Girth welding device and method for aviation pipeline parts

Abstract

The invention relates to a girth welding device and method for aviation pipeline parts, and belongs to the technical field of aviation manufacturing and welding, and the device comprises a supporting platform, a positioning assembly, a clamp assembly, a welding assembly and a control assembly. The positioning assembly determines the welding seam position through visual identification and laser alignment; the clamp assembly adopts a flexible clamping module and a clamp body to fix a to-be-welded pipeline; the welding assembly completes welding operation through a sliding rail and a welding gun module. The control assembly achieves accurate control over the motion trail and the output power of the welding gun module through the trail control module and the heat influence control module. Clamping can be adjusted in a self-adaptive mode according to the inner diameter of a to-be-welded pipeline, and deformation is avoided; the power of the welding gun module is adjusted through temperature monitoring, the heat influence is reduced, the welding quality stability is improved, the welding effect is further optimized through the circulating cooling system, and the requirements of aviation pipeline parts for high-precision and high-quality welding are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aerospace manufacturing and welding technology, specifically relating to a circumferential weld device and method for aerospace pipeline components. Background Technology

[0002] Circumferential welding of aerospace piping components is a crucial process in aerospace manufacturing, as its quality directly impacts the safety and reliability of aircraft. While circumferential welding technology plays a vital role in the manufacture of aerospace piping components, existing welding equipment and methods have room for improvement in terms of welding precision and quality stability, failing to fully meet the high precision and reliability requirements of the aerospace industry. The main problems are: current circumferential welding technologies are largely focused on welding aluminum alloy tanks, with less optimization design for the unique material and structural characteristics of aerospace piping components. For example, many aerospace piping components are thin-walled structures, making them vulnerable to radial forces; excessive clamping pressure can easily lead to deformation. Furthermore, many aerospace piping components utilize bends, and there is a lack of positioning measures during welding. In addition, controlling welding deformation and heat effects is a significant challenge during the welding process, particularly due to the lack of feedback control measures, which affects the stability of weld quality and ultimately the structural integrity and reliability of the aerospace piping components. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the circumferential welding of aerospace piping components to improve welding quality and precision while reducing the impact of thermal effects. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention provides a device and method for circumferential welding of aerospace piping components. The technical problem to be solved by this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: This invention provides a circumferential welding device for aerospace piping components, comprising: a positioning assembly, a clamping assembly, a welding assembly, and a control assembly disposed on a support platform; wherein, a welding area is provided in the central region of the support platform; the positioning assembly includes a vision recognition module, a laser alignment module, and a positioning path module, the positioning path module including: a servo motor, a lead screw, a guide rail, and a slider, the output end of the servo motor being connected to the lead screw, the guide rail being arranged along the axial direction of the lead screw, the slider being threaded to the lead screw and slidingly engaging with the guide rail, the vision recognition module being fixed on the slider, and the laser alignment module being mounted on the vision recognition module; the clamping assembly is disposed within the welding area. The system includes clamping bodies and flexible clamping modules. Multiple clamping bodies are spaced apart and clamp the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. Two flexible clamping modules are respectively embedded at both ends of the pipe to be welded. Each flexible clamping module includes multiple elastic blocks and pressure sensors. The elastic blocks are evenly distributed along the circumference, and each elastic block has a pressure sensor embedded on its surface. The welding assembly includes a slide rail and a welding torch module. The slide rail is fixedly connected to the support platform, and the welding torch module is suspended above the welding area via the slide rail. The control assembly includes a trajectory control module and a heat-affected zone control module. The trajectory control module is electrically connected to the welding assembly, and the heat-affected zone control module is electrically connected to the trajectory control module.

