A spot welding station and spot welding system for processing automobile chassis

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of spot welding equipment for automotive chassis processing. The invention discloses a spot welding workstation and system for automotive chassis processing, including a robotic arm, a state transition mechanism, a clamping mechanism, and a spot welding mechanism. The state transition mechanism is fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm and is used to switch the clamping mechanism and the spot welding mechanism between workstations. The clamping mechanism is used to grip, transfer, and position the workpiece to be welded. The spot welding mechanism is used to perform resistance spot welding on the automotive chassis and the workpiece. The state transition mechanism enables rapid switching between the clamping mechanism and the spot welding mechanism, eliminating the need to wait for another robotic arm to enter or exit the workstation. This results in more compact action transitions. Furthermore, the clamping angle is adjustable, and the spot welding rod length is adaptively extendable, allowing for rapid adaptation to chassis components of different specifications and positions. This meets the needs of multi-model, multi-batch, and flexible production, significantly improving the workstation's versatility and production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spot welding equipment for automobile chassis processing, specifically a spot welding workstation and spot welding system for automobile chassis processing. Background Technology

[0002] In the automobile manufacturing process, the chassis is the core load-bearing component of the car body. Its welding quality directly determines the body rigidity, collision safety and the service life of the whole vehicle. Spot welding has become the core process in the assembly of automobile chassis due to its advantages such as high welding efficiency, stable joint strength and suitability for welding thin sheet metal. It is widely used in the connection of chassis body with various stamped sheet metal parts, reinforcements, brackets, crossbeams and other parts.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream operation mode of automotive chassis spot welding workstations all adopts two independent sets of industrial robotic arms to complete the operation in collaboration. One set is a gripping robotic arm, which is mainly responsible for picking up and moving the workpieces to be welded (such as reinforcing plates, seat brackets, crossbeams, etc.) from the storage area and accurately placing them on the chassis fixture for positioning and clamping. The other set is a spot welding robotic arm, which is responsible for resistance spot welding the workpieces fixed on the fixture to the chassis body. The two sets of robotic arms work together through a control system to ensure the continuity of the operation process.

[0004] However, the aforementioned existing technical solutions have many insurmountable defects in practical applications, which seriously affect production efficiency and enterprise cost control, as follows: First, the equipment investment and maintenance costs are high: the purchase cost of two independent industrial robotic arms is relatively high, with the purchase cost of a single industrial spot welding robotic arm or gripping robotic arm reaching 200,000 to 500,000 yuan. The total purchase cost of the two sets of robotic arms significantly increases the initial investment of the workstation. At the same time, the two sets of robotic arms need to be installed, debugged, and calibrated separately. In the later stage, the drive system, control system, and actuator of the two sets of robotic arms also need to be maintained independently, which greatly increases the maintenance cost and brings a heavy economic burden to enterprises. It is especially unsuitable for small and medium-sized car enterprises and the upgrading and transformation of existing production lines.

[0005] Secondly, the production line layout is complex and the collaborative control is difficult: the two sets of robotic arms require a large amount of factory space, resulting in insufficient compactness of the production line layout and increased factory investment costs; at the same time, in order to avoid interference between the two sets of robotic arms during operation, complex collaborative control logic needs to be designed, which requires extremely high debugging accuracy of the control system. This not only increases the debugging cycle, but also makes it easy for collaborative failures (such as delayed action connection and positioning deviation) to occur, resulting in work interruption, scrapped workpieces, and affecting production efficiency and product quality.

