PURPOSE: To improve the efficiency of welding operation by providing a color sensor to a clamping mechanism which can be operated manually, discriminating the color of a material surface and deciding on whether it is plated or not, and thus setting welding conditions automatically.
CONSTITUTION: Grips 3a and 3b and a lever 10 are held to open detection end sides 5a and 5b, and after a surface for detecting a steel plate A is inserted between them facing a projection and photodetection part 8, the grips 3a and 3b are released to clamp the steel plate A by the retaining force of a spring 4 through the detection part. At the same time, a microswitch 9 is turned on to put the projection and photodetection part 8 in operation, thereby discriminating the surface color of the steel plate A. Namely, light emitted from a projector 81 is projected upon the steel plate A through a half-mirror 84, returned to the half-mirror 84 to be projected upon a half-mirror 85, and then projected on a photodetector 82 through a color element filter 87. Then, a comparison amplifier 89 sends the indication of welding conditions to a welding device according to whether the surface of the steel plate A is plated or not.
IMADA HIROSHI
HORIUCHI TAKEFUMI
Next Patent: DISCRIMINATOR FOR MATERIAL SURFACE