[0004] In one embodiment of the present invention, the visual recognition module includes a camera and an image processing unit. The camera is disposed on the slider and electrically connected to the image processing unit via a signal line. The image processing unit is electrically connected to the control component via a signal line. The image processing unit is used to recognize the weld position based on the image acquired by the camera. The control component, based on the weld position, drives the welding torch module to move closer to or away from the weld position along the guide rail via the trajectory control module. The positioning path module controls the visual recognition module and the laser alignment module to move closer to or away from the weld position along the guide rail via the servo motor, so that the weld position is within the scanning range of the laser alignment module.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, each clamping body includes a support base and a support portion. The support base is detachably mounted on the support platform by bolts. One side of the support portion is provided with an inclined surface that matches the angle of the pipeline to be welded, and is detachably connected to the support base through the inclined surface. The other side of the support portion is provided with an arc-shaped groove, and the pipeline to be welded is placed in the arc-shaped groove.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible clamping module realizes the extension and retraction of the multiple elastic blocks through hydraulic drive, the pressure sensor is used to monitor the pressure data of the elastic blocks in real time, and is electrically connected to the control component through a signal line; wherein, the control component controls the extension and retraction of the elastic blocks through the trajectory control module according to the pressure data.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the flexible clamping modules is further connected to a driving unit, the driving unit including an annular buffer part and a driving motor, the flexible clamping module being disposed within the annular buffer part, the annular buffer part being used to absorb vibrations generated when in contact with the pipeline to be welded; the flexible clamping module extending from the annular buffer part and probing into the pipeline to be welded under the drive of the driving motor.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the welding assembly further includes an energy distribution unit, which is connected to the welding torch module via an optical fiber. The energy distribution unit includes a plurality of optical fiber beam splitters and a focusing lens. The optical fiber beam splitters are connected to the light source of the welding torch module via optical fibers. The focusing lens is mounted at the front end of the welding torch module and focuses the laser beam to the welding point through the optical fiber beam splitters.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat-affected zone control module includes a temperature control unit and a power controller. The temperature control unit includes a temperature sensor, which is embedded in the front end of the welding torch module and electrically connected to the trajectory control module via a signal line. The power controller is electrically connected to the welding torch module via a signal line. The temperature control unit is used to monitor the temperature data of the weld in real time, and the power controller is used to adjust the output power of the welding torch module according to the temperature data of the welding area.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the circumferential welding device for aviation pipeline components further includes: a circulating cooling assembly, the circulating cooling assembly including a cooling box, a radiator and cooling nozzles, the cooling box covering the welding area, a cooling channel being arranged around the cooling box, a cooling liquid flowing in the cooling channel, the radiator being disposed at the bottom of the cooling box; the outlet of the cooling channel being connected to the inlet of the radiator through a pipe, and the outlet of the radiator being connected to an external coolant storage tank through a pipe; a plurality of cooling nozzles being evenly distributed on the inner side of the cooling box and connected to the cooling channel through pipes, the pipes being provided with flow regulating valves.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat-affected zone control module is electrically connected to the trajectory control module via a signal line, and is used to adjust the motion trajectory and moving speed of the welding torch module according to the temperature data; the heat-affected zone control module is also used to control the cooling power of the circulating cooling component according to the temperature data.

[0012] The present invention also provides a method for circumferential welding of aerospace piping components, employing the aforementioned circumferential welding apparatus for aerospace piping components, comprising: The pipe to be welded is placed in the welding area, supported by multiple clamps, and a flexible clamping module is inserted into the pipe to achieve flexible fixing and clamping. The positioning component is activated, and the weld position is located through the visual recognition module and the laser alignment module. The weld position information is then sent to the trajectory control module. The trajectory control module controls the welding torch module to move along the slide rail to the starting end of the weld position and starts welding. The temperature of the weld is monitored in real time by the heat-affected zone control module, and the output power of the welding torch module is dynamically adjusted. At the same time, the movement trajectory and moving speed of the welding torch module are adjusted by the trajectory control module. After welding is completed, the cooling power of the circulating cooling component is controlled by the heat-affected zone control module to actively cool the welding area and reduce the heat-affected zone.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The circumferential welding device for aerospace piping components of this invention features a positioning component that precisely locates the weld seam using a visual recognition module and a laser alignment module. Combined with a trajectory control module, this enables precise movement of the welding torch module, effectively improving welding accuracy. The clamping component, through the cooperation of a flexible clamping module and a pressure sensor, can adjust the clamping force according to the material and structural characteristics of the piping to be welded, avoiding deformation caused by excessive clamping force. Furthermore, the heat-affected zone control module dynamically adjusts the output power of the welding torch module, achieving real-time temperature monitoring and power regulation, thereby ensuring uniform weld formation and improving the stability of welding quality. Simultaneously, the feedback control of the welding process enhances the automation level of the welding operation, shortens the welding cycle, and meets the aerospace industry's requirements for high precision and high reliability.

[0014] The welding assembly of the present invention optimizes the energy distribution of the welding torch module through the energy distribution unit, ensuring the uniformity of welding energy and thus improving the stability of welding quality; and combined with the circulating cooling assembly, it actively cools the welding area, effectively reducing the impact of welding heat effects.

[0015] The circumferential welding method for aerospace piping components of this invention achieves precise alignment and stress-free clamping of the piping after it is placed, by real-time monitoring of pressure values, fundamentally avoiding pipe deformation caused by uneven clamping force. After stable clamping is achieved, the control component activates the positioning component, driving the slider equipped with a vision recognition module and a laser alignment module to move to obtain the weld position. The trajectory control module generates a welding trajectory based on the weld position. During welding, the trajectory control module controls the welding torch module to move to the starting end of the weld position and initiates welding according to the welding trajectory. During this process, the heat-affected zone control module dynamically adjusts the output power of the laser welding torch module according to the temperature, while the trajectory control module also adjusts the movement trajectory and speed of the welding torch module according to the temperature. Finally, during and after welding, the cooling power is dynamically adjusted by the circulating cooling component to actively cool the welding area and reduce the heat-affected zone, forming a multi-parameter collaborative control. By integrating the positioning, clamping, welding, and cooling processes, collaborative optimization is achieved, improving welding efficiency and yield.

