Monitoring and Control of Spot Weld Operations

A method has been developed which enables the measurement of electrode travel during spot weld operations. Measurements thus obtained provide accurate and repeatable results even under adverse conditions as encountered on automotive production lines. The method has been successfully employed for spot weld monitoring and closed loop control of spot weld operations. Electrode travel curves, obtained with the described method during spot weld operations, are presented, and their merit with respect to feedback applications are discussed.