Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

John J Sniezek

Mark A Campbell

Robert I Phillion

Glenn Mark Krcek

Alexander Michael Turley

Erick W Rudaitis

Jeffrey N Hernden

A laser welding apparatus comprises a mount attached to a laser beam delivery system and a cylinder attached to the mount. A piston having first and second piston ends and a piston body sealingly and slidably engages with the cylinder dividing the cylinder into first and second piston chambers. The piston is slidable between an extended position and a retracted position and has a central axial bore through which a supplemental wire is fed. A wire supply provides supplemental wire to the first piston end and a delivery head attached to the second piston end delivers the supplemental wire proximate to a laser beam and a work-piece.

Welding apparatus and process

An apparatus comprises a fixture for positioning a first sheet metal part in proximity of a second sheet metal part so that each sheet metal part has one surface facing the other sheet metal part across a gap and one surface facing away from the other sheet metal part, wherein at least one of the sheet metal parts comprises galvanized steel. A laser beam delivery device applies a laser beam to one of the facing away surfaces. A feed wire source provides a feed wire comprising a supplemental wire and a reactive agent at an intersection of the laser beam and the one facing away surface. The apparatus affects relative movement between the one facing away surface and the laser beam to provide a laser weld between the two sheet metal parts.

Welding process and apparatus

An apparatus comprises a laser generator, a laser beam delivery tube, a beam bender, a laser delivery robot, a beam bender support unit, and a three-axis adjustable head. The beam bender support unit comprises a base, a riser, and first and second support plates welded to two side faces of the riser and to the base. The beam bender support unit also comprises a horizontal support arm and first and second arm support plates mounted to the two side faces of the vertical riser and to the horizontal support arm. The beam bender is mounted to the three-axis adjustable head providing adjustment of the location of the beam bender in first and second horizontal directions and a third vertical direction, wherein the beam bender has increased isolation from floor vibrations.

Beam bender support unit

A door seal apparatus for a laser operating station, comprises a fixed wall with an opening, a turn table device with a turn table wall positioned within the opening, the turn table device having at least two positions in which the turn table wall is substantially parallel and coplanar with the fixed wall, with a gap existing between the fixed wall and turn table wall, cylinders for driving a first plate in a first direction over a first portion of the gap, and a cam plate for operationally engaging the first plate to a second plate and for driving the second plate in a second direction over a second portion of the gap as the first plate is driven in a first direction, wherein the first and second plates prevent direct light leaks from the first and second portions of the gap.

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Dearborn Heights, MI, United States of America

John J Sniezek