Welding system for vehicle body components

• Main Authors: Wexler, Arnon, Busuttil, Peter, Hanel, Tamara, Greig, Neil
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.04.2018
• Subjects: CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOTDIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g.ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; HAND TOOLS; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MACHINE TOOLS; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OFPARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; MANIPULATORS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FORFASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

A welding system is provided. The welding system includes a fixture, a plurality of pressure blocks, and a laser welder. The fixture is configured to grasp a roof panel and transition to an advanced position in order to align the roof panel with a roof rail along a weld line. The plurality of pressure blocks are movably secured to the fixture such that advancing the pressure blocks when the fixture is in the advanced position provides a compression force between the roof panel and roof rail along the weld line to prevent distortion during a welding operation. The laser welder is configured to weld the roof panel to the roof rail along the weld line.