Airbag Welding Machine

This machine is used to weld the Can to the Header S/A after final powder load and consolidation. The complete Igniter assemblies generally come directly from the Output Powder Loader. The machine is built around an 8 station cam driven index table. The Igniter S/A’s are loaded with the pins facing up into the index table fixtures by a parts placer. The part nest is a custom-made rotating collet that holds the Igniter S/A and also acts as a heat sink to pull the heat away from the part as it is welded. 

The Igniter S/A’s are fed from a vibratory inline feeder that transports the parts from the Output Powder Loader.  The last part is cross shuttled and loaded into the fixture by a pneumatic pick and place mechanism. At the weld station, the bottom spindle and the top spindle clamp the part in the rotating collet with whatever force is necessary to be sure the Header S/A is properly seated in the Can. 

A stepper motor then accelerates the spindles up to 60 RPM.  The TIG Welder is fired and then the spindle rotates 400 degrees before shutting off the TIG Welder.  After decelerating to a stop, the part is unclamped and progressed to the next station by the index table. The TIG electrode is automatically re-calibrated by a stepper motor mechanism every 100 welds to keep the distance from the electrode to the part consistent as the electrode wears. 

Good parts and bad parts are unloaded at the same station and are sorted into plastic jars by multi-position parts placer that moves over a system of drop tubes.