[0006] In summary, the existing automotive chassis spot welding workstations, which employ a two-arm collaborative operation solution, suffer from drawbacks such as high cost, complex layout, difficulty in coordination, low operating efficiency, and poor versatility, failing to meet the actual needs of enterprises for cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and flexible production. Therefore, developing a chassis spot welding equipment that simplifies equipment configuration, reduces costs, improves efficiency, and simultaneously ensures spot welding accuracy and operational stability has become a pressing technical problem to be solved in the current automotive manufacturing industry. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a spot welding workstation and spot welding system for processing automotive chassis, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a spot welding workstation for processing automobile chassis, comprising a robotic arm, a state transition mechanism, a clamping mechanism, and a spot welding mechanism; The state transition mechanism is fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm and is used to drive the gripping mechanism and the spot welding mechanism to switch work positions. The robotic arm includes a base, a rotating base, a first movable arm, a first joint motor, a second movable arm, a second joint motor, a rotating rod, and a rotary motor. The rotating seat is rotatably connected to the base. The first movable arm is connected to the rotating seat via a first joint motor. The second movable arm is connected to the first movable arm via a second joint motor. The rotating rod is installed at the end of the second movable arm via the rotating motor. The clamping mechanism and the spot welding mechanism are respectively installed in different execution parts of the state transition mechanism. They are arranged in an alternating manner and do not interfere with each other. The state transition mechanism includes a connecting frame, a dual-axis motor, two sets of rotating rods, a bracket, and a vent hole. The state transition mechanism is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating rod via a connecting frame; The two sets of rotating rods are respectively connected to the output ends on both sides of the dual-axis motor and are driven to rotate synchronously by the dual-axis motor; The dual-axis motor is located inside the connecting frame and is fixedly installed by the bracket, and the ventilation holes are opened on the side wall of the connecting frame to dissipate heat from the dual-axis motor. The state transition mechanism also includes a vision module, which is used to identify, locate and determine the attitude of the workpiece to be spot welded and the position of the weld point. The clamping mechanism is used to grip, transfer and position the workpiece to be welded. The clamping mechanism includes a first fixed frame, a support frame, an angle adjustment motor, a gripper and an opening and closing drive assembly. The clamping mechanism is fixedly mounted on a set of rotating rods via a first fixing frame; The support frame is rotatably connected to the first fixed frame, and the gripper is movably connected to the support frame, and achieves opening and closing clamping under the drive of the opening and closing drive assembly; The angle adjustment motor is installed on one side of the first fixed frame, and the gear fixed at its output end meshes with the gear ring fixed at the bottom of the support frame, driving the two sets of grippers to rotate at an angle. The spot welding mechanism is used to perform resistance spot welding on the automobile chassis and the workpiece. The spot welding mechanism includes a fixed part, a movable part, a spot welding drive motor, a spot welding rod, a toothed plate, a length adjustment motor, a second fixed frame, an electric slip ring, and connecting wires. The spot welding mechanism is fixedly mounted on another set of rotating rods via a second fixing frame; The fixing component is fixed to the bottom of the second fixing frame, the movable component is hinged to the fixing component, and swings under the drive of the spot welding drive motor, so that the two sets of spot welding rods close together to achieve spot welding. A length adjustment motor is installed on one side of both the fixed part and the moving part. A gear is fixed to the output end of the length adjustment motor, and the gear plate is fixed to one side of the spot welding rod. The spot welding rod engages with the gear at the output end of the length adjustment motor via the toothed plate to achieve axial extension and retraction adjustment; The robotic arm is used to drive the state transition mechanism, the gripping mechanism and the spot welding mechanism to complete spatial movement and positioning; A spot welding system for a spot welding workstation used for processing automotive chassis includes a robotic arm drive unit, a state transition control unit, a gripping control unit, a spot welding control unit, and a vision positioning unit. The spot welding control unit is electrically connected to the robotic arm, the state transition mechanism, the gripping mechanism, and the spot welding mechanism, respectively. The spot welding control system is used to coordinate the movement of the robotic arm, the station switching of the state transition mechanism, the clamping action of the gripping mechanism, and the spot welding operation of the spot welding mechanism, so as to realize the full-process automated control of workpiece gripping, loading and positioning, station switching, and spot welding processing. The spot welding system is used to automatically perform the entire process of workpiece gripping, loading and positioning, station switching, spot welding, and cyclic reset.

[0009] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention uses a single robotic arm to simultaneously complete the entire process of workpiece gripping, transfer, loading and positioning, and resistance spot welding. This completely eliminates the costs of purchasing, installing, debugging, and occupying space for two sets of equipment, namely gripping robotic arms and spot welding robotic arms, as required by traditional solutions, resulting in a significant reduction in initial investment. At the same time, only one set of robotic arms and end effector needs to be maintained, serviced, and have its vulnerable parts replaced, reducing maintenance workload and costs by more than 50%. This invention is especially suitable for small and medium-sized car companies and for low-cost upgrades and transformations of existing production lines, and has higher market promotion value.