[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline parts provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram (first view) of the structure of the circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline parts provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram (second view) of the structure of the circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline parts provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping body provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible clamping module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the welding assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline components provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a circumferential welding method for aviation pipeline components provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Icons: 1-Support platform; 2-Positioning component; 21-Vision recognition module; 22-Laser alignment module; 23-Positioning path module; 231-Servo motor; 232-Lead screw; 233-Guide rail; 234-Slider; 3-Clamping assembly; 31-Clamping body; 311-Support base; 312-Supporting part; 32-Flexible clamping module; 321-Elastic pressure block; 322-Pressure sensor; 33-Drive unit; 331-Annular buffer part; 332-Drive motor; 4-Welding assembly; 41-Slide rail; 42-Welding torch module; 43-Energy distribution unit; 431-Light source; 432-Fiber optic beam splitter; 433-Focusing lens; 5-Control assembly; 51-Trajectory control module; 52-Heat-affected zone control module; 521-Temperature control unit; 522-Power controller; 6-Circulating cooling assembly; 61-Cooling box; 62-Radiator; 63-Cooling nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose, the following describes in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, a circumferential welding device and method for aviation pipeline parts proposed according to the present invention.

[0020] The foregoing and other technical contents, features, and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Through the description of the specific embodiments, a more in-depth and concrete understanding can be gained of the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve its intended purpose. However, the accompanying drawings are for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0021] Example 1 Existing circumferential welding equipment suffers from insufficient welding precision when dealing with the special material and structural requirements of aerospace piping components. Therefore, this embodiment provides a circumferential welding device for aerospace piping components, meeting the aerospace industry's demand for high-performance piping component manufacturing. Figures 1 to 8 As shown, Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline parts provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram (first view) of the structure of the circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline parts provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram (second view) of the structure of the circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline parts provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping body provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the flexible clamping module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the welding assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the circumferential weld device for aviation pipeline components provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0022] In this embodiment, the circumferential welding device for aviation pipeline components includes: a positioning component 2, a clamping component 3, a welding component 4, and a control component 5, all mounted on a support platform 1. The support platform 1 has a central welding area. The clamping component 3 is located within the welding area and includes a clamping body 31 and a flexible clamping module 32. Multiple clamping bodies 31 are spaced apart and clamp the outer wall of the pipeline to be welded. Two flexible clamping modules 32 are respectively embedded at both ends of the pipeline to be welded. The welding component 4 includes a slide rail 41 and a welding torch module 42. The slide rail 41 is fixedly connected to the support platform 1, and the welding torch module 42 is suspended above the welding area via the slide rail 41. The control component 5 includes a trajectory control module 51 and a heat-affected zone control module 52. The trajectory control module 51 is electrically connected to the welding component 4, and the heat-affected zone control module 52 is electrically connected to the trajectory control module 51.

[0023] For example, in order to ensure the mobility of the welding gun module 42 to achieve circumferential welding, the slide rail 41 can be set as a multi-directional combination slide rail 41, so that the welding gun module 42 has the freedom of rotational movement. Since the realization of the freedom of machining is an existing mature technology, it will not be described in detail.

[0024] Specifically, the support platform 1, as the basic component of the entire device, has a rectangular frame structure. The welding area, the core operating area for circumferential welding of the pipe parts to be welded, is located at the center of the support platform 1, thus ensuring the stability of the welding process. The four corners of the support platform 1 can be fixed to the ground with bolts to ensure that the device will not shift due to vibration during operation. The positioning component 2 is set on the support platform 1, located on one side of the welding area, and includes a vision recognition module 21, a laser alignment module 22, and a positioning path module 23. The laser alignment module 22 is mounted on the vision recognition module 21, and both face the welding area.

[0025] The positioning path module 23 includes a servo motor 231, a lead screw 232, a guide rail 233, and a slider 234. The output end of the servo motor 231 is connected to the lead screw 232, which is arranged horizontally and parallel to the support platform 1. The guide rail 233 is arranged on the support platform 1 along the axial direction of the lead screw 232. The slider 234 is connected to the lead screw 232 by a thread and slides with the guide rail 233. The vision recognition module 21 is fixed to the slider 234, and the laser alignment module 22 is mounted on the vision recognition module 21. For example, the vision recognition module 21 is fixed to the top of the slider 234, and the laser alignment module 22 is mounted at the front end of the vision recognition module 21.

[0026] Furthermore, the visual recognition module 21 includes a camera and an image processing unit. The camera is mounted on the slider 234 and electrically connected to the image processing unit via a signal line. The image processing unit is electrically connected to the control component 5 via a signal line. The camera acquires an image of the pipeline to be welded, and the image processing unit identifies the weld position based on the image acquired by the camera. After the image processing unit analyzes and processes the image and determines the weld position, it sends the weld position to the trajectory control module 51 of the control component 5. Based on the weld position, the control component 5 drives the welding torch module 42 to move closer to or away from the weld position along the slide rail 41 via the trajectory control module 51. The positioning path module 23 then controls the visual recognition module 21 and the laser alignment module 22 to move closer to or away from the weld position along the guide rail 233 via the servo motor 231, ensuring that the weld position is within the scanning range of the laser alignment module 22.

[0027] Specifically, the visual recognition module 21 acquires images of the pipeline to be welded via a camera. The image processing unit can perform edge detection and feature extraction on the image to identify the contour and position information of the weld. The laser alignment module 22 scans the weld area with a laser beam and accurately determines the start and end points and three-dimensional coordinates of the weld using laser triangulation or reflected spot positioning technology. Furthermore, the visual recognition module 21 and the laser alignment module 22 can work together. The visual recognition module initially locates the approximate area of ​​the weld, while the laser alignment module performs a micron-level fine scan and sends the data to the trajectory control module 51, thereby enabling the welding torch module 42 to accurately track and align the weld.

