High density welding

1. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:

providing a pallet having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies;

reciprocally moving the pallet back and forth between a load/unload station and the weld station;

while the pallet is at the load/unload station, moving the component subassembly at each substation to the next successive substation and adding a further component to each moved component subassembly; and

while the pallet is at the weld station, welding each component subassembly at each substation of the pallet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the weld station includes a plurality of substations corresponding to the plurality of pallet substations;

as the pallet arrives at the weld station, the pallet substations align respectively with the weld station substations; and

a welding operation is performed at each weld substation unique to the component subassembly positioned on the pallet at that weld substation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pallet comprises a first pallet and wherein the method further comprises:

providing a second pallet reciprocally movable between a load/unload station and the weld station and having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies;

alternately moving each pallet from its load/unload station to the weld station while moving the other pallet from the weld station to its load/unload station; and

while each pallet is at the load/unload station, moving the component subassembly at each substation to the next succeeding substation and adding a further component to each moved subassembly.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

each pallet has its own load/unload station; and

the load/unload stations and the weld station are in linear alignment with the weld station positioned between the load/unload stations.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein while one pallet is at its load/unload station for movement of the subassemblies between the successive substations, the other pallet is at the substation for welding of the component subassemblies at the substations.

6. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:

providing first and second pallets reciprocally movable between a load/unload station and the weld station and each having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies;

alternately moving each pallet from its load/unload station to the weld station while moving the other pallet from the weld station to its load/unload station; and

while each pallet is at its load/unload station, moving the subassembly of components at each substation to the next successive substation and adding a further component to each moved subassembly.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

each pallet has its own load/unload station; and

the load/unload stations and the weld station are in linear alignment with the weld station positioned between the load/unload stations.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein while one pallet is at its load/unload station for movement of the subassemblies between the successive substations, the other pallet is at the weld station for welding of the component subassemblies at the substations.

9. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:

providing a pallet having a plurality of successive substations for receipt of component subassemblies;

reciprocally moving the pallet back and forth between a load/unload station and the weld station;

while the pallet is at the load/unload station, moving the component subassembly at each substation to the next successive substation and adding a further component to each moved component subassembly;

while the pallet is at the weld station, welding each component subassembly at each substation of the pallet; and

repeating until a final welded subassembly is presented at the final substation with the pallet positioned at the load/unload station, whereafter the final welded subassembly is removed from the pallet for use in further motor vehicle assembly processes.

10. A method of welding motor vehicle components at a weld station comprising:

providing a pallet having a plurality of successive first, second and third substations for receipt of component subassemblies;

reciprocally moving the pallet back and forth between a load/unload station and the weld station;

while the pallet is at the load/unload station:

a subassembly consisting of components A/B/C/D is removed from the third substation;

a subassembly consisting of components A/B/C is moved from the second substation to the third substation;

a new component D is added to the subassembly A/B/C positioned at the third substation;

a subassembly consisting of components A/B is moved from the first substation to the second substation;

a new component C is added to the subassembly A/B positioned at the second substation; and

new components A and B are loaded onto the first substation; and

while the pallet is at the weld station, welding each component subassembly at each substation of the pallet.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein while the pallet is at the load/unload station, the method further comprising the steps of:

moving a welded subassembly AB from a first pallet substation to a second pallet substation;

loading a component C from an inventory to the welded subassembly AB at the second pallet substation; and

loading components A and B from the inventory onto the first pallet substation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein while the pallet is at the load/unload station, the method further comprising the steps of:

moving a welded subassembly ABC from the second pallet substation to a third pallet substation; and

loading a component D from the inventory to the welded subassembly ABC at the third pallet substation.