[0010] 2. This invention adopts a single-arm integrated structure, eliminating the need to reserve movement space and safety clearance for two sets of robotic arms. The overall layout of the workstation is more compact, significantly reducing the factory floor space occupied and improving the utilization rate of production line space. At the same time, gripping and spot welding are completed by the same robotic arm, eliminating problems such as motion interference, motion conflict, and signal delay caused by dual-machine collaboration from the root. The control logic is simpler, the equipment debugging cycle is shorter, the failure rate is lower, and the continuity of production and operational safety are significantly improved.

[0011] 3. The present invention uses the same set of robotic arm motion positioning references for workpiece gripping and feeding and spot welding operations, avoiding problems such as workpiece placement offset and inaccurate weld point position caused by inconsistent references and superimposed positioning deviations in traditional dual robotic arms; combined with the positioning and angle adaptive adjustment functions of the vision module, it can achieve precise workpiece feeding and precise weld point alignment, effectively reducing the defect rate and manual calibration workload, and significantly improving the welding strength, dimensional accuracy and overall vehicle safety performance of the automotive chassis.

[0012] 4. This invention enables rapid switching between the clamping mechanism and the spot welding mechanism through a state transition mechanism, eliminating the need to wait for another robotic arm to enter or exit the workstation. This results in more compact action connections, smoother processes, and a significantly faster overall work cycle. At the same time, the clamping angle is adjustable and the spot welding rod length is adaptively extendable, allowing for quick adaptation to chassis components of different specifications and positions. This meets the needs of multi-model, multi-batch, and flexible production, greatly improving the versatility and production efficiency of the workstation. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece gripping state of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in the spot welding state; Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of a partial structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an enlarged exploded view of the spot welding mechanism of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an enlarged exploded view of the clamping mechanism of the present invention; Figure 6 This is an enlarged exploded view of the state transition mechanism of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly state of the fixed and movable parts of the present invention; Figure 8 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the spot welding rod of the present invention.

[0014] In the picture: 1. Robotic arm; 101. Base; 102. Rotary base; 103. First movable arm; 104. First joint motor; 105. Second movable arm; 106. Second joint motor; 107. Rotating rod; 108. Rotary motor; 2. State transition mechanism; 201. Connecting frame; 202. Dual-axis motor; 203. Rotating rod; 204. Support; 205. Vision module; 206. Ventilation hole; 3. Clamping mechanism; 301. First fixed frame; 302. Support frame; 303. Angle adjustment motor; 304. Gripper; 305. Opening and closing drive assembly; 4. Spot welding mechanism; 401. Fixed part; 402. Moving part; 403. Spot welding drive motor; 404. Spot welding rod; 405. Tooth plate; 406. Length adjustment motor; 407. Second fixed frame; 408. Electric slip ring; 409. Connecting wire. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0016] Example 1 Please see Figures 1 to 8 The present invention provides a technical solution: a spot welding workstation and spot welding system for processing automobile chassis, including a robotic arm 1, a state transition mechanism 2, a clamping mechanism 3 and a spot welding mechanism 4.

[0017] The robotic arm 1 includes a base 101, a rotating base 102, a first movable arm 103, a first joint motor 104, a second movable arm 105, a second joint motor 106, a rotating rod 107, and a rotary motor 108. The rotating base 102 is rotatably connected above the base 101. The first movable arm 103 is connected to the rotating base 102 via the first joint motor 104. The second movable arm 105 is connected to the first movable arm 103 via the second joint motor 106. The rotating rod 107 is mounted at the end of the second movable arm 105 via the rotary motor 108.

[0018] The state transition mechanism 2 is fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm 1. The state transition mechanism 2 includes a connecting frame 201, a dual-axis motor 202, two sets of rotating rods 203, a support 204, a vision module 205, and a vent 206. The state transition mechanism 2 is fixedly mounted on the end of the rotating rod 107 via the connecting frame 201. The dual-axis motor 202 is located inside the connecting frame 201 and fixedly mounted via the support 204. The two sets of rotating rods 203 are coaxially connected to the output ends of the dual-axis motor 202 on both sides and are driven to rotate synchronously by the dual-axis motor 202. The vent 206 is opened on the side wall of the connecting frame 201 for heat dissipation of the dual-axis motor 202. The vision module 205 is mounted on the support 204 and is used for identifying, locating, and determining the posture of the workpiece to be spot-welded and the weld point position.

