Disclosed are weld electrode plugs with polymeric inserts for loss-of-cooling detection, methods for making or for using such weld electrode plugs, and electric welding systems equipped with loss-of-cooling detection plugs. A disclosed loss-of-cooling detection assembly includes a plug that attaches to the weld shank of a welding system such that the plug fluidly couples to a coolant bore within the shank. The plug includes a plug body with a clearance hole extending therethrough. An insert detachably mounts to the plug such that the insert fluidly seals the clearance hole. This insert is fabricated from a polymeric material, such as a shape memory polymer, that alters a physical property, such as shape/size, of the insert responsive to changes in temperature and/or pressure of coolant fluid in the shank's bore. When this physical property is altered, the insert unseals the clearance hole causing a detectable leak of fluid from the shank.

A resistance welding apparatus includes a welding controller configured to control a welding tool. The welding controller has an assignment device including a parametrization device. The assignment device is configured to read out a current point to be welded from a list of points to be welded, to read out a first setpoint curve from a record of a database assigned to the current point to be welded, and to assign the first setpoint curve to the first regulator and the parametrization device is configured to read out the first value from the record of the point to be currently welded and to parametrize a first parameter of the first regulator with the first value. The welding controller further includes the first regulator configured, using a first parameter, to regulate a temporal profile of an electric current at the current point to be welded in accordance with the first setpoint curve.

An automated welding electrode adaptive maintenance method and system are disclosed, including: acquiring a predetermined electrode maintenance schedule, including electrode maintenance parameters; acquiring welding electrode parameters representative of a wear condition of at least one electrode at a predetermined maintenance frequency; selecting a maintenance operation for at least one electrode based on the comparison of the electrode parameters representative of the wear condition of at least one electrode with predetermined reference parameters; issuing a signal to a selected maintenance station for performing the selected maintenance operation; and controlling adjusting the electrode maintenance frequency based on the electrode parameters representative of the wear condition of at least one electrode.

An automated welding electrode adaptive maintenance method and system are disclosed, including: acquiring a predetermined electrode maintenance schedule, including electrode maintenance parameters; acquiring welding electrode parameters representative of a wear condition of at least one electrode at a predetermined maintenance frequency; selecting a maintenance operation for at least one electrode based on the comparison of the electrode parameters representative of the wear condition of at least one electrode with predetermined reference parameters; issuing a signal to a selected maintenance station for performing the selected maintenance operation; and controlling adjusting the electrode maintenance frequency based on the electrode parameters representative of the wear condition of at least one electrode.

To provide a spot welding system capable of shortening a cycle time of spot welding. A robot controller measures a time between a transmission time of a welding command signal to a welding machine and a reception time of a welding completion signal, after determining completion of pressuring by a spot welding robot, and subtracts a predetermined welding time from the measured time, thereby calculating a communication delay time between the robot controller and the welding machine. A spot welding system advances transmission timing of the welding command signal and the welding completion signal by the calculated communication delay time.

A welding installation with a calibration tool is provided in a device for producing container shells. The force exerted by the container shells on the calibration tool is measured and evaluated as information for the overlapping width of the respective container shell. This allows adjusting the calibration tool during configuration of the device and allows the removal of container shells welded with too large or too small overlapping during production of container shells.

The purpose is to determine occurrence of expulsion in seam welding with high accuracy. A welding determination device includes: a measurement unit configured to measure temperature of a joint portion between strip-shaped sheets (for example, steel strips) to be joined by seam welding; and a determination unit configured to, based on a measurement result by the measurement unit, calculate an average temperature T.sub.ave and a temperature difference T of the joint portion and, when the average temperature T.sub.ave is more than or equal to a first threshold value that is set according to the sheet thickness of each of the strip-shaped sheets and the temperature difference T is more than or equal to a second threshold value, determine that expulsion has occurred at the joint portion.

The purpose is to determine occurrence of expulsion in seam welding with high accuracy. A welding determination device includes: a measurement unit configured to measure temperature of a joint portion between strip-shaped sheets (for example, steel strips) to be joined by seam welding; and a determination unit configured to, based on a measurement result by the measurement unit, calculate an average temperature T.sub.ave and a temperature difference T of the joint portion and, when the average temperature T.sub.ave is more than or equal to a first threshold value that is set according to the sheet thickness of each of the strip-shaped sheets and the temperature difference T is more than or equal to a second threshold value, determine that expulsion has occurred at the joint portion.

Methods and apparatus for detecting a leakage current are disclosed. An example apparatus to monitor a welding-type system includes: a test signal generator configured to output a test signal to a welding-type circuit; and a lock-in amplifier configured to: receive a reference signal based on the test signal; measure a leakage current in the welding-type circuit based on the reference signal; and generate an output signal representative of the leakage current.

A joining apparatus includes an electrifying/pressurizing head provided with an abutting surface contacting a pressure-receiving surface of a first metal member, joins the first metal member and a second metal member by electrification and pressurization employing the electrifying/pressurizing head, and obtains a joined body in which a joining interface inclines with respect to the pressure-receiving surface. The abutting surface includes: an electrode section capable of electrifying the first metal member; and an insulating section configured from an insulating material. At least a shortest portion where a distance from the joining interface will be shortest, of the pressure-receiving surface will be a non-contact-with-electrode section of non-contact with the electrode section, and the insulating section contacts at least part of the non-contact-with-electrode section.