The automotive industry is a major user of resistance welder equipment, most of it installed under professional robot control. It is essential that the equipment installed to produce these welds is continuously and accurately monitored using gauges which measure the welding force applied to the joint.

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) has been producing resistance welding monitors since 1975. Following a substantial research and development exercise over the last two years significant improvements have been made to these essential quality control tools. They can be used simply as Go/No Go devices or as continuous monitors.

HFT now has proven force gauges capable of competing technically and commercially with anything else on the global market.

The Technology

Electrode Pressure or Force is a key parameter in obtaining quality welds in the automotive industry; these are regarded as safety-critical joints. By using gauges to check pressure regularly, welding and quality engineers can help eliminate scrap and prevent damage to their equipment.

Electrode force can change as a result of damaged and worn tips, damaged linkages, variation in factory air pressure, worn seals and other factors.

The Product

HFT manufactures two gauges, one for manual checking and the other for installing in robot cells. Over two years of intensive development has gone into these two gauges and they represent state of the art technology. They are industrial instruments built for quality, but rugged enough to allow installation in a manufacturing environment.