Abstract: Disclosed herein is a coating system for pre-coating a vehicle chassis, comprising a coating station and a curing oven, the coating station being upstream from said curing oven along a travel path, the coating station to deliver a layer of coating material thereon, the chassis having a number of sites, each of which is known to be source for accumulating excess coating to cause unwanted drips thereof during curing, further comprising a plurality of nozzles, each being in a nozzle group of one or more, where each group is arranged to deliver a flow of air sufficient to remove the excess coating.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a laser welding system having a travel path to carry a first blank and a second blank. An upstream clamp assembly and a downstream clamp assembly are positioned on the travel path and each of the upstream and downstream clamp assemblies are movable to an open position to allow the first blank to pass through the upstream clamp assembly to a first location within the downstream clamp assembly. A laser welding source is directed at a weld location on the travel path between the upstream and downstream clamp assemblies. At least one locating means is operable to locate the first weld edge adjacent the weld location. A first displacement means displaces the first weld edge against the locating means. The downstream clamp assembly is movable from the open position to a closed clamped position to clamp the first blank with the first weld edge adjacent the weld location. The locating means is operable to be withdrawn from the travel path.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a laser welding system having a travel path to carry a first blank and a second blank. An upstream clamp assembly and a downstream clamp assembly are positioned on the travel path and each of the upstream and downstream clamp assemblies are movable to an open position to allow the first blank to pass through the upstream clamp assembly to a first location within the downstream clamp assembly. A laser welding source is directed at a weld location on the travel path between the upstream and downstream clamp assemblies. At least one locating means is operable to locate the first weld edge adjacent the weld location. A first displacement means displaces the first weld edge against the locating means. The downstream clamp assembly is movable from the open position to a closed clamped position to clamp the first blank with the first weld edge adjacent the weld location. The locating means is operable to be withdrawn from the travel path.

Abstract: A method of curing a coated article in a curing oven, the method has the steps of delivering a plurality of coated articles on a travel path through an oven. One ore more excess coating sites are determined on the coated articles which are potential sources of excess coating which, if remaining following curing, will require remedial treatment before a subsequent painting step. A plurality of nozzles are provided in nozzle groups of one or more along the travel path in the oven. Each group of nozzles is trained on a specific excess coating site on the coated articles. A flow of air is delivering through each nozzle sufficient to remove the excess coating from the excess coating site. A sufficient number of nozzles are provided so that excess coating has been removed from the excess coating sites on the coated articles.