Seam welding method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10220466-B2
Application number	US-201414781392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2014
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Shifts of a reference point C in a robot coordinate system among three postures of a seam welding apparatus 10 are found, and calibration data is obtained (STEP 1). Correction data is found from the calibration data based on deformation of elastic units 22a due to weight of the seam welding apparatus 10 in accordance with the posture of the seam welding apparatus 10 relative to a robot 20 (STEP 5). Teaching data is corrected based on the correction data (STEP 6).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seam welding method of moving a seam welding apparatus coupled to elastic units disposed at an end portion of a moving unit, the seam welding apparatus performing seam welding by energizing a pair of electrode rollers while holding plural welding targets between the electrode rollers,
the method comprising:
a calibration data obtaining step of obtaining calibration data by:
a first step of obtaining data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in a first posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit;
a second step of obtaining data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in a second posture different from the first posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit; and
a third step of obtaining data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in a third posture different from the first posture and the second posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit; and

a correcting step of correcting a moving path of the seam welding apparatus moved by the moving unit based on the calibration data and deformation of the elastic units due to weight of the seam welding apparatus in accordance with a posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit.

2. The seam welding method according to claim 1 , wherein the seam welding apparatus is coupled to an end portion of the moving unit via an equalizing mechanism, the equalizing mechanism including two elastic units.

3. The seam welding method according to claim 2 , wherein the data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in the first posture, the second posture, and the third posture is a contraction and expansion of the two elastic units.

4. A seam welding system comprising:
a seam welding apparatus that performs seam welding by energizing a pair of electrode rollers in a state of holding plural welding targets between the electrode rollers;
a moving unit that moves the seam welding apparatus coupled to elastic units disposed at an end portion of the moving unit; and
a correcting unit that corrects a moving path of the seam welding apparatus moved by the moving unit based on calibration data and deformation of the elastic units due to weight of the seam welding apparatus in accordance with a posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit,
wherein the calibration data is obtained by:
obtaining data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in a first posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit;
obtaining data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in a second posture different from the first posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit; and
obtaining data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in a third posture different from the first posture and the second posture of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit.

5. The seam welding system according to claim 4 , wherein the seam welding apparatus is coupled to an end portion of the moving unit via an equalizing mechanism, the equalizing mechanism including two elastic units.

6. The seam welding system according to claim 5 , wherein the data related to change in relative positional relation of the seam welding apparatus relative to the moving unit in the first posture, the second posture, and the third posture is a contraction and expansion of the two elastic units.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaashi Kazuhiko
• Kawai Yasuhiro
• Kaneko Mitsugu
• Kobayashi Haruhiko
• Kurimoto Noriko

Classifications

• B23K11/06 Primary

  using roller electrodes · CPC title

• B23K11/08

  Seam welding not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• B23K11/3036

  Roller electrodes · CPC title

• B23K11/255

  the measured parameter being a force (B23K11/253 takes precedence) · CPC title