[0019] The clamping mechanism 3 is fixedly mounted on one of the sets of rotating rods 203 via a first fixed frame 301. The clamping mechanism 3 includes a first fixed frame 301, a support frame 302, an angle adjustment motor 303, grippers 304, and an opening and closing drive assembly 305. The support frame 302 is rotatably connected to the first fixed frame 301, and the grippers 304 are movably connected to the support frame 302, and achieve opening and closing clamping under the drive of the opening and closing drive assembly 305. The angle adjustment motor 303 is mounted on one side of the first fixed frame 301, and the gear fixed at the output end of the angle adjustment motor 303 meshes with the gear ring fixed at the bottom of the support frame 302, which drives the support frame 302 and the two sets of grippers 304 to rotate.

[0020] The spot welding mechanism 4 is fixedly mounted on another set of rotating rods 203 via a second fixed frame 407. The spot welding mechanism 4 includes a fixed component 401, a movable component 402, a spot welding drive motor 403, spot welding rods 404, a toothed plate 405, a length adjusting motor 406, a second fixed frame 407, an electric slip ring 408, and connecting wires 409. The fixed component 401 is fixed to the bottom of the second fixed frame 407. The movable component 402 is hinged to the fixed component 401 and swings relative to the fixed component 401 under the drive of the spot welding drive motor 403, causing the two sets of spot welding rods 404 to close together and perform spot welding. The length adjusting motor 406 is installed on one side of the fixed component 401 and the movable component 402 respectively. A gear is fixed to the output end of the length adjusting motor 406. The toothed plate 405 is fixed to one side of the spot welding rod 404. The spot welding rod 404 meshes with the gear at the output end of the length adjusting motor 406 through the toothed plate 405 to achieve axial extension and retraction adjustment. The slip ring 408 is installed inside the second fixed frame 407. The connecting wire 409 connects the slip ring 408 and the spot welding rod 404. The connecting wire 409 is spiral-shaped and can adapt to the extension and retraction length of the spot welding rod 404.

[0021] The clamping mechanism 3 and the spot welding mechanism 4 are arranged in an alternating manner, and they do not interfere with each other during the switching of workstations.

