A transfer processing unit of a processing tool for an electrode for resistance spot welding that is configured to mold, through transfer processing, a projection portion and a plurality of recess portions at an electrode tip portion bulging into a projecting shape is provided with a plurality of protrusions that are configured to mold the plurality of the recess portions respectively. A virtual plane that links tips of the plurality of these protrusions with one another assumes a shape coinciding with a surface shape of the electrode tip portion bulging into the projecting shape before transfer processing.

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.

A cutting tool that can simultaneously cut and restore asymmetric weld face geometries of two welding electrodes that are subject to different degradation mechanisms is disclosed along with a method of using such a cutting tool during resistance spot welding of workpiece stack-ups that include dissimilar metal workpieces. The cutting tool includes a first cutting socket and a second cutting socket. The first cutting socket is defined by one or more first shearing surfaces and the second cutting is defined by one or more second shearing surfaces. The first shearing surface(s) and the second shearing surface(s) are profiled to cut and restore a first weld face geometry and a second weld face geometry, respectively, that are different from each other upon receipt of electrode weld faces within the cutting sockets and rotation of the cutting tool.

A suction unit for applying suction for chips is mounted to an underside of a main body housing. The suction unit includes a cylindrical member for generating an airflow inside along a cylinder center line of the cylindrical member, and a chip guiding member having a chip suction port on a location closer to a lower communication hole of the main body housing and connected to an upstream side opening of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is connected to the chip guiding member with the cylinder center line thereof extending downward away from a rotation axis of a rotary holder.

A polishing device for a welding tip includes a cylindrical holder; and a polishing unit. The polishing unit includes a blade configured to polish a welding tip. The blade polishes the welding tip due to rotation of the polishing unit. The holder includes a groove extending along an entire inner circumference of the holder. The groove includes axial groove portions each of which extends along an axis of the holder, and inclined groove portions each of which extends for a specified first distance and is inclined in one direction with respect to the axial groove portions. The axial groove portions and the inclined groove portions are alternately arranged. The polishing unit includes projected portions each of which extends to an inside of the groove, and the number of the projected portions is two or more and is equal to or less than the number of the axial groove portions.

A cutter includes a rake face on which a recessed groove extending along a direction of a rotation axis of a rotary holder to be open at a flank face of the cutter are formed. The recessed groove includes a plurality of recessed grooves formed at predetermined intervals along a direction intersecting with the rotation axis. A cutting blade portion extending along a direction intersecting with the rotation axis is provided on a continuous portion of the rake face and the flank face. The cutting blade portion includes a first region made up of an intersecting portion of the rake face and the flank face and a second region made up of a peripheral edge portion of an opening portion of the recessed groove at the flank face.

A chip collecting device (1) collects chips (M1) that are created when an electrode tip (11) is cut by using a tip dresser (10). A cover casing (2) secured to the tip dresser (10) has rectangular plate shaped first and second side walls (3), (4) opposing one another horizontally. An air suction tool (7) is connected to the first side wall (3). An air introduction hole (15) is formed in a lower part of the second side wall (4). The air introduction hole (15) inclines gradually closer to an inner side surface and inner bottom surface of the cover casing (2) towards an interior of the cover casing (2).

A tip dresser blade blank includes a casting, wherein the casting is ground to provide a geometry having a web width in the range of 0.25 mm to 3.00 mm, inclusive, a first blade depth in the range of 1.00 mm to 3.00 mm, inclusive, a second blade depth in the range of 2.30 mm to 6.30 mm, inclusive, a first Profile Angle in the range of 2 degrees to 35 degrees, inclusive, a first Cutting Edge in the range of 0.010 mm to 0.035 mm, inclusive, and a second Cutting Edge in the range of 0.010 mm to 0.035 mm, inclusive.

The spot-welding electrode inspection device is provided with: a camera unit 2 including a camera body 7 for taking an image of a tip-end of a spot-welding electrode 10 having a welding gun G attached thereto; a control unit 3 for controlling the camera unit 2; a camera cable 4 connecting the camera unit 2 and the control unit. The control unit 3 is provided with: a control substrate 32 for processing the image taken by the camera body 7 and determining the condition of the electrode 10 by comparing a processing result of the image and a setting value which is set in advance; and a metal casing 31 housing the control substrate 32. The casing 31 is attached to a base 11 made of a metal material.

A rotary holder (2) and a cutting component (3) are prepared. The rotary holder (2) can receive a spot-welding electrode tip (11). The cutting component (3) has a cutting edge (3d) and a flank surface (3b). A receiving surface (2c) and the flank surface (3) are treated by blasting to form a rough surface (2d, 3e). The cutting component (3) and the rotary holder (2) are then attached to a tip dresser (10). The electrode tip (11) is received by the receiving surface (2c) and the flank surface (3b) while the rotary holder (2) is rotating to cut and reshape a tip end (11a) of the electrode tip (11) with the cutting edge (3d).