffuser so that the nozzle/welding tip is aligned with the rotational axis, a second gripping means for holding the nozzle/welding tip, the second gripping means rotates about the rotational axis to remove the nozzle/welding tip, and moves along the rotational axis. A drive means is provided for rotating the second gripping means, and a lift system is provided for moving the second gripping along the rotational axis. The welding torch maintenance apparatus further includes a cleaning means which enters the nozzle at the distal end and cleans an interior of the nozzle.

The invention relates to a method and a device (30) for monitoring the inert gas (5) during a welding process performed using a welding torch (7), wherein at least one measurement variable (Pi), which is dependent on the type of inert gas (5), is measured by means of at least one sensor (Si). According to the invention, at least two measurement variables (Pi) of the inert gas (5) are measured and the measured values (Mi) of the at least two measurement variables (Pi) of the inert gas (5) are compared with several stored values (Mi), which are associated with inert gas types (Gi), of the at least two measurement variables (Pi), and the inert gas type (Gi), for which the assigned values (Mi) of the at least two measurement variables (Pi) are closest to the measured values (Mi) of the at least two measurement variables (Pi) of the inert gas (5), is displayed.

A double-action friction stir joining system, which includes a double-action friction stir joining device, a cleaning mechanism having a dressing member, a robot, and a control device. The double-action friction stir joining device includes a first rotary driver configured to rotate a pin member and a shoulder member, and a tool driver configured to reciprocate the pin member and the shoulder member. The control device is adapted to (A) operate the tool driver so that the pin member is thrusted into the shoulder member, (B) operate the first rotary driver so that the shoulder member rotates, and (C) operate the robot so that the robot holds the double-action friction stir joining device and the dressing member contacts an inner circumferential surface of the shoulder member.

A cleaning device for a mechanical cleaning of a gas nozzle of a protective gas welding burner, provided with a controlled, rotatably driven cleaning head having at least one co-rotating cleaning element, and with a supplying and centering apparatus for a coaxial positioning of the gas nozzle with respect to the axis of rotation of the cleaning head in the region of at least one cleaning element. The cleaning head has two cleaning arms creating a scissors-form with the cleaning arms, which are suspended in a freely swinging manner on a pivot bearing arranged transversely to the axis of rotation in the cleaning head. Respective centrifugal weights are arranged on the cleaning arms on the lower regions facing away from the gas nozzle, so that the cleaning scissors are spread apart with a rotation of the of the cleaning head.