[0022] Working principle: First, the clamping mechanism 3 is fixed to a set of rotating rods 203 of the state transition mechanism 2 by the first fixing frame 301. Then, the spot welding mechanism 4 is fixed to another set of rotating rods 203 of the state transition mechanism 2 by the second fixing frame 407. The clamping mechanism 3 and the spot welding mechanism 4 are initially installed in opposite positions and are staggered as a whole. Then, the state transition mechanism 2 is installed on the rotating rod 107 of the robotic arm 1. Under the action of the robotic arm 1, the state transition mechanism 2 can simultaneously drive the clamping mechanism 3 and the spot welding mechanism 4 to move at multiple angles. When the clamping mechanism 3 is at the front end, the spot welding mechanism 4 is at the rear end. The robotic arm 1 can then use the clamping mechanism 3 to pick up and load the workpiece, placing the parts that need to be spot welded to the car chassis on the car chassis. At this time, the car chassis is on the tooling fixture. When the parts are moved to the designated position, the tooling fixture can perform initial positioning of the parts, which is convenient for subsequent spot welding operations. Then, under the action of the dual-axis motor 202 of the state transition mechanism 2, the dual-axis motor 202 drives the two sets of rotating rods 203 to rotate 180 degrees at the same time. At this time, the positions of the clamping mechanism 3 and the spot welding mechanism 4 are adjusted so that the spot welding mechanism 4 is at the front end and the clamping mechanism 3 is at the rear end. Then, under the overall movement of the robotic arm 1, the spot welding mechanism 4 can perform spot welding operations on the parts and the car chassis. Specifically, the clamping mechanism 3 includes a support frame 302 fixed on the first fixed frame 301. Two sets of grippers 304 are movably connected to the support frame 302. The two sets of grippers 304 can be opened and closed by the opening and closing drive assembly 305 to grasp the workpiece. Under the action of the angle adjustment motor 303, the two sets of grippers 304 of the clamping mechanism 3 in the working state can rotate around the axis of the first fixed frame 301, which is suitable for clamping workpieces in different states. The spot welding mechanism 4 includes a fixed member 401 fixed on the second fixed frame 407. One end of the fixed member 401 is hinged to a movable member 402. Spot welding rods 404 are slidably connected to the outside of both the fixed member 401 and the movable member 402. Under the action of the spot welding drive motor 403 installed on the fixed member 401, the movable member 402 and a set of spot welding rods 404 can be driven to rotate relative to another set of spot welding rods 404 at an angle, so that the ends of the two sets of spot welding rods 404 close to each other, thus completing the spot welding operation. Furthermore, both the fixed part 401 and the movable part 402 are equipped with length adjustment motors 406. The output end of the length adjustment motors 406 is fixed with gears. The gears mesh with the toothed plate 405 fixed inside the spot welding rod 404. In other words, the two sets of spot welding rods 404 can extend at the same time, thereby adjusting the spot welding working length of the spot welding rod 404 to better adapt to spot welding operations. An electric slip ring 408 is provided inside the second fixed frame 407. The fixed ring of the electric slip ring 408 is connected to the external power supply equipment through a wire, while the movable ring is fixed inside the second fixed frame 407. The movable ring and the two sets of spot welding rods 404 are electrically connected through a connecting wire 409. The connecting wire 409 is spiral-shaped and can automatically adapt to the length adjustment of the spot welding rods 404. In summary, this invention uses only one robotic arm 1 to simultaneously complete the entire process of workpiece gripping, loading, positioning, and spot welding, eliminating the procurement, installation, and commissioning costs of two separate sets of equipment—one gripping robotic arm and one spot welding robotic arm—in traditional solutions, significantly reducing initial investment. Furthermore, only one set of robotic arm 1 and its end effector requires maintenance, reducing operating costs by more than 50%, making it more suitable for small and medium-sized car manufacturers and low-cost upgrades of existing production lines. The single robotic arm structure eliminates the need to reserve movement space and safety distance for two sets of robotic arms, resulting in a more compact overall layout of the workstation. This can significantly reduce the factory floor space occupied, improve the utilization rate of production line space, and reduce site investment costs. The same robotic arm completes both gripping and spot welding, eliminating the need for complex dual-machine collaborative control programs and fundamentally avoiding issues such as robotic arm movement conflicts, interference, and waiting delays. The equipment has a shorter commissioning cycle, more stable operation, significantly reduced downtime failure rate, and greatly improved production continuity and safety. After the grabbing is completed, the state switching mechanism 2 set at the end can quickly flip and switch to spot welding mode without waiting for another robotic arm 1 to enter the work station. The action is more compact, the overall operation cycle is significantly faster, and the output per unit time is higher.

[0023] Example 2 In this embodiment, the complete operation process of the spot welding workstation for automotive chassis processing is divided into six stages: self-inspection upon startup, workpiece gripping, loading and positioning, station switching, spot welding operation, and cyclic reset. Each stage works in coordination to achieve fully automated, unmanned operation. The following details the process in conjunction with actual production scenarios: Power-on self-test and system initialization After the workstation is powered on, the spot welding system automatically executes the initialization program. The robotic arm drive unit controls the robotic arm 1 to return to its origin position, and the state transition control unit drives the dual-axis motor 202 to rotate, adjusting the gripping mechanism 3 to the front end of the work and placing the spot welding mechanism 4 in the rear clearance position. The vision positioning unit starts a self-test, calibrating the camera focal length, light source brightness, and positioning algorithm, while simultaneously detecting the opening and closing status of the gripper 304, the extension and retraction length of the spot welding rod 404, and the wear of the electrode cap. If an abnormality is detected (such as excessive electrode wear or gripper jamming), the system immediately issues an audible and visual alarm and displays the fault location and solution on the human-machine interface. After the fault is resolved, the system continues to operate. After initialization, the system reads the current production task and retrieves parameters such as workpiece specifications, weld point coordinates, clamping force, spot welding pressure, and welding current for the corresponding vehicle model chassis. No manual input is required, enabling one-click model changeover in less than 5 minutes, meeting the needs of multi-model mixed-line production.

