Abstract: The welding line detection system includes a photographing unit that photographs an image of an object to be welded, a coordinate system setting unit that sets a user coordinate system based on a marker included in the photographed image, a point-group-data plotting unit that detects a specific position of the marker on the basis of the image, sets the detected specific position on point group data acquired by a distance measurement sensor that measures a distance to the object to be welded, and plots, in the user coordinate system, the point group data to which coordinates in the user coordinate system, using the set specific position as an origin, are given, and a welding line detection unit that detects, on the basis of the point group data plotted in the user coordinate system, a welding line of the object to be welded.

Abstract: A method for joining dissimilar materials includes forming a first recess and a second recess by irradiating a surface of a first member with laser light, the first recess and the second recess being cut into the surface obliquely at angles different from each other, and joining the second member to the surface of the first member with a part of the second member engaging with each of the first recess and the second recess by melting the part of the second member lower in melting point than the first member to cause the part of the second member to flow into each of the first recess and the second recess and solidifying the part of the second member.

Abstract: A gas, which flows between a welding device and work pieces while the work pieces are welded together, has large influence on the welding. A sensor device includes a sensor unit and a container that includes a housing case (i.e., housing portion) and a shielding member (i.e., shielding portion). The shielding member is attached to the housing case, and shields radiation heat directed toward the lower surface of the housing case among radiation heat generated while the work pieces W are welded together. The shielding member is inclined with respect to a flow direction of a gas passing through an outlet port for detection of a second gas flow channel so that the gas discharged from the outlet port for detection is blown to the shielding member and thus flows to a side opposite to the side where the work pieces W are to be welded together.

Abstract: An aligner device includes a robot hand, a lifting mechanism, sensors, a misalignment calculating unit, an x-y misalignment correcting unit, and a ? misalignment correcting unit. The robot hand includes vertically aligned hand members each configured to hold a planar workpiece. The lifting mechanism moves planar workpieces transported by the robot hand up from and down to the hand members, respectively. Each of the sensors, vertically spaced apart from each other, has a downward sensor surface to capture the outline of a planar workpiece brought close to the sensor surface by the workpiece lifting mechanism. The misalignment calculating unit calculates, by using the images of the captured outline shapes of the planar workpieces, an amount of positional misalignment of each planar workpiece with a reference position in X, Y and ? directions.

Abstract: A high frequency power supply alternately outputs a first AC voltage and a second AC voltage to a plasma generator. The amplitudes of the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage are different from each other. An impedance adjustment device is disposed in midway of the transmission line of the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage. When the AC voltage output from the high frequency power supply is switched to a first AC voltage, a microcomputer changes the capacitance of a variable capacitor circuit to a first target value. When the AC voltage output from the high frequency power supply is switched to a second AC voltage, the microcomputer changes the capacitance of the variable capacitor circuit to a second target value.

Abstract: An impedance adjustment device includes a variable capacitor unit. A microcomputer changes the capacitance value of the variable capacitor unit by switching PIN diodes included in n capacitor circuits on or off separately. Thus, the impedance on the plasma generator side when viewed from a high frequency power supply is adjusted. When changing the capacitance value of the variable capacitor unit to a target capacitance value, the microcomputer changes the capacitance value. When a predetermined period passes after the change of the capacitance value, the microcomputer changes the capacitance value again.

Abstract: Welding is performed by alternately switching a pulse arc welding period (where welding is performed by forward feeding a welding wire by a rotation for the forward feeding of a push side feeding motor and a rotation for the forward feeding of the pull side feeding motor and feeding a peak current and a base current) and a short-circuiting transition arc welding period (welding is performed by forward/backward feeding the welding wire by the rotation for the forward feeding of the push side feeding motor and a rotation for the forward/backward feeding of the pull side feeding motor and feeding a short-circuiting current and an arc current). During the short-circuiting transition arc welding period, a forward feeding peak value Wsp and/or a backward feeding peak value Wrp of a pull feeding speed Fw are compensation-controlled based on a wire storage amount of an intermediate wire storage.

