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.

An indirect spot welding apparatus includes a welding electrode that is brought into pressure contact with one of surfaces of a plurality of plate-shaped members that are objects to be welded in one side in a stacking direction of the plate-shaped members, a ground electrode that is brought into pressure contact with the one of the surfaces in the one side or another one of the surfaces in the other side in the stacking direction in a position shifted from an axial center of the welding electrode, and an opposed member disposed coaxially with the ground electrode to be opposed to the ground electrode so as to hold at least one of the plate-shaped members between the opposed member and the ground electrode, and the welding electrode is mechanically integrated with the ground electrode to be movable in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the ground electrode.

A welding gun includes: a moving mechanism portion (ball screw mechanism) for moving a movable electrode back and forth; a motor that includes a rotor and drives the moving mechanism portion to move the movable electrode back and forth; and a brake mechanism that prevents rotation of the rotor during a braking operation, wherein the brake mechanism includes an annular brake disc that is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the rotor and rotates integrally with the rotor, and a clamping portion that prevents rotation of the brake disc by clamping the brake disc during the braking operation.

A welding gun includes a proximity restricting mechanism that is provided between a shaft and a cover member in a manner to surround the shaft and to be displaceable relative to the shaft in an axial direction in accordance with expansion and contraction of the cover member, and that restricts the cover member from approaching too closely the shaft.

An electrode moving mechanism of a welding gun includes a first mechanism portion that has a shaft, a second mechanism portion that has a housing capable of housing at least a portion of the shaft, and supports the shaft in a manner to be relatively movable in an axial direction, and a cover member that covers at least a portion of the shaft and is capable of expanding and contracting in accordance with relative displacement between the first mechanism portion and the second mechanism portion, wherein a communication path is formed that enables communication between an internal space, which is between the shaft and the cover member, and an internal space of the housing.

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 new weld configuration is used to obtain a robust and consistent resistance weld between the tabs of an anode current collector and the casing of an electrochemical cell. This is done by adding a resistive transferable electrode tip between at least one of the welding electrodes, preferably the movable welding electrode, and the stacked parts that are being joined together. The purpose of the transferable electrode tip is to generate a sufficient amount of heat during the welding process so that the stacked parts are joined together without adding any product functionality. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transferrable electrode tip is a stainless-steel ball, the stacked anode current collector tabs are of nickel, and the cell casing is of stainless-steel.

A new weld configuration is used to obtain a robust and consistent resistance weld between the tabs of an anode current collector and the casing of an electrochemical cell. This is done by adding a resistive transferable electrode tip between at least one of the welding electrodes, preferably the movable welding electrode, and the stacked parts that are being joined together. The purpose of the transferable electrode tip is to generate a sufficient amount of heat during the welding process so that the stacked parts are joined together without adding any product functionality. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transferrable electrode tip is a stainless-steel ball, the stacked anode current collector tabs are of nickel, and the cell casing is of stainless-steel.

A component loading-welding system for welding a component panel to a vehicle body panel includes a rotation portion body having first and second opposing sides. The first opposing side is coupled to a robot arm. A picking device is installed in the rotation portion body and is configured to hold and release the component panel. A vehicle body pressurizing tip is installed in the rotation portion body. A pressurizing portion body is rotatably installed at the second opposing side of the rotation portion body. A pin clamp is installed in the pressurizing portion body and is configured to clamp the component panel. A component pressurizing tip is installed in the pressurizing portion body and is configured to apply pressure to the component panel. A multi point projection welding method is also disclosed.

An automated welding system includes a support structure, a plurality of welding heads, and a controller. The plurality of welding heads are each removably, mechanically coupleable to the support structure. The controller is configured to control welding operations of the automated welding system based on an identity of a particular welding head of the plurality of welding heads that is mechanically coupled to the support structure and operably coupled to the controller.