[0024] Automatic workpiece gripping and transfer After initialization, robotic arm 1, under the control of the drive unit, moves to the top of the workpiece storage area. The vision module 205 scans and identifies the stored workpieces to be welded (taking the front crossbeam reinforcement plate of an automobile chassis as an example), quickly acquiring the workpiece position, posture, and quantity information, and feeding it back to the gripping control unit. The angle adjustment motor 303 automatically adjusts the angle of the gripper 304 according to the workpiece posture, ensuring that the gripper 304 is parallel to the workpiece gripping surface. The opening and closing drive component 305 drives the gripper 304 to open to the corresponding width, and robotic arm 1 slowly descends. The gripper 304 precisely fits against both sides of the workpiece, and after closing, applies the set gripping force to complete the workpiece gripping. After gripping, robotic arm 1 quickly transfers the workpiece according to the preset trajectory, maintaining a uniform speed during the transfer process to avoid workpiece swaying or deviation. At the same time, the vision module 205 monitors the workpiece posture in real time. If deviation occurs, the system immediately fine-tunes the position of robotic arm 1 and the angle of gripper 304 to ensure the stability of the workpiece posture. The transfer path adopts optimal path planning, avoiding tooling fixtures and workshop obstacles. The single transfer time does not exceed 8 seconds, which is 30% more efficient than the traditional dual robotic arm transfer.

[0025] Precision feeding and positioning clamping Robotic arm 1 moves the workpiece above the automotive chassis fixture. Vision module 205 performs secondary precise positioning of the chassis positioning holes and workpiece mounting position. After acquiring deviation data, it controls robotic arm 1 to perform micro-compensation to ensure the workpiece is perfectly aligned with the chassis mounting position. Then, robotic arm 1 slowly descends, smoothly placing the workpiece at the designated position on the chassis. The gripper 304 holds the workpiece for 2 seconds. After the pneumatic clamping mechanism of the fixture pre-tightens and fixes the workpiece, the gripper 304 slowly opens, and robotic arm 1 rises slightly, completing the loading action. After loading, vision module 205 detects the workpiece mounting position to confirm that the workpiece is not offset, not tilted, and not missing. If the positioning is unqualified, the system controls robotic arm 1 to re-grab and load the workpiece until it is qualified. The positioning repeatability accuracy can reach ±0.05mm, ensuring stable subsequent spot welding quality. In this embodiment, the entire single workpiece loading and positioning process takes only 12 seconds, requiring no manual assistance, significantly reducing labor costs and intensity.

[0026] Rapid workstation switching and posture adjustment After the workpiece is positioned, the spot welding system issues a switching command. The state transition control unit immediately drives the dual-axis motor 202 to start, causing the two sets of rotating rods 203 to rotate 180° synchronously. The gripping mechanism 3 flips to the rear clearance position along with the rotating rods 203, and the spot welding mechanism 4 flips to the front of the work, completing the rapid switch from the gripping mode to the spot welding mode. The entire switching process is smooth and interference-free, taking only 1.5 seconds. After the switch is completed, the spot welding control unit controls the spot welding mechanism 4 to perform a self-check. The length adjustment motor 406 automatically adjusts the extension and retraction length of the spot welding rod 404 according to the depth and position of the weld point, so that the electrode cap matches the position of the weld point. The spot welding drive motor 403 finely adjusts the angle of the moving part 402 to ensure that the axes of the two sets of spot welding rods 404 are perpendicular to the weld point, ensuring uniform spot welding pressure. At the same time, the vision module 205 makes a final confirmation of the weld point position and transmits the coordinate data to the robotic arm drive unit. The robotic arm 1 quickly moves to the first weld point position, ready for spot welding.

