Abstract: A palletized framing system for a motor vehicle body assembly system in which the pallet with a body structure positioned thereon is positioned at the framing station on balls to establish the vertical Z dimension with the pallet free to float on the balls in longitudinal X and lateral Y dimensions, whereafter positioners carried by one of the gates of the framing station engage and lock onto the pallet to precisely position the pallet and the body structure at the framing station at X and Y dimensions corresponding to the precisely attainable X and Y positioning of the gate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing the delivery of component parts and tooling to a robotic welding assembly positioned on a motor vehicle body assembly line. Automatic guided vehicles deliver component parts from a source of parts to a parts staging area on the robotic welding assembly including a substage awaiting area, a substage in-use area and a substage empty area, and further automatic guided vehicles deliver tooling from a tooling management area to the robotic welding assembly whereafter the tooling, upon model changeover, is moved to a tooling use area proximate the assembly line whereafter, upon further model changeover, the tooling is removed from the tooling use area and loaded onto an automatic guided vehicle for return to the tooling management area.

Abstract: The assembly of body components using a geometry box (1) and clamping frames (7, 8) is described. At least for the larger components (9, 10), in particular the side wall parts of the body, a multipart clamping frame (8a, 8b) is used. The component (9, 10) is grasped and fed to the geometry box (1) using one clamping frame part, while the other clamping frame part is fed empty. Using both clamping frame parts, the component (9, 10) is then fixed precisely in position using positioning and fixing units acting between the geometry box (1) and the clamping frame (7, 8) in such a way that the components (6, 9, 10) to be connected to one another may be connected to one another, in particular welded.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a sealed container having a reduced pressure atmosphere are disclosed. The container is suitable for housing an infrared detector array. Outgassing can be enhanced by adding features to solder preforms that maintain pathways for gasses to more readily exit the container prior to sealing thereof. Getters can be used to mitigate undesirable gases within the sealed container. One or more bolometers can be used to determine if the sealed container is leaking. A vacuum positioning fixture can be used to assemble the components of the infrared detector assembly and to place the infrared detector assemblies into a vacuum chamber. The cost of manufacturing such infrared detector assemblies may be reduced and the reliability thereof enhanced.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus with a first conveyor and a second conveyor is used a the welding apparatus and a welding method for container bodies and in particular can bodies between which conveyors the object to be welded is handed over. A control unit determines the take over position and/or the conveying travel of the second conveyor and controls the conveyors accordingly, so that the take over occurs at the determined position and/or with the determined conveying travel of the second conveyor. This allows an easy and swift changing of the welding apparatus to different sizes of the objects to be welded.

Abstract: A filling device for and a method of filling balls in an array of apertures in a ball-receiving element, the filling device comprising: a housing including an opening at a lower surface thereof and defining in part a chamber for containing a supply of balls, the housing being in use movably disposed over a ball-receiving element including an array of apertures; and distribution means disposed within the housing for distributing balls contained in the chamber such as to maintain a limited number of layers of the balls over at least a region of the opening in the housing.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the manufacture of large diameter elongated generally conical members in a continuous operation.

Abstract: A method of teaching a robot off-line having a traveling axis, by which the final position and final posture are determined when a robot having a traveling axis stops at an arbitrary position on a traveling axis. The method is able to take an arbitrary posture at the arbitrary position, change from the arbitrary position and arbitrary posture, and move a control point of the robot until it agrees with a movement target point. This position on the traveling axis of the robot is determined so as to minimize the distance between a coordinate origin of the robot a movement target point.

Abstract: In a guide and calibrating tool for guiding container bodies for welding, at least one of the guide rollers is driven. The drive is pneumatic, by compressed air blown by a nozzle onto recesses in the roller. The roller is driven only initially upon restart of the welding machine or in the event of a break in the passage of a series of bodies, in order that no braking is caused by the arrival at the guide tool of the first (and possibly second) body. This enables the gaps between the bodies to be kept more constant even at the start of a series of bodies to be welded, and the first bodies to be welded do not suffer increased slip between the bodies and the welding electrodes.