A shear stud welding system is disclosed. The system comprises a shear stud holder, a robotic arm and a microcontroller. The shear stud holder comprises a turret and a first motor coupled to the turret and configured to rotate the turret about an axis to a predetermined angle such that a shear stud among the plurality of shear studs is at a dispensing position. The robotic arm is configured to transfer the shear stud from the shear stud holder to a workpiece. The microcontroller is configured to control the movement of the robotic arm to pick up the shear stud from the dispensing position and transfer the shear stud holder to the workpiece at a welding position and cause the first motor to rotate the turret to a predetermined angle to cause a shear stud among the plurality of shear studs assume the dispensing position.

A welding system includes power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to weld power and a first housing surface. The first housing surface includes a first mating geometry configured to mate with a first complementary geometry of a first modular surface of a first modular component of the welding system.

A welding system includes power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to weld power and a first housing surface. The first housing surface includes a first mating geometry configured to mate with a first complementary geometry of a first modular surface of a first modular component of the welding system.

An automated laser shock peening (LSP) process equipment system for an aero-engine blade, including: a base, where a loading and unloading manipulator, working manipulator, reverse engineering mechanism, coating apparatus, and LSP apparatus are disposed; the loading and unloading manipulator is configured to grab a blade and place it on the reverse engineering mechanism, which includes a reverse engineering instrument and controller that are connected, the instrument can generate three-dimensional digital data of the blade, and the controller generates a working path for coating and LSP according to the data, and transmits the path to the working manipulator; the loading and unloading manipulator places the blade into the pallet, and the working manipulator drives the blade to a corresponding position according to the path. Independent locating and clamping systems of the pallet and the blade and the pallet and the manipulator fix a position of the blade relative to the manipulator.

Devices, systems, and methods are directed to formation of tubular structures, such as spirally formed structures, having spirally extending reinforcing material. In particular, tubular structures can be formed in a continuous process in which a first material is spiral formed along a first spiral and a second material is joined to the first material along a second spiral to reinforce the spirally formed first material. As compared to manual application of reinforcing material, such a continuous process can facilitate producing tubular structures at rates suitable for high-volume, commercial fabrication. Further, or instead, as compared to the use of circumferentially extending reinforcing material to support a spiral formed tube, reinforcing the spirally formed first material with a spiral of the second material may offer certain structural advantages, such as improved resistance to buckling.

An underactuated joining system for a moving assembly line includes a robot with actuated joints, an articulated compliance mechanism, and a controller. An end-effector of the mechanism is connected to linkages and to a joining tool, unactuated joints interconnect the linkages, and position sensors measure joint positions of the unactuated joints. In response to the joint positions, a controller regulates a position of the actuated joints to cause the compliance mechanism to compliantly follow the assembly line. This occurs while the tool remains engaged with a workpiece being transported along the assembly line. A method includes engaging the tool with the workpiece as the workpiece is transported by the assembly line, measuring joint positions of the unactuated joints using position sensors, and controlling a position of the active joints to cause the compliance mechanism to compliantly follow the workpiece along the assembly line.

A plate thickness test mechanism includes a detection section that detects an abnormality when a plate thickness is thinner than a desired plate thickness by a predetermined amount or more or thicker than the desired plate thickness by the predetermined amount or more, a determination section that determines whether or not the detection section functions normally, and a plate-shaped test jig that has a first plate portion having a plate thickness thinner than a predetermined specific plate thickness, and a second plate portion having a plate thickness thicker than the specific plate thickness. The determination section determines whether or not a plate thickness test is normally performed on the basis of a detection result of the detection section obtained when the detection section tests the plate thicknesses of the first and second plate portions by taking the desired plate thickness as the specific plate thickness.

A method controls a portable welding robot to ensure good bead appearance even where a workpiece corner and a curved section of a guide rail are not located on a concentric circle and where there is a large difference in curvature between the workpiece corner and the curved section of the guide rail. A portable welding robot sets a guide rail with respect to a workpiece having a corner and performs arc welding on the workpiece while moving on the guide rail and a welding control device controls the portable welding robot. The control method includes determining a torch position on the workpiece via a torch position determination unit, calculating a torch angle at the torch position via a torch angle calculation unit, and controlling the torch angle via a movable part based on the calculated torch angle.

A method controls a portable welding robot to ensure good bead appearance even where a workpiece corner and a curved section of a guide rail are not located on a concentric circle and where there is a large difference in curvature between the workpiece corner and the curved section of the guide rail. A portable welding robot sets a guide rail with respect to a workpiece having a corner and performs arc welding on the workpiece while moving on the guide rail and a welding control device controls the portable welding robot. The control method includes determining a torch position on the workpiece via a torch position determination unit, calculating a torch angle at the torch position via a torch angle calculation unit, and controlling the torch angle via a movable part based on the calculated torch angle.

A workpiece support device including a base, an electrically conductive worktable rotatably supported with respect to the base, a motor, a reducer that transmits rotation of the motor to the worktable and reduces a speed of the rotation, and a metal adapter interposed between the worktable and the reducer to separate the worktable and the reducer from each other. The worktable and the adapter are electrically insulated by an insulating coating film formed by a surface treatment on a surface of the worktable or the adapter.