A welding assembly for welding a plurality of workpieces includes a positioner assembly including a base assembly and a workpiece holding assembly that is mounted to the base assembly. The workpiece holding assembly includes a beam having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of holding elements that are each mounted to the beam and adapted for holding and positioning a workpiece for welding. The beam is rotatable about a primary axis that is substantially horizontal. The plurality of holding elements are each rotatable about an auxiliary axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the beam.

A welding method and system (4) using a robotic arm (10), a welding robot (18) and a welding table (2) placed at an angle from horizontal to hold two C-channels (6 and 8) facing each other to maintain position and be welded together. C-channels (6 and 8) face each other to form a closed channel at increased welding speed with less materials having resulting benefits including constant welding, less distortion, and less welding material. Welding begins with restraining C-channels (6 and 8) in conjunction with the angled welding table (2). A robotic arm (10) handles C-channels (6 and 8) to move, place and restrain them relative to each other and the welding table (2). A pressing tool (12) may be a set of pressure-exerting tools (26). A welding robot (18) with a seam finding system (24) preferably welds the restrained C-channels (6 and 8) from top to bottom.

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.

This link actuation device includes: a proximal end side link hub; a distal end side link hub; and three or more link mechanisms which each couple the distal end side link hub to the proximal end side link hub. Each link mechanism includes: proximal side and distal side end link members, and an intermediate link member. The link mechanism is provided with an actuator which arbitrarily changes the posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub. A workpiece is disposed on the proximal end side link hub, and an end effector is disposed in the distal end side link hub so as to face inside of arrangement of the link hubs and perform work onto the workpiece.

Provided is a wire body processing structure for a robot having a wrist, a base end of which is connected to a forearm in a rotatable manner about a first axis and a distal end of which has a plurality of working tools attached thereto. The wire body processing structure includes a first flexible conduit disposed along the first axis from the forearm to the distal end of the wrist and also includes a second flexible conduit disposed longitudinally within the first conduit. A first wire body for one of the working tools is extended longitudinally through the second conduit. A second wire body for another one of the working tools is extended longitudinally through a space between the first conduit and the second conduit.

A robotic wire termination system for efficiently connecting a plurality of wires to an electrical connector. The robotic wire termination system generally includes a frame, a connector support attached to the frame, a robot manipulator having at least one arm, a heating device attached to the at least one arm and a control unit in communication with the robot manipulator to control the operation of the robot manipulator. The arm of the robot manipulator is adapted to move the heating device so that the heating device can apply heat to a selected connector pin of the electrical connector.

A tool welding system is disclosed that includes a table that heats a tool. A multi-axis robot includes a welding head that is moved relative to the table in response to a command. A controller is in communication with the robot and generates the command in response to welding parameters. The weld parameters are based upon a difference between an initial tool shape and a desired tool shape. The difference between the initial tool shape and the desired tool shape corresponds to a desired weld shape. The desired weld shape is adjusted based upon initial tool shape variations, which includes thermal growth of the tool. The tool is welded to provide the desired weld shape to achieve a desired tool shape.

A system for positioning and welding a bracket 30 to a mounting surface, such as a vehicle side rail 40, including using a pivoting tool 20 on a moveable arm 10 that allows the bracket 30 to pivot to minimize the gap between the bracket 30 and its intended mounting surface. The pivoting tool 20 secures, positions near the surface, and allows the bracket 30 to pivot for a precise surface match. A welder 50 welds the bracket 30 to the surface with the gap minimized while the bracket 30 is held in the desired position. The pivoting tool 20 is preferably on an adjustable appendage 12 or combination end 60 mounted on a distal end of the arm 10. The flexible tooling does not require the bracket 30 to be forced with substantial pressure against the mounting surface.

A remote controlled, tele-operated welder includes a multi-axis robot arm, video cameras, sensors a specialized control station that allows an operator to perform flood-fill welding operations at a remote location to avoid the heat, smoke and other environmental effects produced through typical flood-welding operations. The operator accesses the control unit (OCU) using a GUI and mouse, keyboard, joystick, or other custom controls, and observe the piece via the cameras (visual, thermal, or other) placed in the welding station via a feed displayed on the OCU display(s). Audio, video, and/or tactile feedback may be provided to indicate arm, welder, or other system status, for collision warning and arm motion singularity avoidance. Augmented reality informational graphic/textual overlays may provide guidance to an operator, and the apparatus may further include the ability to repeat series of steps needed to handle flood-weld on a given piece, repeatedly across many pieces.

When setting welding conditions of arc welding, an operator sets the shape of a material to be welded, the specifications of welding, and welding conditions using a teach pendant. An apparatus for supporting setting of welding conditions in multi-pass welding of the present invention automatically calculates the state of the bead layering cross-section including at least one of the number of bead layers, the number of passes, and the layering direction, and the state of the bead layering cross-section including at least one of the number of bead layers, the number of passes, and the layering direction, obtained by the calculation is displayed on a display section.