[0028] In an optional embodiment, the clamp assembly 3 is disposed within the welding area and includes multiple clamping bodies 31 and flexible clamping modules 32. The multiple clamping bodies 31 are spaced apart and arranged around the pipeline to be welded. Each clamping body 31 includes a support base 311 and a support portion 312. The support base 311 is detachably mounted on the support platform 1 by bolts. One side of the support portion 312 has an inclined surface that matches the angle of the pipeline to be welded and is detachably connected to the support base 311 through the inclined surface. The other side of the support portion 312 has an arc-shaped groove in which the pipeline to be welded is placed. The radius of curvature of the arc-shaped groove matches the outer diameter of the pipeline to be welded to ensure the stability of the pipeline to be welded within the arc-shaped groove. The flexible clamping modules 32 are disposed at both ends of the pipeline to be welded and include multiple elastic pressure blocks 321 and pressure sensors 322. The multiple elastic pressure blocks 321 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, and each elastic pressure block 321 has a pressure sensor 322 embedded in its surface.

[0029] For example, the clamp assembly 3 can adopt a modular design, enabling rapid and precise adaptation to aviation pipeline parts of different specifications and shapes. Specifically, the clamp body 31 can be adjusted in position through multiple bolt positions preset on the support platform 1 to adapt to pipelines of different lengths; it can also be matched with the outer diameter and angle of the pipeline to be welded by individually replacing the support seat 311 or the support part 312 with different bevel angles and arc groove profiles, thereby enhancing the versatility of the device. A single clamp assembly 3 can handle welding tasks for various types of aviation pipelines, reducing equipment investment costs. On the other hand, it also helps to achieve stable support for the pipeline to be welded, ensuring accurate positioning of the pipeline during welding and avoiding pipeline deformation or positioning errors caused by clamping mismatch, laying the foundation for subsequent high-quality circumferential welding.

[0030] Please see further. Figure 5 , Figure 5The document provides multiple implementations of the clamping body 31, allowing for various clamping methods to be adapted to different shapes of the pipe to be welded. One clamping body 31 may include a support base 311 and a support portion 312. The support base 311 is fixed to the support platform 1 by bolts, and the support portion 312 has an inclined surface and an arc-shaped groove that match the angle of the pipe, suitable for stable support of general bends or straight pipes. For straight pipe sections, another clamping body 31 may only use the support portion 312, whose arc-shaped groove has a semi-circular contour, and is directly fixed to the support platform 1 by bolts. This simplifies the structure while ensuring a good fit. For the bends and corners, the support portion 312 of the clamping body 31 can adopt a partially circular arc profile. A motor-driven push rod is set on the notch side, and the end of the push rod is covered with a flexible material (such as polyurethane or rubber). The extension and retraction of the push rod achieves auxiliary clamping at the bend and corner, avoiding stress concentration. Finally, a flexible material layer (such as a silicone pad or wear-resistant rubber) can be embedded in the arc groove of each support portion 312 to increase friction buffering with the outer wall of the pipe and further reduce clamping damage.

[0031] Specifically, the flexible clamping module 32 hydraulically drives the extension and retraction of multiple elastic blocks 321. A pressure sensor 322 monitors the pressure data of the elastic blocks 321 in real time and is electrically connected to the control component 5 via a signal line. The control component 5, based on the pressure data, controls the extension and retraction of the elastic blocks 321 via the trajectory control module 51. The pressure sensor 322 monitors the pressure value of the elastic blocks 321 in real time and transmits the pressure data to the control component 5. The control component 5, based on the pressure data and via the trajectory control module 51, adjusts the extension and retraction of each elastic block 321 to prevent deformation of the pipeline to be welded due to excessive clamping force. Simultaneously, the elastic blocks 321 of the flexible clamping module 32 apply a uniform clamping force along the circumference under hydraulic pressure, ensuring uniform stress on the inner wall of the pipeline to be welded.

[0032] For example, the elastic pressure block 321 has multiple built-in hydraulic pumps. Under hydraulic pressure, the hydraulic pumps drive the support block connected to its end to perform telescopic movement. The outer surface of the support block is arc-shaped to facilitate contact with the inner wall of the pipeline to be welded. The pressure sensor 322 is partially embedded in the outer surface of the support block. In addition, multiple hydraulic pumps can be synchronously controlled or independently controlled through a hydraulic control console.

[0033] Furthermore, each flexible clamping module 32 is also connected to a drive unit 33, which includes an annular buffer 331 and a drive motor 332. The flexible clamping module 32 is disposed within the annular buffer 331, which is used to absorb vibrations generated when in contact with the pipeline to be welded and to provide buffering. Driven by the drive motor 332, the flexible clamping module 32 extends out from the annular buffer 331 and penetrates into the interior of the pipeline to be welded. That is, the drive motor 332 is used to drive the flexible clamping module 32 to extend as a whole, while the extension and retraction of each elastic pressure block 321 is achieved by hydraulic drive.

