Automatic monitoring of the alignment and wear of vibration welding equipment

Patent · Tue Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 2019

OSTI ID:1499129

Spicer, John Patrick; Cai, Wayne W.; Chakraborty, Debejyo; Mink, Keith

A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.

• Research Organization: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: EE0002217
• Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (Detroit, MI)
• Patent Number(s): 10,191,471
• Application Number: 15/486,799
• OSTI ID: 1499129
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 2017 Apr 13
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English