[0027] Resistance spot welding operation and quality control After the robotic arm 1 drives the spot welding mechanism 4 to precisely reach the welding point position, the spot welding drive motor 403 drives the moving part 402 to swing, and the two sets of spot welding rods 404 slowly close. The electrode cap lightly presses the workpiece and the base frame surface. After the pressure reaches the set value (3000N in this embodiment), the spot welding system outputs welding current (the current value is set to 8000A-12000A according to the thickness of the plate). Through resistance heating, the contact part between the workpiece and the base frame melts and fuses to form a solid weld point. During the welding process, the system monitors parameters such as welding current, voltage, pressure, and welding time in real time and compares them with standard parameters. If there is a deviation, it will automatically compensate immediately to ensure that the weld point quality meets the standard. The single-point spot welding time is only 0.3 seconds. After completing one weld point, the robotic arm 1 quickly moves to the next weld point and repeats the spot welding action until all weld points of the workpiece are completed. In this embodiment, the front crossbeam reinforcing plate has a total of 8 welding points. The entire spot welding process takes no more than 5 seconds. The weld strength is uniform and there are no defects such as false welding, missing welding, or weld penetration. After testing, the shear strength of the weld points meets the safety standards of the automotive industry. During the spot welding process, the electric slip ring 408 and the spiral connecting wire 409 are stably powered without any current interruption. The length adjustment motor 406 flexibly adjusts the length of the spot welding rod 404 according to the position of the weld point, adapting to complex structures such as grooves and protrusions in the chassis. No manual adjustment of the electrodes is required, making it highly versatile.

[0028] Cyclic Reset and Continuous Production After all weld points on the workpiece are completed, the spot welding mechanism 4 resets, the state transition mechanism 2 flips again, switching the gripping mechanism 3 to the front end, and the robotic arm 1 returns to the workpiece storage area to begin the gripping, transfer, loading, and spot welding operation of the next workpiece, forming an automated cycle of gripping-loading-spot welding-resetting. The workstation can operate continuously for 24 hours a day, and can complete 120 automotive chassis spot welding operations in a single shift, which increases the productivity by 25% and reduces the failure rate by 60% compared to traditional dual-robotic arm workstations. During the production process, the system automatically records operation data, including production quantity, number of weld points, fault information, equipment operating status, etc., which can be uploaded to the workshop MES system to realize visualized management of production data, making it easier for enterprises to trace product quality and optimize production processes.

[0029] Maintenance and Safety Assurance In this embodiment, the workstation is easy to maintain. The robotic arm 1 only needs to be lubricated periodically. The moving parts of the state transition mechanism 2, the gripping mechanism 3, and the spot welding mechanism 4 are designed to be maintenance-free. The electrode caps can be quickly replaced after wear without disassembling the entire spot welding mechanism. The equipment has a high protection level and is suitable for the oil, dust, and high-temperature environment of the automobile manufacturing workshop. Key components are equipped with overload protection, emergency stop buttons, and safety light curtains. If personnel are detected entering the work area, the mechanism is overloaded, or there is an abnormal collision, the system will immediately stop the machine to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment.

[0030] Through actual production verification, the spot welding workstation for automotive chassis processing in this embodiment adopts a single robotic arm integrated design, which reduces equipment procurement costs by 50%, maintenance costs by 55%, factory floor space by 40%, and increases operational efficiency by 30%. It also significantly improves welding accuracy and product qualification rate, fully meeting the flexible, low-cost, and high-efficiency production needs of small and medium-sized car companies and large car companies. It solves the technical problems of high cost, complex layout, difficulty in collaboration, and poor versatility of traditional dual robotic arm workstations, and has extremely high market promotion value and application prospects.

[0031] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0032] The terms “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are merely simplified descriptions for the convenience of describing the present invention and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spot welding workstation for processing automotive chassis, characterized in that: include: The robotic arm (1), the state transition mechanism (2), the gripping mechanism (3), and the spot welding mechanism (4) are included. The state transition mechanism (2) is fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm (1) and is used to drive the clamping mechanism (3) and the spot welding mechanism (4) to switch positions. The clamping mechanism (3) and the spot welding mechanism (4) are respectively installed in different execution parts of the state transition mechanism (2), and the two are arranged in an alternating manner and do not interfere with each other; The clamping mechanism (3) is used to grip, transfer and position the workpiece to be welded; The spot welding mechanism (4) is used to perform resistance spot welding on the car chassis and the workpiece; The robotic arm (1) is used to drive the state transition mechanism (2), the gripping mechanism (3) and the spot welding mechanism (4) to complete spatial movement and positioning.