[0034] Preferably, the annular buffer 331 is used to absorb vibrations generated when the flexible clamping module 32 contacts the pipeline to be welded. Therefore, it can be made of a highly elastic, highly damped flexible material, such as polyurethane elastomer, nitrile rubber, or silicone. These materials have good cushioning performance and wear resistance, which can effectively reduce the mechanical vibration caused by collision or alignment error during the contact of the drive unit 33 with the pipeline to be welded, and ensure the stability of the clamping process.

[0035] The positioning component 2 of this invention accurately positions the weld seam using a visual recognition module 21 and a laser alignment module 22, and, combined with a trajectory control module 51, enables precise movement of the welding torch module 42, effectively improving welding accuracy. The clamping component 3, through the cooperation of a flexible clamping module 32 and a pressure sensor 322, can adjust the clamping force according to the material and structural characteristics of the pipeline to be welded, avoiding deformation caused by excessive clamping force. Furthermore, the heat-affected zone control module 52 dynamically adjusts the output power of the welding torch module 42, achieving real-time temperature monitoring and power regulation, thereby ensuring uniform weld seam formation and improving the stability of welding quality. Simultaneously, it achieves feedback control of the welding process, increasing the automation level of welding operations, shortening the welding cycle, and meeting the high precision and high reliability requirements of the aerospace field.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, the welding assembly 4 further includes an energy distribution unit 43, which is connected to the welding gun module 42 via an optical fiber. The energy distribution unit 43 includes a plurality of optical fiber beam splitters 432 and a focusing lens 433. The optical fiber beam splitters 432 are connected to the light source 431 of the welding gun module 42 via optical fibers. The focusing lens 433 is mounted at the front end of the welding gun module 42 and focuses the laser beam to the welding point through the optical fiber beam splitters 432.

[0037] For example, the number and distribution of fiber optic beam splitters 432 can be adjusted according to welding requirements. By splitting and focusing, the energy applied to the weld can be made more concentrated and uniform, thereby improving the consistency of weld penetration and formation, avoiding welding defects caused by uneven energy, and thus improving the stability of welding quality.

[0038] The welding assembly 4 of the present invention can optimize the energy distribution of the welding torch module 42 through the energy distribution unit 43 to ensure the uniformity of welding energy, thereby improving the stability of welding quality; and combined with the circulating cooling assembly 6 to actively cool the welding area, effectively reducing the impact of welding heat effect.

[0039] It is understood that this embodiment does not limit the specific type of welding torch module 42. In addition to laser welding torches, other welding methods can also be used, such as gas shielded welding torches, plasma welding torches, or electron beam welding torches. These welding torches can all be integrated via slide rail 41. When using the above welding torches, the energy distribution unit 43 can be omitted, and the requirements of aerospace pipelines for welding heat input and forming quality can still be met.

[0040] In an optional implementation, the trajectory control module 51 operates as follows: The trajectory control module 51 receives weld position data from the positioning component 2, temperature data from the heat-affected zone control module 52, and pressure data from the fixture component 3, and uses a built-in algorithm (such as PID control or path planning algorithm) to generate the motion trajectory of the welding torch module 42; the module drives the welding torch module 42 to move along the weld path at a uniform or variable speed by controlling the multi-degree-of-freedom motion of the slide rail 41, and dynamically adjusts the moving speed, dwell time, or trajectory offset according to real-time temperature and pressure feedback to ensure that the welding energy is applied uniformly and that the weld is formed consistently.

[0041] In an optional implementation, the heat-affected zone control module 52 includes a temperature control unit 521 and a power controller 522. The temperature control unit 521 includes a temperature sensor embedded in the front end of the welding torch module 42 and electrically connected to the trajectory control module 51 via a signal line. The power controller 522 is electrically connected to the welding torch module 42 via a signal line. The temperature control unit 521 monitors the temperature data of the weld seam in real time through the temperature sensor, and the power controller 522 is used to adjust the output power of the welding torch module 42 according to the temperature data of the welding area to reduce the heat effect during the welding process.

[0042] Specifically, the heat-affected zone control module 52 directly monitors the temperature of the weld and heat-affected zone by embedding a temperature sensor (such as an infrared or fiber optic temperature sensor) in the temperature control unit 521 into the front end of the welding torch module 42. The collected temperature data is then transmitted in real time to the trajectory control module 51 and the power controller 522 via a signal line to achieve temperature control during the welding process, ensuring that the temperature of the welding area is always within the preset range, thereby effectively suppressing the expansion of the heat-affected zone.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the circumferential welding device for aerospace piping components further includes: a circulating cooling assembly 6, which includes a cooling box 61, a radiator 62, and cooling nozzles 63. The cooling box 61 covers the welding area, and a cooling channel is arranged around the inside of the cooling box 61. Cooling liquid flows in the cooling channel, and the radiator 62 is disposed at the bottom of the cooling box 61. The outlet of the cooling channel is connected to the inlet of the radiator 62 through a pipe. For example, the pipe can be a flexible hose, and the outlet of the radiator 62 is connected to an external coolant storage tank through a pipe. Multiple cooling nozzles 63 are evenly distributed on the inner side of the cooling box 61. The cooling nozzles 63 can be configured as cones and connected to the cooling channel through pipes. Cooling liquid flows in the cooling channel and carries away the heat of the welding area through the radiator 62 and the cooling nozzles 63 to reduce the thermal impact of the welding area.

