Welding apparatus and method for manufacturing welded products

Abstract

To provide a welding apparatus and a method for manufacturing welded materials that can produce welded materials with varying thicknesses in a single welding process with superior quality, and that also enable reduced working time and miniaturization of equipment. [Solution] A welding apparatus for manufacturing a welded product by welding multiple workpieces 2a, 2b together, comprising: a first impulse block 1a and a second impulse block 1b that sandwich the multiple workpieces 2a, 2b; heaters 5 positioned between the multiple workpieces 2a, 2b and the first impulse block 1a, and between the multiple workpieces 2a, 2b and the second impulse block 1b, respectively, wherein the welded product has partially different thicknesses, and heat input adjustment members 7a, 7b are positioned between each heater 5 and the multiple workpieces 2a, 2b to adjust the amount of heat input to the multiple workpieces 2a, 2b according to the thickness of each part of the welded product; and a method for manufacturing a welded product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a welding apparatus and a method for manufacturing a welded product.

Background Art

[0002] When manufacturing a welded product by welding a plurality of workpieces together, an impulse welding method is used. In the impulse welding method, not only the same type of material (for example, a material containing resin) but also different types of materials can be joined, so it is widely used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of welding a composite material by interposing an insulating member between a heater and the composite material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When manufacturing a welded product with partially different thicknesses using the welding method described in Patent Document 1, there are cases where the desired thickness is not achieved, or another process such as a punching process is required, resulting in problems such as a decrease in quality, an increase in working time, and an increase in the size of the equipment.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a welding apparatus and a method for manufacturing a welded product that can manufacture a welded product with partially different thicknesses with excellent quality in a single welding process, and further can shorten the working time and reduce the size of the equipment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] One embodiment for achieving the above objective is a welding apparatus for manufacturing a welded product by welding a plurality of workpieces together, comprising a first impulse block and a second impulse block that sandwich the plurality of workpieces, and heaters disposed between the plurality of workpieces and the first impulse block, and between the plurality of workpieces and the second impulse block, wherein the welded product has partially different thicknesses, and a heat input adjustment member is placed between each heater and the plurality of workpieces to adjust the amount of heat input to the plurality of workpieces according to the thickness of each part of the welded product.

[0008] Furthermore, one embodiment for achieving the above objective is a method for manufacturing a welded product in which multiple workpieces are welded together, wherein the amount of heat input to the multiple workpieces is adjusted according to the thickness of each part of the welded product which has a partially different thickness.

[0009] The welding apparatus and method for manufacturing welded products according to this disclosure adjust the amount of heat input to multiple workpieces according to the thickness of each part of the welded product, so that a welded product with a desired thickness can be manufactured in a single welding process. For this reason, the welding apparatus and method for manufacturing welded products according to this disclosure can manufacture welded products with partially different thicknesses with excellent quality in a single welding process, and furthermore, it enables a reduction in working time and miniaturization of equipment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a welding apparatus and a method for manufacturing welded products that can produce welded products with partially different thicknesses with excellent quality in a single welding process, and furthermore, that can shorten working time and reduce the size of the equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an example of a welding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional welding apparatus. [Figure 3]This diagram illustrates the shortcomings of conventional welding methods. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates an example of a method for manufacturing a welded product according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Specific embodiments applying this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, for clarity, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a welding apparatus according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a welded product according to this embodiment.

[0013] When manufacturing a welded product with varying thicknesses using conventional welding methods, for example, the following four methods A to D can be considered. In Figure 2, multiple workpieces to be welded, namely the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b, are each exemplified as thin, strip-shaped resin materials. In this example, the abutment portions at the ends of the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b are impulse-welded to produce a welded product in which the thickness of the inner corner 2A is relatively thin and the thickness of the outer corner 2B is relatively thick. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional welding apparatus. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the problems of conventional welding methods. Method A: A method in which the entire area of ​​the abutment between the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b, specifically the inner corner 2A and the outer corner 2B, is heated as the heating section H, causing them to fuse together (see Figure 3(A)). Method B: As the heating section H, the entire area of ​​the abutting portion (inner corner 2A and outer corner 2B) between the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b is heated and melted together to weld them, and then the portion of the inner corner 2A whose thickness is to be reduced is punched out (in Figure 3(B), only the remaining heating section H after the punching process is shown). Method C: As the heating area H, only the necessary parts, in this case only the outer corner 2B, are heated and melted together (see Figure 3(C)). Method D: A method in which the abutting portion (inner corner 2A and outer corner 2B) of the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b is welded together at a low temperature over the entire area, and then the portion to be welded together, in this case only the outer corner, is heated again at a high temperature (in Figure 3(D), the outer corner 2B is shown as the first heating area H1, and the inner corner 2A is shown as the second heating area H2).

