A welder having first and second electrodes configured to clamp and weld a fastener to a workpiece at an opening in the workpiece, wherein the first electrode is configured to move in a direction transverse to a clamping direction to center the fastener with the opening. The welder can carry out a method of aligning and welding an internally-threaded nut to a panel at an opening in the panel. The method includes the steps of: centering the opening in the panel relative to a first electrode using a tapered guide pin that extends into the opening; centering the nut relative to the opening using the tapered guide pin; clamping the nut and panel between the first electrode and a second electrode; and welding the nut to the panel by passing current through the nut and panel from one of the electrodes to the other electrode.

A sliding electric contact device for welding head for roller welding machines, having a bimetallic plate adapted to be fixed to a shaft of a welding head, having a protection base composed of a first metal, defining a first face destined to abut against an end surface of the shaft, and a sliding disk composed of a second metal softer than the first metal, defining a second sliding electric contact face; a composite current-carrying block, having a plait of electrical wires, an internal support made of metal, pushed against the sliding disk for realizing with the sliding disk a sliding electric contact, first means adapted to fix firmly a central portion of the plait to the inner support, second current-carrying means adapted to fix firmly a peripheral portion of the plait to current terminals of a stator of the welding head. A welding head having the sliding electric contact device and a related roller welding machine are also disclosed.

A welder having first and second electrodes configured to clamp and weld a fastener to a workpiece at an opening in the workpiece, wherein the first electrode is configured to move in a direction transverse to a clamping direction to center the fastener with the opening. The welder can carry out a method of aligning and welding an internally-threaded nut to a panel at an opening in the panel. The method includes the steps of: centering the opening in the panel relative to a first electrode using a tapered guide pin that extends into the opening; centering the nut relative to the opening using the tapered guide pin; clamping the nut and panel between the first electrode and a second electrode; and welding the nut to the panel by passing current through the nut and panel from one of the electrodes to the other electrode.

A sliding electric contact device for welding head for roller welding machines, having comprises a bimetallic plate adapted to be fixed to a shaft of a welding head, having a protection base composed of a first metal, defining a first face destined to abut against an end surface of the shaft, and a sliding disk composed of a second metal softer than the first metal, defining a second sliding electric contact face; a composite current-carrying block, having a plait of electrical wires, an internal support made of metal, pushed against the sliding disk for realizing with the sliding disk a sliding electric contact, first means adapted to fix firmly a central portion of the plait to the inner support, second current-carrying means adapted to fix firmly a peripheral portion of the plait to current terminals of a stator of the welding head. A welding head having the sliding electric contact device and a related roller welding machine are also disclosed.