[0044] Specifically, the heat-affected zone control module 52 is electrically connected to the trajectory control module 51 via a signal line, and is used to adjust the movement trajectory and speed of the welding torch module 42 according to temperature data. Simultaneously, the heat-affected zone control module 52 also controls the cooling power of the circulating cooling component 6 according to temperature data. For example, a flow regulating valve is provided on the pipeline. Through the flow regulating valve, the cooling power and the flow rate of the cooling liquid can be adjusted according to the temperature data of the welding area to achieve active cooling of the welding area. This effectively suppresses the expansion of the welding heat-affected zone and helps reduce welding residual stress and deformation, further ensuring the geometric accuracy and mechanical performance reliability of the circumferential welds of aerospace pipeline components.

[0045] Furthermore, the heat-affected zone control module 52 can monitor the weld temperature data in real time through a temperature sensor embedded in the front end of the welding torch module 42. When the temperature is too high, the output power of the welding torch can be reduced by the power controller 522, and the movement speed of the welding torch module 42 can be increased or its trajectory adjusted by the trajectory control module 51 (such as increasing the oscillation amplitude to disperse the heat input) to prevent local overheating. During the welding process, the flow regulating valve can be adjusted according to the temperature data to increase the coolant flow rate, thereby achieving dynamic heat dissipation through the cooling nozzle 63. After welding, the heat-affected zone control module 52 can also maintain the cooling power and continuously circulate the coolant through the cooling channel in the cooling box 61 to actively cool the welding area to reduce residual stress and the heat-affected zone. In addition, to ensure the uniformity of temperature monitoring, temperature sensors can be evenly arranged inside the cooling box to monitor the temperature at multiple points.

[0046] To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and implement this invention, the specific implementation principle of this invention will be further explained below in conjunction with a specific application scenario.

[0047] In the circumferential welding process of aerospace piping components, the pipe to be welded is first placed in the welding area. Multiple clamping bodies 31 in the clamping assembly 3 support the pipe, ensuring its stability during welding. Simultaneously, a flexible clamping module 32 extends from the annular buffer section 331 via a drive motor 332 and penetrates into the interior of the pipe to be welded. The flexible clamping module 32 consists of multiple elastic pressure blocks 321, which are evenly distributed circumferentially to ensure uniform force on the inner wall of the pipe to be welded. Pressure sensors 322 are embedded in the surface of each elastic pressure block 321, monitoring the clamping force in real time and transmitting the data to the control assembly 5. If the monitored pressure value exceeds a preset range, the control assembly 5 adjusts the extension and retraction of the elastic pressure blocks 321 via hydraulic drive to prevent pipe deformation due to excessive clamping force.

[0048] After the pipe to be welded is fixed, the positioning component 2 is activated. The vision recognition module 21 acquires image information of the pipe to be welded through a camera. The image processing unit analyzes and processes the received image, extracts the position information of the weld, and sends this information to the trajectory control module 51. At the same time, the laser alignment module 22 precisely scans the weld position to further confirm the start and end of the weld. The servo motor 231 drives the lead screw 232 to rotate, causing the slider 234 to move along the guide rail 233, thereby adjusting the position of the vision recognition module 21 and the laser alignment module 22 to ensure that the weld is always within the scanning range of the laser alignment module 22.

[0049] After the weld seam position is accurately located, the trajectory control module 51 controls the welding torch module 42 to move along the slide rail 41 to the starting end of the weld seam based on the received weld seam position information. After the welding torch module 42 is activated, the heat-affected zone control module 52 begins operation. The temperature sensor in the temperature control unit 521 monitors the temperature data of the welding point in real time and transmits the data to the trajectory control module 51. The power controller 522 dynamically adjusts the output power of the welding torch module 42 based on the temperature data of the welding area, thereby reducing the heat effect during the welding process. Simultaneously, the trajectory control module 51 adjusts the movement trajectory and speed of the welding torch module 42 based on the temperature data to further achieve effective control of the heat effect.

[0050] During welding, the circulating cooling assembly 6 operates to reduce the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The cooling chamber 61 surrounds the welding area, and heat is carried away from the welding area via the radiator 62 and the flowing coolant within the cooling channels. A flow control valve adjusts the flow rate or volume of the coolant based on the temperature data of the welding area, ensuring that the cooling effect matches the welding requirements through control of the cooling power. Multiple cooling nozzles 63 are evenly distributed inside the cooling chamber 61 and connected to the cooling channels via pipes. The cooling nozzles 63 directly spray coolant onto the welding area, further reducing the temperature of the HAZ.

[0051] After welding is completed, the heat-affected zone control module 52 controls the cooling power of the circulating cooling component 6 according to the temperature data of the welding area to actively cool the welding area, so as to further reduce the temperature and residual stress of the heat-affected zone and ensure the stability of welding quality.