[0014] However, when the resin materials constituting each workpiece are heated to a compatible temperature and welded together using method A shown in Figure 3(A), after heating and cooling, the first thickness portion a1 corresponding to the outer corner 2B becomes within the desired thickness range (tolerance), as shown in Figure 3(A1). On the other hand, the second thickness portion a2 corresponding to the inner corner 2A may become thicker than the base material (workpiece used), resulting in a shape that exceeds the desired thickness of the inner corner 2A of the welded object. This is thought to be because tensile force is applied when processing the workpiece (resin material) into a sheet, and the stress is released at the moment of heating and melting, causing the thickness to increase compared to the base material.

[0015] Furthermore, when a welded product is manufactured using method B shown in Figure 3(B), the desired shape can be obtained by punching out the inner corner 2A where the thickness needs to be reduced after the welding process (processing) of method A. However, since a punching process is also required in addition to the welding process, the number of processes increases, the time required to manufacture one product (welded product) (processing cycle) lengthens, productivity decreases, and the equipment may become more complex and larger.

[0016] Furthermore, when heat is applied using the above-described Method C shown in Fig. 3(C), only the portion where compatibility is required, i.e., the outer corner portion 2B, is used as the heating portion H. As shown in Fig. 3(C1), the third thickness portion c1 corresponding to the outer corner portion 2B is within the desired thickness range. On the other hand, the fourth thickness portion c2 corresponding to the inner corner portion 2A becomes the thickness of two workpieces used, exceeding the desired thickness of the inner corner portion 2A. Furthermore, the inner corner portion may enter inward and may not satisfy the right angle of the desired inner corner c3. This is considered to be because due to the difference in expansion between the portion where heat is applied and the portion where heat is not applied, the shape changes to an acute angle side from 90 degrees so that the portion where heat is not applied overlaps.

[0017] Also, when using the above-described Method D shown in Fig. 3(D), a weld deposit with a desired thickness can be produced, but it is necessary to perform welding in two steps. This increases the number of processes, extends the processing cycle time, reduces productivity, and there is a possibility that the equipment becomes complex and large-sized.

[0018] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 1, a welding apparatus according to the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as "this welding apparatus") manufactures a weld deposit by welding a plurality of workpieces (the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b). This welding apparatus includes a first impulse block 1a and a second impulse block that sandwich these plurality of workpieces. Further, in this welding apparatus, heaters 5 are respectively disposed between these plurality of workpieces and the first impulse block 1a, and between the plurality of workpieces and the second impulse block 1b. Here, the weld deposit manufactured by this welding apparatus has different thicknesses in part. In this welding apparatus, heat input amount adjusting members 7a and 7b for adjusting the amount of heat input to the plurality of workpieces are disposed between each heater 5 and the plurality of workpieces according to the thickness of each part of the weld deposit. This welding apparatus having such a configuration can manufacture a weld deposit with different thicknesses in part with excellent quality in a single welding process, and further, it is possible to shorten the working time and miniaturize the equipment.

[0019] The shape, material, etc. of the workpiece (welding target) used in this welding device can be appropriately selected according to the shape, material, etc. of the welded object to be produced, and are not particularly limited. The material of the workpiece can be any conventionally known material as long as it is applicable to the impulse welding method of rapid heating and rapid cooling, and is not particularly limited. For example, a material containing resin (resin material) can be used as the material of the workpiece. The shape of the workpiece is also not particularly limited, and it may have various shapes such as strip (rectangular), circular, elliptical, triangular, polygonal, etc. The shape of the welded object (finished product) to be produced can also be appropriately set and is not particularly limited. Examples of the shape of the welded object include a rectangular frame shape obtained by abutting and welding the ends of four strip-shaped thin resin materials to form four corners. As described above, the welded object manufactured by this welding device has different thicknesses in part. In the case of the frame shape, the thickness of the part corresponding to the inner corner part (inner corner part 2A) of the four corners is relatively thin, and the thickness of the part corresponding to the outer corner part (outer corner part 2B) is relatively thick. Here, the right angle of the inner corner part of the frame shape (see JIS B 0621) can be appropriately set. For example, when the surface on the side where the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b are welded is defined as Y, the right angle is preferably 1.3(Y). In addition, the arrangement of the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b during welding can be appropriately set according to the shape of the welded object to be produced. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the workpieces may be arranged on the same plane, and in this case, a part of the ends of each workpiece may overlap.

