• Free Autocad Designs
• 3-D Electrodes and Holders -- Solid Models
• Tooling Rules
• Tooling Materials
• Clamps, Fittings and Fasteners
• Patten Pending Weld-Thru-Slider-Technology
• Tooling Photos
• Cycle Time Analysis

Tooling and fixturing is a complex and application specific subject that can make or break a companies ability to weld parts together and compete in today's market. It has been proven that stampings are best welded at the stamping house. The larger the part the less the movement. In-Die Stamping works only if the PM focus is on the welding process and if the weld time parameters and schedule settings can be met within the cycle time of the press.

Getting the best ROI (Return On Investment) is a funtion of tooling costs, cycletime and production up time. Eliminating operators is not always the best solution but simplicity and reliability eliminates production flow problems. These ideas and suggestions are for your spot welding support so that you, the end user, can benefit from tried and true methods. Basically we are dealing with the laws of physics, which cannot be broken. Mother nature has a way of enforcing these laws that is very unforgiving.

Proper tooling materials and designs can make a capable machine uncapable of producing the weldment if it is not built correctly. 90% of all resistance welding problems are parts related, 9% are tooling related and 1% will be the machine, settings, and other issues. The 9% rule can cost you a lot more in loss production time and be much more expensive to fix due to quality related rejections.

FREE AUTO CAD DESIGNS can be provided by e-mailing to athenaplus@iquest.net. You can also bring us a fob (mass storage device) and we will provide these for you. We do not give out designs without making sure they are released by the owner. Most of the standard components are now available.

3-D SOLID MODELS are available for the typical components and are pre-formatted in SolidWorks so they are upward compatable. Here is a sample:

Tooling Rules: The following list is to help the designer in producing a valuable resistance welding tool so that the end user can get an ROI. These rules are not necessarily firm and can be bent, but it helps to understand what should be done so that the tool will give the best performance for the application.

• Design in 100% 3-D.
• Use Metric templates and design in metric.
• Design to the datums required.
• Design for 125% over required spot size.
• Use the right material in the right location.
• Use Class 3 for large force locations and platforms.
• Use Class 2 for electrodes and higher current density locations.
• Use Class 1 for low force low wear locations and reduced size for cost savings.
• Isolate from the top or moving side of the machine only.
• Isolate the Nuts and Bolts.
• Balance the electrode(s) under the weld head.
• Make sure you can get the part out when welded. (Don't laugh, it happens more often than you think due to the design process.)
• All Materials in the throat should be non-magnetic.
• Put water cooling within 10mm of the electrodes and electrode tips and any other area that generates temperatures of 50 degrees C. It should not be hot to the touch.
• Assemble with SS-30 applied correctly.
• Use Weld-Thru-Slider-Technology if faster change over is needed for lower volume production runs on the same machine.
• Provide for fast and easy electode changing.
• Use elcon materials for high wear locations that must carry current.
• Avoid aluminum for carrying current. This will not work long term.
• Keep it simple and safe. Kiss.
• Use weld safe prox. switches.
• Mount LVDTs to the back of the tooling.
• Put in part adjustments means for stampings that do not change datums.
• Tool the holding clamps to push to datum locations.
• Ensure the force of the process does not push against the datums.
• Use at least 5 threads on Cu connections.
• Call 317-251-5301 if you need us to design and make your tooling.

TOOLING MATERIALS are important mostly because of 2 reasons. First the high amperage of resistance welding process (5 to 20 thousand amps and as high as 70,000 amps.) Second, the EMF or electro-magnetic-field generated by the resistance welding process will be disrupted and cause problems with the process if plain carbon steel is in the throat. Eventually the heat build-up will cause problems. Ceramic coatings wear out faster than expected so plan on changing these components in proper PM mode. There are many plactics now available that work better than ceramics and ceramic coatings and save costs of materials and down time.

Weld-Thru-Slider-Technology is a novel approach to resistance and arc welding applications that can increase production rates, save tooling costs, reduce floor space and provide for very easy change-over. Here is what it looks like in a linear operation: