Patent ID: 6600133
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
A welding system comprising:a welding stage having a table forming a horizontal surface on which materials to be welded are placed; reference position locating means having a reference plate which is contacted by an end surface of one of the materials to be welded, while protruding upward from an upper surface of the table, to position the end surface of the material to be welded, prior to butt welding for butting the end surfaces of the materials placed on the upper surface of the table and welding the end surfaces together, and which retreats downward from the upper surface of the table during welding; transport means for the materials to be welded, adapted to transport the material to be welded, which has been placed on the upper surface of the table, toward the reference plate, or the end surface of the one of the materials to be welded whose positioning has been completed upon contact with the reference plate; a horizontal beam supported at both ends by vertical end struts, and disposed horizontally like a bridge over the welding stage; a carriage traveling horizontally on the horizontal beam; and a welding head loaded on the carriage, and moved along a weld line together with the carriage to weld a weld area of the materials to be welded which have been placed on the welding stage, and wherein the welding head is a laser/arc combined welding head for simultaneously performing laser light irradiation and arc discharge of the materials to be welded, thereby welding the materials to be welded, and further includes arc electrode position adjusting means for moving an arc electrode in a direction perpendicular to a direction of an optical axis of laser light applied to the materials to be welded, thereby adjusting a position of the arc electrode in the perpendicular direction relative to a position of irradiation with laser light in the materials to be welded.