[0020] As described above, this welding device has a first impulse block 1a and a second impulse block 1b, and sandwiches and presses and heats the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b. Any conventionally known impulse block in the field of impulse welding can be appropriately used. The first impulse block 1a and the second impulse block 1b shown in FIG. 1 each include a temperature sensor 3 and a first insulating member 4. The temperature sensor 3 can be any conventionally known type, but for example, a thermocouple can be used, which is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature difference from the thermoelectric voltage at the junction of two different metal wires by creating a circuit by bringing the ends of the wires into contact. The first insulating member 4 can also be a conventionally known material, but for example, a highly insulating tape such as glass cloth that can insulate the entire impulse block can be used. Therefore, this welding apparatus can be used without problems even when conductive materials are used for each workpiece.

[0021] In the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1, a heater 5 and heat input adjustment members 7a and 7b are positioned between the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b and the first impulse block 1a, from the side of the first impulse block 1a. Furthermore, in the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1, a step absorption member 8 is positioned between the heat input adjustment member 7b and the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, in this welding apparatus, the interaction between the power supply unit 9 (each impulse block connected to the power supply unit 9) and the heater 5 makes it possible to instantaneously raise the temperature.

[0023] The heat input adjustment member 7a is a heat diffusion member that can diffuse the generated heat. For example, a metal tape with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum tape, can be used, but it is not particularly limited. As shown in Figure 4, the heat diffusion member is placed in the non-welded portion of the workpiece 2, in other words, in the portion corresponding to the inner corner portion 2A, which is relatively thin during welding (the portion where the thickness of the welded material is relatively thin). As a result, heating does not occur from the upper side of the paper (the first impulse block side) for each workpiece, and heating occurs only from the lower side of the paper (the second impulse block side). As a result, welded materials that satisfy the desired thickness of the inner corner portion 2A and the perpendicularity of the inner corner can be manufactured.

[0024] The heat input adjustment member 7b is a heat transfer member that can transfer the generated heat, and can be, for example, a fluorine tape, but is not particularly limited. As shown in Figure 4, the heat transfer member is placed in the welded portion of the workpiece 2, in other words, in the portion corresponding to the outer corner portion 2B that makes the thickness relatively thicker during welding (the portion where the thickness of the welded material is relatively thick). As a result, each workpiece is heated from both the upper and lower sides of the paper, and a compatible portion of the welded material is formed. This compatible portion can satisfy the desired thickness of the outer corner portion 2B. Thus, the heat input adjustment member, which is positioned between the heater 5 on the first impulse block side and the multiple workpieces, may include a heat diffusion member and a heat transfer member. These heat input adjustment members 7a and 7b may or may not be attached to the surface of the heater 5. For example, the aforementioned aluminum tape or fluorine tape may be attached to the surface of the heater 5 (one side facing the workpiece). The arrangement range of the heat diffusion member and heat transfer member (various tapes) can be set appropriately according to the shape and properties of the welded product to be manufactured, and is not particularly limited. Thus, in this welding apparatus, the above-mentioned excellent effects can be achieved by arranging heat input adjustment members 7a and 7b between each heater 5 and the multiple workpieces 2, which adjust the amount of heat input to the multiple workpieces 2 according to the thickness of each part of the weld to be produced.

[0025] This welding apparatus may include a step-absorbing member 8 between each workpiece and the heat input adjustment member for the purpose of absorbing gaps and steps between different types of tapes (aluminum tape and fluorine tape). The material of the step-absorbing member 8 is not particularly limited and can be used as long as it has the above effect, but for example, Kapton® tape can be used.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, a heater 5 and a second insulating member are positioned between the first workpiece 2a and the second workpiece 2b and the second impulse block 1b, from the second impulse block 1b side. Thus, in the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1, the heat input adjustment member positioned between the heater 5 on the second impulse block side and the multiple workpieces includes an insulating member. Note that the heat input adjustment member positioned on the second impulse block 1b side may use a heat diffusion member or a heat transfer member (various tapes) depending on the shape and properties of the welded product, similar to the heat input adjustment members 7a and 7b positioned on the first impulse block 1a side, but an insulating member may also be used as shown in Figures 1 and 4. When an insulating member is used, the entire welded area will be heated from the bottom of the paper during welding. The second insulating member 6 can also be a conventionally known material, similar to the first insulating member 4, but for example, a glass cloth capable of insulating the entire heater can be used. It is preferable to use a tape with high insulating and peeling properties for the second insulating member 6.