Abstract: A signal processor is configured to perform a process equivalent to performing a series of fixed-to-rotating coordinate conversion, a predetermined process and then rotating-to-fixed coordinate conversion, while maintaining linearity and time-invariance. The signal processor performs a process given by the following matrix G: G = [ F ? ( s + j ? ? 0 ) + F ? ( s - j ? ? 0 ) 2 F ? ( s + j ? ? 0 ) - F ? ( s - j ? ? 0 ) 2 - F ? ( s + j ? ? 0 ) - F ? ( s - j ? ? 0 ) 2 ? j F ? ( s + j ? ? 0 ) + F ? ( s - j ? ? 0 ) 2 ] where F(s) is a transfer function representing the predetermined process, ?0 is a predetermined angular frequency and j is the imaginary unit.

Abstract: A wire feeding device configured to feed welding wire from a wire feeding source to a welding torch is provided with: an intermediate wire feeding source that is disposed between the wire feeding source and the welding torch and is configured to temporarily store the welding wire fed from the wire feeding source and to feed the stored welding wire to the welding torch; a first feeding part that feeds the welding wire at the wire feeding source to the intermediate wire feeding source; a second feeding part that feeds the welding wire stored in the intermediate wire feeding source to the welding torch; and a feed control unit that controls speed of feeding the welding wire by each of the first feeding part and the second feeding part.

Abstract: An arc welding method is described where pulse arc welding is performed with a welding wire being fed in a forward direction during a first period and short-circuit transfer arc welding is performed with the welding wire being fed in the forward direction and a reverse direction during a second period. The arc welding method alternately switches between the first period and the second period, where the switching of the first period to the second period is performed during a peak period of the pulse arc welding.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a sensor to detect a light beam to measure states of work pieces or a distance to the work pieces, a case body housing the sensor, and a protective cover including a protective plate that transmits the detection light beam. The protective cover includes a gas flow channel that passes a gas to be blown to the protective plate, the gas flow channel having formed therein an outlet port that passes the detection light beam and discharges the gas having flowed through the gas flow channel. The gas flow channel includes an accumulator between the protective cover and the case body adapted to have accumulated therein the gas flowing through the gas flow channel, and the accumulator includes vent holes through which the gas is allowed to flow out toward the outlet port.

Abstract: An arc welding method includes the following steps. Pulse arc welding is performed with the welding wire being fed in a forward direction during a first period. Short-circuit transfer arc welding is performed with the welding wire being fed in the forward direction and the reverse direction during a second period. The first period and the second period are alternately switched. The switching of the first period to the second period is performed in a manner such that no transfer of a molten droplet of the welding wire occurs during the final pulse cycle of the first period.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the amount of sputtering in a welding method wherein a welding wire feed rate is alternately switched between a forward feed period and a reverse feed period. Provided is an arc welding control method that switches a feed rate Fw for welding wire alternately between a forward feed period and a reverse feed period, repeats a short period and an arc period, and electrifies with a welding current Iw switched to a small current value in the latter half of the arc period, wherein a basic voltage setting value is set according to an average feed rate setting value, the error amplitude value for a voltage setting value and the basic voltage setting value is calculated, and the timing (current reduction time Td) for switching the welding current Iw to the small current value is varied on the basis of the average feed rate setting value and the error amplitude value.

Abstract: A multi-level hand apparatus includes a plurality of hands arranged in a vertical direction, and a plurality of clamp members disposed at the plurality of hands, respectively. Each of the clamp members is movable in a forward-rearward direction to clamp and release a workpiece. The apparatus further includes a movable head member extending in the vertical direction. Each clamp member includes a fixed spring receiving member, a movable spring receiving member movable in the forward-rearward direction, and a compression spring member arranged between the fixed spring receiving member and the movable spring receiving member. In each clamp member, the movable spring receiving member, as moving rearward, comes into contact with a front surface of the movable head member in a manner such that the movable spring receiving member is capable of moving in the vertical direction relative to the front surface.