2. The spot welding workstation for processing automobile chassis according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm (1) includes a base (101), a rotating base (102), a first movable arm (103), a first joint motor (104), a second movable arm (105), a second joint motor (106), a rotating rod (107), and a rotary motor (108). The rotating seat (102) is rotatably connected to the base (101). The first movable arm (103) is connected to the rotating seat (102) via a first joint motor (104). The second movable arm (105) is connected to the first movable arm (103) via a second joint motor (106). The rotating rod (107) is installed at the end of the second movable arm (105) via a rotary motor (108).

3. The spot welding workstation for processing automobile chassis according to claim 2, characterized in that: The state transition mechanism (2) includes a connecting frame (201), a dual-axis motor (202), two sets of rotating rods (203), a bracket (204), and a vent (206). The state transition mechanism (2) is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating rod (107) via a connecting frame (201); The two sets of rotating rods (203) are respectively connected to the output ends on both sides of the dual-axis motor (202) and are driven to rotate synchronously by the dual-axis motor (202); The dual-axis motor (202) is located inside the connecting frame (201) and is fixedly installed by the bracket (204). The ventilation hole (206) is opened on the side wall of the connecting frame (201) to dissipate heat from the dual-axis motor (202).

4. A spot welding workstation for processing automotive chassis according to claim 3, characterized in that: The state transition mechanism (2) also includes a vision module (205), which is used to identify and locate the workpiece to be spot welded and the position of the weld point, and to determine the posture.

5. A spot welding workstation for processing automotive chassis according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism (3) includes a first fixed frame (301), a support frame (302), an angle adjustment motor (303), a gripper (304), and an opening and closing drive assembly (305); The clamping mechanism (3) is fixedly mounted on a set of rotating rods (203) via a first fixing frame (301); The support frame (302) is rotatably connected to the first fixed frame (301), and the gripper (304) is movably connected to the support frame (302) and realizes opening and closing clamping under the drive of the opening and closing drive assembly (305); The angle adjustment motor (303) is installed on one side of the first fixed frame (301). The gear fixed at its output end meshes with the gear ring fixed at the bottom of the support frame (302), driving the two sets of grippers (304) to rotate at an angle.

6. A spot welding workstation for processing automotive chassis according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spot welding mechanism (4) includes a fixed part (401), a movable part (402), a spot welding drive motor (403), a spot welding rod (404), a toothed plate (405), a length adjustment motor (406), a second fixed frame (407), an electric slip ring (408), and a connecting wire (409). The spot welding mechanism (4) is fixedly mounted on another set of rotating rods (203) via a second fixing frame (407); The fixing member (401) is fixed to the bottom of the second fixing frame (407), and the movable member (402) is hinged to the fixing member (401) and swings under the drive of the spot welding drive motor (403) so that the two sets of spot welding rods (404) close to each other to achieve spot welding.

7. A spot welding workstation for processing automotive chassis according to claim 6, characterized in that: Both the fixed part (401) and the movable part (402) are equipped with length adjustment motors (406) on one side. The output end of the length adjustment motor (406) is fixed with gears, and the gear plate (405) is fixed on one side of the spot welding rod (404). The spot welding rod (404) engages with the output gear of the length adjustment motor (406) via the toothed plate (405) to achieve axial extension and retraction adjustment.

8. A spot welding system for a spot welding workstation used in automobile chassis processing, characterized in that, The spot welding workstation for processing automotive chassis as described in any one of claims 1-7 includes a robotic arm drive unit, a state transition control unit, a gripping control unit, a spot welding control unit, and a vision positioning unit.

9. The spot welding system of a spot welding workstation for automobile chassis processing according to claim 8, characterized in that: The spot welding control unit is electrically connected to the robotic arm (1), the state transition mechanism (2), the clamping mechanism (3), and the spot welding mechanism (4), respectively. The spot welding control system is used to coordinate the movement of the robotic arm (1), the station switching of the state transition mechanism (2), the clamping action of the gripping mechanism (3), and the spot welding operation of the spot welding mechanism (4) to realize the full-process automated control of workpiece gripping, loading and positioning, station switching, and spot welding processing.

10. The spot welding system of a spot welding workstation for automobile chassis processing according to claim 8, characterized in that: The spot welding system is used to automatically perform the entire process of workpiece gripping, loading and positioning, station switching, spot welding, and cyclic reset.

Images