[0052] It is worth noting that the circumferential weld device for aerospace piping components in this embodiment achieves automation and precision control of circumferential welds by integrating the positioning component 2, clamping component 3, welding component 4, and control component 5, thus solving the problems of welding accuracy and clamping stability. Furthermore, it introduces a vision recognition module 21 and a laser alignment module 22 for precise positioning, and a heat-affected zone control module 52 for dynamic temperature control, combined with a circulating cooling component 6 for active cooling. Through the synergistic effect of these structures, the stability of the welding process is first ensured. Based on this, by acquiring weld position, temperature data, and pressure data, multi-parameter control is achieved through the control component, comprehensively solving the deformation problems caused by thin-walled materials and bent pipe structures in aerospace piping welding, as well as the impact of the heat-affected zone on welding reliability.

[0053] Specifically, the elastic clamping block 321 achieves flexible and multi-point clamping, while the pressure sensor 322 prevents deformation caused by excessive clamping force. Visual and laser positioning improves weld seam recognition accuracy. The circulating cooling component 6, combined with the heat-affected zone control module 52, collaboratively reduces thermal effects. Furthermore, based on multiple sensors and the control component 5, welding power, trajectory, and cooling are coordinated and linked, enabling real-time adjustment of these parameters. This multi-layered collaboration meets the high-precision, high-quality welding requirements of aerospace piping components, ensuring positioning accuracy while addressing the combined needs of clamping stress and heat-affected zone control. Flexible clamping positioning, welding power control, and active post-weld cooling prevent welding deformation of aerospace piping components.

[0054] Example 2 like Figure 9 As shown, Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a circumferential welding method for aviation pipeline components provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] This embodiment provides a method for circumferential welding of aircraft piping components, using the circumferential welding apparatus for aircraft piping components from Embodiment 1, and includes the following steps: Step 1: Place the pipe to be welded in the welding area, support the pipe to be welded with multiple clamps, and insert the flexible clamping module into the pipe to be welded to achieve flexible fixed clamping. Step 2: Activate the positioning component, locate the weld position through the vision recognition module and laser alignment module, and send the weld position information to the trajectory control module; Step 3: Control the welding torch module to move along the slide rail to the starting end of the weld position using the trajectory control module, and start welding; Step 4: Monitor the temperature of the weld seam in real time through the heat-affected zone control module and dynamically adjust the output power of the welding torch module. At the same time, adjust the movement trajectory and moving speed of the welding torch module through the trajectory control module. Step 5: After welding is completed, the cooling power of the circulating cooling component is controlled by the heat impact control module to actively cool the welding area and reduce the heat impact.

[0056] Specifically, the circumferential welding process for the aviation pipeline components in this embodiment is as follows: First, the pipeline to be welded is placed in the welding area, supported by multiple clamps, and a flexible clamping module is inserted into the pipeline to achieve flexible fixation; the positioning component is activated, and the weld position is located by a vision recognition module and a laser alignment module, and the weld position information is sent to the trajectory control module; the trajectory control module controls the welding torch module to move along the slide rail to the starting end of the weld position and starts welding; the heat-affected zone control module monitors the temperature of the welding point in real time and dynamically adjusts the output power of the welding torch module, while the trajectory control module adjusts the movement trajectory and speed of the welding torch module; after welding is completed, the heat-affected zone control module controls the cooling power of the circulating cooling component to actively cool the welding area to reduce the heat-affected zone.

[0057] It should be noted that the visual recognition, laser alignment, temperature sensing, motor drive, trajectory control and related feedback control used in the circumferential welding process of aviation pipeline parts in this embodiment are all existing mature technologies, and the relevant settings can be implemented with reference to existing related technologies.

[0058] The welding method provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention can be implemented based on the circumferential weld device for aerospace piping parts provided in Embodiment 1. Therefore, it has similar beneficial effects to the device embodiment in Embodiment 1. For technical details not disclosed in the method embodiments of the present invention, please refer to the description of the device embodiment for understanding.

[0059] The circumferential welding method for aerospace piping components of this invention achieves precise alignment and stress-free clamping of the piping after it is placed, by real-time monitoring of pressure values, fundamentally avoiding pipe deformation caused by uneven clamping force. After stable clamping is achieved, the control component activates the positioning component, driving the slider equipped with a vision recognition module and a laser alignment module to move to obtain the weld position. The trajectory control module generates a welding trajectory based on the weld position. During welding, the trajectory control module controls the welding torch module to move to the starting end of the weld position and initiates welding according to the welding trajectory. During this process, the heat-affected zone control module dynamically adjusts the output power of the laser welding torch module according to the temperature, while the trajectory control module also adjusts the movement trajectory and speed of the welding torch module according to the temperature. Finally, during and after welding, the cooling power is dynamically adjusted by the circulating cooling component to actively cool the welding area and reduce the heat-affected zone, forming a multi-parameter collaborative control. By integrating the positioning, clamping, welding, and cooling processes, collaborative optimization is achieved, improving welding efficiency and yield.