[0027] Thus, this welding apparatus has an asymmetrical configuration on the upper and lower sides of the workpiece to be welded. More specifically, by applying tapes with different thermal conductivity to only one side (for example, the upper side of the paper) of the pair of impulse heaters (heater 5) on the upper and lower sides of the paper, a temperature difference is created on the heater surface. In the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1, for example, resin tape is applied to the part where heat is to be transferred, and metal tape is applied to the part where heat is to be diffused. On the other side (lower side of the paper), resin tape is applied to the entire surface of the impulse heater, so no temperature difference is created on the surface. By sandwiching the object to be welded (workpiece 2) with these heaters 5 and applying power, the resin in the part sandwiched between the resin tapes is heated from both sides and completely melted. On the other hand, the resin in the part sandwiched between the resin tape and the metal tape is heated from only one side (lower side of the paper) and partially melted. This asymmetrical configuration allows for the heating of the workpiece 2 by clamping it, and the amount of heat input to the workpiece 2 can be controlled by applying different types of tape. As a result, in a single heating (welding) process, two or more parts with different thicknesses and properties (e.g., compatibility) can be formed while maintaining their positional relationship before heating, thus enabling a reduction in processing time and miniaturization of the equipment. Thus, this welding device is suitable for impulse welding, as it controls the amount of heat input to the object to be welded by applying different types of tape to the surface of the impulse heater body. For example, by using this welding device, it is possible to quickly form areas with different thicknesses and properties on the inner and outer corners of a frame. Specifically, the inner corner can be heated from only one side to reduce its thickness, while the outer corner can be heated from both sides to increase its thickness and create a compatible joint.

[0028] On the other hand, the conventional welding apparatus shown in Figure 2 uses an impulse block 10 that is symmetrical in plane on the upper and lower sides of the paper, and has a plane-symmetrical configuration (both are the same as the configuration on the lower side of the paper of the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1). Therefore, it is considered difficult to satisfy the desired thickness and properties of the welded part in a single welding process.

[0029] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a welded product according to this disclosure can produce a welded product in which multiple workpieces are welded together, and the amount of heat input to the multiple workpieces is adjusted according to the thickness of each part of the welded product which has a partially different thickness. This manufacturing method makes it possible to easily produce a welded product having a desired shape and properties by using the welding apparatus described above.

[0030] As described above, the welding apparatus and method for manufacturing welded products according to this disclosure can produce welded products with partially different thicknesses with excellent quality in a single welding process, and furthermore, it enables a reduction in working time and miniaturization of equipment.

[0031] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from its intent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1a First impulse block 1b Second impulse block 2 Work 2a First work 2b Second work 2A Interior corner 2B Outer corner 3. Temperature sensor 4. First insulating member 5 Heater 6. Second insulating member 7a Heat input adjustment member (heat diffusion member) 7b Heat input adjustment member (heat transfer member) 8. Step-absorbing member 9 Power supply unit 10 Impulse Blocks H heating section H1 First heating section H2 Second heating section a1 First thickness portion a2 Second thickness portion c1 Third thickness portion c2 Fourth thickness section c3 interior angle

Claims

1. A welding apparatus that produces a welded product by welding multiple workpieces together, A first impulse block and a second impulse block that sandwich the plurality of workpieces, Heaters are provided between the plurality of workpieces and the first impulse block, and between the plurality of workpieces and the second impulse block, Equipped with, The aforementioned welded material has varying thicknesses in parts. A welding apparatus comprising a heat input adjustment member positioned between each heater and the plurality of workpieces, which adjusts the amount of heat input to the plurality of workpieces according to the thickness of each part of the welded material.

2. The welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat input adjustment member disposed between the heater on the first impulse block side and the plurality of workpieces includes a heat diffusion member and a heat transfer member.

3. The welding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heat diffusion member is placed in the portion of the welded material that is relatively thin in thickness, and the heat transfer member is placed in the portion of the welded material that is relatively thick.

4. The welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat input adjustment member disposed between the second impulse block heater and the plurality of workpieces includes an insulating member.

5. A method for producing a welded product in which multiple workpieces are welded together, A method for manufacturing a welded product, comprising adjusting the amount of heat input to the multiple workpieces according to the thickness of each part of the welded product which has a partially different thickness.

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