A welding robot comprising a stand pivotally receiving a trunk-forming portion having one end of an articulated arm pivotally mounted thereon, the arm having an opposite end provided with a clamp fitted with welding electrodes, the robot including an electrode grinder mounted on a portion of the robot that is situated in a zone that is accessible to the clamp. The DLL receives an external clock signal and outputs an internal clock signal. QoS information is included in zone objects, thereby using the existing zone distribution mechanism to distribute QoS information. The system or method may employ a patient index comprising a hierarchical graph with nodes corresponding to body parts and associated with diagnostic data for those body parts.