[0060] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or apparatus that includes that element. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0061] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A circumferential weldment device for aviation pipeline components, characterized in that, include: Positioning components, clamping components, welding components, and control components are mounted on the support platform; among them... The support platform has a welding area in its central region; the positioning component includes a vision recognition module, a laser alignment module, and a positioning path module. The positioning path module includes a servo motor, a lead screw, a guide rail, and a slider. The output end of the servo motor is connected to the lead screw. The guide rail is arranged along the axial direction of the lead screw. The slider is connected to the lead screw by a thread and slides with the guide rail. The vision recognition module is fixed on the slider, and the laser alignment module is mounted on the vision recognition module. The clamping assembly is disposed in the welding area and includes a clamping body and a flexible clamping module. Multiple clamping bodies are spaced apart and clamp the outer wall of the pipeline to be welded. Two flexible clamping modules are respectively embedded at both ends of the pipeline to be welded. The flexible clamping module includes multiple elastic blocks and pressure sensors. The multiple elastic blocks are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction, and the pressure sensor is embedded on the surface of each elastic block. The welding assembly includes a slide rail and a welding torch module. The slide rail is fixedly connected to the support platform, and the welding torch module is suspended above the welding area via the slide rail. The control component includes a trajectory control module and a heat-affected zone control module. The trajectory control module is electrically connected to the welding component, and the heat-affected zone control module is electrically connected to the trajectory control module.

2. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The visual recognition module includes a camera and an image processing unit. The camera is mounted on the slider and electrically connected to the image processing unit via a signal line. The image processing unit is electrically connected to the control component via a signal line. The image processing unit is used to identify the weld position based on the image acquired by the camera, and the control component drives the welding gun module to move closer to or away from the weld position along the slide rail according to the weld position through the trajectory control module. The positioning path module controls the vision recognition module and the laser alignment module to move closer to or further away from the weld position along the guide rail via the servo motor, so that the weld position is within the scanning range of the laser alignment module.

3. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each clamp includes a support base and a support portion. The support base is detachably mounted on the support platform by bolts. One side of the support portion has an inclined surface that matches the angle of the pipe to be welded, and is detachably connected to the support base through the inclined surface. The other side of the support portion has an arc-shaped groove, in which the pipe to be welded is placed.

4. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flexible clamping module achieves the extension and retraction of multiple elastic blocks through hydraulic drive. The pressure sensor is used to monitor the pressure data of the elastic blocks in real time and is electrically connected to the control component through a signal line. The control component controls the extension and retraction of the elastic blocks through the trajectory control module based on the pressure data.

5. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each of the flexible clamping modules is also connected to a drive unit, which includes an annular buffer and a drive motor. The flexible clamping module is disposed within the annular buffer, which is used to absorb vibrations generated when in contact with the pipe to be welded. Driven by the drive motor, the flexible clamping module extends out from the annular buffer and enters the pipe to be welded.

6. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welding assembly further includes an energy distribution unit, which is connected to the welding torch module via an optical fiber. The energy distribution unit includes multiple fiber beam splitters and a focusing lens. The fiber beam splitters are connected to the light source of the welding torch module via optical fibers. The focusing lens is installed at the front end of the welding torch module and focuses the laser beam to the welding point through the fiber beam splitters.

7. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat-affected zone control module includes a temperature control unit and a power controller. The temperature control unit includes a temperature sensor, which is embedded in the front end of the welding torch module and electrically connected to the trajectory control module via a signal line. The power controller is electrically connected to the welding torch module via a signal line. The temperature control unit is used to monitor the temperature data of the weld in real time, and the power controller is used to adjust the output power of the welding gun module according to the temperature data of the welding area.

8. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A circulating cooling assembly includes a cooling tank, a radiator, and cooling nozzles. The cooling tank covers the welding area, and a cooling channel is arranged around the inside of the cooling tank. Cooling liquid flows in the cooling channel, and the radiator is located at the bottom of the cooling tank. The outlet of the cooling channel is connected to the inlet of the radiator through a pipe, and the outlet of the radiator is connected to an external coolant storage tank through a pipe. Multiple cooling nozzles are evenly distributed on the inner side of the cooling tank and are connected to the cooling channel through pipes. A flow regulating valve is provided on the pipes.

9. The circumferential weldment apparatus for aviation pipeline components according to claim 8, characterized in that, The heat-affected zone control module is electrically connected to the trajectory control module via a signal line, and is used to adjust the movement trajectory and moving speed of the welding torch module according to the temperature data; the heat-affected zone control module is also used to control the cooling power of the circulating cooling component according to the temperature data.

10. A method for circumferential welding of aircraft piping components, employing the circumferential welding apparatus for aircraft piping components as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, include: The pipe to be welded is placed in the welding area, supported by multiple clamps, and a flexible clamping module is inserted into the pipe to achieve flexible fixing and clamping. The positioning component is activated, and the weld position is located through the visual recognition module and the laser alignment module. The weld position information is then sent to the trajectory control module. The trajectory control module controls the welding torch module to move along the slide rail to the starting end of the weld position and starts welding. The temperature of the weld is monitored in real time by the heat-affected zone control module, and the output power of the welding torch module is dynamically adjusted. At the same time, the movement trajectory and moving speed of the welding torch module are adjusted by the trajectory control module. After welding is completed, the cooling power of the circulating cooling component is controlled by the heat-affected zone control module to actively cool the welding area and reduce the heat-affected zone.

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