Importance

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Abstract

A clamping and welding apparatus for properly clamping and welding a pair of sheet materials within a welding station for both confined and accessible clamping and welding areas. When sheet materials or body panels of automobiles arrive in a welding station, the body panels typically have welding locations that are in both accessible and confined areas. In confined areas wherein the operation and maneuvering of the clamping and welding apparatus are hindered, a laser welder is connected to the end of a programmable robotic arm that provides a wide range of movement to the laser welder independent of a clamp. The clamp provides a pair of opposed clamp arms that are pivotally connected to a support member and whose pivotal movement is powered by a pair of clamp actuators units. An aperture is provided through one of the clamp arms to guide and direct the laser welder to a proper position for providing a spot weld on the body panels. When the welding location on the body panels is in an open and accessible area so that the operation and maneuvering of the clamping and welding apparatus is not hindered, the laser welder is fixedly mounted to the clamp so that the laser welder moves with the clamp arm. The laser welder is mounted outside the plane in which the clamp moves between a clamping position and unclamped position so that clogging does not occur.

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First Claim