High capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun primary cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9505079-B2
Application number	US-201213586341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2012
Priority date	Aug 15, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun includes a pair of opposed electrodes, a weld control that controls the operation of the trans-gun, and a transformer that regulates the voltage to the trans-gun having a primary input voltage and secondary output voltage. A liquid-cooled high voltage primary conductor electrically connects the weld control to the transformer primary input and a low voltage secondary conductor electrically connects the transformer secondary output to the welding gun to energize the opposed electrodes.

First claim

We claim:

1. A high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun for use by an automated robot comprising:
a base;
a table pivotably mounted to the base;
a vertical articulating arm mounted at a first end to the table and adapted for motion about two axes relative to the base through a central vertical pivot rod and a first horizontal pivot hinge;
a horizontal articulating arm mounted at a first end to a second end of the vertical articulating arm and adapted for motion about a second horizontal pivot hinge
a distal articulating arm mounted at a first end to a second end of the horizontal articulating arm and adapted for motion about a third horizontal pivot hinge;
a welding gun including a pair of opposed electrodes attached to the distal articulating arm;
a weld control for controlling the operation of the trans-gun;
a transformer mounted inside a junction box on the distal articulating arm for controlling the voltage to the trans-gun having a primary input voltage and secondary output voltage;
a liquid-cooled high voltage primary conductor supplying at least 400V that electrically connects the weld control to the transformer primary input, the liquid-cooled high voltage primary conductor having a sealed hose concentrically disposed thereabout substantially along an entire length of the primary conductor and the liquid-cooled high voltage primary conductor being encased in a nonconductive insulative coating,
a low voltage secondary conductor that electrically connects the transformer secondary output to the welding gun, and the high voltage primary conductor and the low voltage secondary conductor are electrically coupled to the transformer inside the junction box.

2. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material of the liquid-cooled primary conductor has a cross-sectional diameter of less than 350 mcm.

3. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled primary conductor has a bend radius of less than 2.5 inches.

4. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled primary conductor is rated to at least 1800 amps at 100% duty cycle.

5. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled primary conductor includes a sealed hose disposed concentrically about the primary conductor.

6. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the voltage of the secondary conductor is between 4V and 50V.

7. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled primary conductor has a DC resistance of less than 30 microohms per foot and a heat removal rate of 320,256 BTUs per hour.

8. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooled primary conductor is further encased in a nonconductive hose concentrically disposed about the primary conductor and its coating to form a water jacket within which a coolant flows.

9. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 8 , further comprising coolant supply lines, wherein the coolant comprises ethylene glycol and the cooling lines between primary conductors and any other conductor or ground are not less than 18 inches in length.

10. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the coolant is treated to reduce its conductivity.

11. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the trans-gun is mounted to an articulated robotic arm.

12. The high capacity aluminum spot welding trans-gun of claim 1 , wherein the trans-gun is adapted for manual operation.

Assignees

• Moision William C
• Hetrick Elizabeth Therese
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Moision William C
• Hetrick Elizabeth Therese

Classifications

• B23K11/314

  Spot welding guns, e.g. mounted on robots · CPC title

• B23K11/115 Primary

  by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts · CPC title

• B23K11/3018

  Cooled pressure electrodes · CPC title