SEAM WELDING APPARATUS AND SEAM WELDING METHOD

摘要

This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a member which makes a part of a car body of an automobile or the like by mash-seam welding a plurality of blanks. Standby areas (B) are provided at both right and left sides of an welding area (A) to/from which a seam welding machine (130) moves forward/backward, and a lapping device (100) for overlapping respective end portions of blanks (W1)(W2) and a temporary clamping device (80) for temporarily clamping the blanks (W1)(W2) are disposed on two transfer tables (70) which are sent from the standby areas (B) to the welding area (A) by turns. When the blanks (W1)(W2) with these end portions overlapped one another and temporarily clamped are sent to the welding area (A) by the transfer table (70), the blanks (W1)(W2) are permanently clamped by a permanent clamping device (180) and thereafter, subjected to a mash-seam welding by upper/lower electrode rollers (142)(148) of the seam welding machine 130. At this time, upward reactive force which acts on a cylinder (146) for pressing the upper roller (148) downwardly is received by a frame structure (134) which is installed in the welding area (A).