A resistance welding device is configured for use in combination with a resistance welder having a translating welding electrode. A first arm of the welding device is in a translating rotational engagement with a second arm thereof. The first arm of the device is engageable to a translating electrode from the resistance welder. Translation of the welding electrode of the resistance welder moves first and second electrodes to contact metal therebetween and spot weld the metal.

A projection welding gun device includes an upper welding tip and a lower welding tip that are combined with a gun body through a shank, where the upper welding tip presses an upper panel corresponding to a protrusion portion that is formed on a lower panel to weld the upper and lower panels, and a rotation unit that is rotated by a driving portion is disposed between the gun body and the shank to rotate the shank.

A projection welding gun device includes an upper welding tip and a lower welding tip that are combined with a gun body through a shank, where the upper welding tip presses an upper panel corresponding to a protrusion portion that is formed on a lower panel to weld the upper and lower panels, and a rotation unit that is rotated by a driving portion is disposed between the gun body and the shank to rotate the shank.

A method of resistance spot welding workpiece stack-ups of different combinations of metal workpieces with a single weld gun using the same set of welding electrodes is disclosed. In this method, a set of opposed welding electrodes that include an original shape and oxide-disrupting structural features are used to resistance spot weld at least two of the following types of workpiece stack-ups in a particular sequence: (1) a workpiece stack-up of two or more aluminum workpieces; (2) a workpiece stack-up that includes an aluminum workpiece and an adjacent steel workpiece; and (3) a workpiece stack-up of two or more steel workpieces. The spot welding sequence calls for completing all of the aluminum-to-aluminum spot welds and/or all of the steel-to-steel spot welds last.

A combination component handling and connecting device connectable to a multi-axis robot for use in moving and connecting components and subassemblies includes a housing and an actuator fixedly connected to the housing. The actuator includes an actuating link movable from a first position to a second position. Connected to the actuating link is an end effector for concurrent movement with the actuating link. The component handling and connecting device includes a clamp having a first jaw and a second jaw. The second jaw is connected to the actuating link for selectively moving the second jaw toward the first jaw operative to engage a component.

A series of many electrical resistance spot welds is to be formed in members of an assembled, but un-joined, body that presents workpiece stack-ups of various combinations of metal workpieces including all aluminum workpieces, all steel workpieces, and a combination of aluminum and steel workpieces. A pair of spot welding electrodes, each with a specified weld face that includes oxide-disrupting features, is used to form the required numbers of aluminum-to-aluminum spot welds, aluminum-to-steel spot welds, and steel-to-steel spot welds. A predetermined sequence of forming the various spot welds may be specified for extending the number of spot welds that can be made before the weld faces must be restored. And, during at least one of the aluminum-to-steel spot welds, a cover is inserted between the weld face of one of the welding electrodes and a side of a workpiece stack-up that includes the adjacent aluminum and steel workpieces.

A robotic end effector system and method having a plurality of end effectors which are selectively suitable for particular applications on a workpiece. The end effectors include a resident controller adapted to execute tasks specific to the end effector and are rapidly attachable and removable from the robot for easy change over to different workpieces.

An apparatus having a housing, a location pin, a lever and a sensor is disclosed. The housing may be configured to receive a weld head. The location pin may be configured to move linearly in the housing in response to a force between the location pin and a part to be welded. The lever may be rotatably attached to the housing and configured to convert a linear position of the location pin relative to the housing into an angular position of a shaft relative to the housing. The sensor may be coupled to the shaft and configured to generate a value representative of the linear position of the location pin by a measurement of the angular position of the shaft.

An apparatus having a housing, a location pin, a lever and a sensor is disclosed. The housing may be configured to receive a weld head. The location pin may be configured to move linearly in the housing in response to a force between the location pin and a part to be welded. The lever may be rotatably attached to the housing and configured to convert a linear position of the location pin relative to the housing into an angular position of a shaft relative to the housing. The sensor may be coupled to the shaft and configured to generate a value representative of the linear position of the location pin by a measurement of the angular position of the shaft.

An upper electrode assembly for welding fasteners includes a body that supports an electrode that has an aperture. The aperture is configured to receive a movable pin of a lower electrode assembly arranged opposite the upper electrode assembly. The lower electrode assembly supports a fastener in a welding position. The upper electrode assembly includes a position sensor which includes a position sensor member that is arranged in the body and is configured to cooperate with the pin to detect a fastener welding characteristic.