Abstract: An arc welding method of a consumable electrode type generating arc between a tip end of welding wire and a to-be-welded portion by feeding welding wire to the to-be-welded portion of a base material while supplying welding current having average current of 300 A or larger to the welding wire, to weld the base material, includes: feeding the welding wire at a speed of the tip end being inserted into a space surrounded by a concave melted portion formed in the base material by the arc generated between the tip end and the to-be-welded portion; periodically alternating between a small current period where the welding current has a small average value and droplet is transferred from the tip end to a bottom part of the melted portion and a large current period where the welding current has a large average value and droplet is transferred from the tip end to a side part of the melted portion; and controlling the welding current in the large current period so that droplet transfer from the tip end to the side part

Abstract: A memory in which information that is used in a tracking operation is to be temporarily stored, information cannot be accumulated in the memory when the accumulating intervals and the reading intervals do not match each other. A robot control apparatus includes: a memory; an accepting unit that accepts a sensing result of a laser sensor detecting a shape of a working target before an, and accumulates information according to the sensing result, in the memory. The memory management unit that, in a case in which the memory is running short of free space, deletes the information in the memory; and a control unit that moves the working tool based on teaching data, and corrects the movement of the working tool based on the information according to the sensing result stored in the memory.

Abstract: An impedance matching device is to be provided between a load and a high frequency power supply in which output power is modulated to a high output and a low output alternately. The impedance matching device calculates an impedance or a reflection coefficient of a case where the load side is viewed from an output end of the high frequency power supply. The impedance matching device performs, based on results of the calculations performed in a first period in which the output power is the high output and in a second period in which the output power is the low output, operations for the impedance matching in the subsequent second period and first period respectively. The impedance matching device achieves, based on results of these operations, the impedance matchings in the subsequent first period and second period respectively.

Abstract: A signal processor is configured to perform a process equivalent to performing a series of fixed-to-rotating coordinate conversion, a predetermined process and then rotating-to-fixed coordinate conversion, while maintaining linearity and time-invariance. The signal processor performs a process given by the following matrix G: G = [ F ? ( s + j ? ? ? 0 ) + F ? ( s - j ? ? ? 0 ) 2 F ? ( s + j ? ? ? 0 ) - F ? ( s - j ? ? ? 0 ) 2 ? j - F ? ( s + j ? ? ? 0 ) - F ? ( s - j ? ? ? 0 ) 2 ? j F ? ( s + j ? ? ? 0 ) + F ? ( s - j ? ? ? 0 ) 2 ] where F(s) is a transfer function representing the predetermined process, ?0 is a predetermined angular frequency and j is the imaginary unit.

Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure provides a welding torch that includes a torch head and a torch body removably connected to the torch head. The torch head includes first and second torch-head flow paths for flowing cooling water, first and second inlets/outlets communicating with the first and second torch-head flow paths, respectively, and a movable part movable in an axial direction of the torch head. The torch body includes a torch-body flow path for flowing cooling water, and first and second connection ports communicating with opposite ends of the torch-body flow path, respectively. The first and second inlets/outlets communicate with the first and second connection ports, respectively, when the torch head and the torch body are connected to each other. The first and second inlets/outlets are closed with the movable part when the torch head and the torch body are separated.

Abstract: An arc welding system of a consumable electrode type comprises: a wire feeding device that feeds welding wire from a wire feeding source to a welding torch; and a power supply device that supplies electric power between the welding wire fed to the welding torch and a base material, the system being configured to weld the base material by arc generated by the supplied electric power. The wire feeding device is provided with: an intermediate wire feeding source that is disposed between the wire feeding source and the welding torch and is configured to temporarily accommodate the welding wire fed from the wire feeding source and to feed the accommodated welding wire to the welding torch; a pull-out feeding part that feeds the welding wire at the wire feeding source to the intermediate wire feeding source; and a push-out feeding part that feeds the welding wire accommodated in the intermediate wire feeding source to the welding torch.