Blank component, laser-welded product with ring structure, welding tooling and welding process

Abstract

This application relates to a blank assembly, a laser-welded product with an annular structure, welding tooling, and a welding process. By rationally designing the geometric dimensions of the blank assembly with an annular structure, a weld can be achieved that meets both maximum clearance and misalignment requirements, improving weld performance and increasing product yield. Furthermore, the present invention enables pre-production product design assessment and optimization in the event of a defect, thereby improving product yield. Furthermore, the positioning assembly according to the present invention is universally applicable to welded components with the same weld angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a laser-welded product having an annular structure, wherein the annular structure includes at least two welds, and further relates to a blank assembly, a determination method, a welding tool, and a welding process for forming the laser-welded product. Background Art

[0002] Laser welding is a widely used process in automotive manufacturing. It combines steel plates of varying strengths and thicknesses, for example, through weld seams, to achieve lightweight vehicle bodies and improve vehicle performance. Ideally, two weld seams are required to join the first and second components to form a ring-shaped structure. During the joining process, the edges to be welded on either side of each weld must be parallel to ensure a perfect fit, thus guaranteeing weld quality.

[0003] However, in actual operation, due to the dimensional tolerances introduced by the processing and splicing processes such as blanking and pre-welding, there will be at least an angular deviation between the edges to be welded on both sides of each of the two welds forming the annular structure. For example, if the first component itself is welded by multiple components, then in the most extreme case, the first component may have an angular deviation introduced by its multiple components. Therefore, the total angular deviation accumulated at the two welds may be large. At this time, if the first component and the second component are not placed properly, some quality problems may occur, such as undercuts, misalignments, and weld depressions caused by excessive weld gaps, resulting in insufficient strength of the weld structure and reduced overall dimensional accuracy, which in turn causes cracking in subsequent processing, cracking in collisions, etc., reducing product safety. The occurrence of these defects is strongly related to the splicing effect of the edges to be welded on both sides of the weld before welding. Among them, the maximum gap and misalignment between the edges to be welded after splicing are two of the most important quality inspection standards.

[0004] Typically, to avoid excessive gaps in welds, a correction process is implemented to redistribute the total angular deviation between the two welds. This correction process typically involves rotating the second component by a certain angle while ensuring that the two edges to be welded on the first component maintain point-to-point contact with the corresponding edges to be welded on the second component. However, implementing this correction process presents at least the following issues: 1. The rotation of the second component causes the ends of the paired edges to be welded on either side of each weld to shift, resulting in additional misalignment. This misalignment, in turn, causes the maximum misalignment (i.e., the sum of misalignment introduced by machining and rotation) to fail to meet expected manufacturing requirements. This misalignment is a specific manifestation of the deviation between the overall dimensions of the first and second components and their ideal dimensions. Consequently, secondary cutting may even be necessary during production to reduce the deviation caused by the correction process, but this additional cutting not only complicates manufacturing but is also cost-ineffective. Furthermore, excessive misalignment can cause stress concentration near the misalignment, making it more susceptible to failure cracking during hot stamping, originating at the misalignment. 2. Regardless of the correction process, the expected manufacturing requirements for maximum gap and misalignment cannot be met, reducing the dimensional accuracy of the final product.

[0005] In view of the above, there is a need to at least alleviate the above-mentioned problems of laser-welded products. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention is made in view of the above problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blank component for forming a laser-welded product having an annular structure, comprising:

[0008] a first component having a first edge to be welded, a second edge to be welded, and a flat first surface,

[0009] a second component having a first edge to be welded, a second edge to be welded, and a flat second surface, and

[0010] When the first surface and the second surface are placed on a first plane and the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component are opposite to the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component respectively and at the same time are in at least abutment on the inside or outside, on the first plane, the first edge to be welded of the first component and the second edge to be welded of the first component intersect through their extension lines and the blank assembly satisfies:

[0011] (1) or

[0012] (2) and

[0013]

[0014] in,

[0015] G is the maximum gap allowed by the welding device, which is in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm;

[0016] Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number of welds n of the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference introduced by each weld δ≤0.06°, 2≤n≤6;

[0017] ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the edge to be welded at each edge to be welded, within the range of 0 to 1 mm;

[0018] S1 is the length of the first edge to be welded of the first and second components;

[0019] S2 is the length of the second edge to be welded of the first and second components;

[0020] P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios;

[0021] P Tmin is the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and

[0022] α1 is the angle between the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component, and α1 is greater than 0° and less than 180°;

[0023] L traverses the following lengths: a maximum straight line length L1 between the innermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component and a maximum straight line length L2 between the outermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component;

[0024] According to the value of L, β traverses the following angles: angles β1 and β2 between L1 and the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component, respectively, and angles β1' and β2' between L2 and the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component, respectively, β>0°.

[0025] The difference in the number of welds between the first component and the second component is no more than 4. Optionally, the difference in the number of welds between the first component and the second component is no more than 3, optionally no more than 2, or optionally no more than 1. Optionally, the sum of the number of welds between the first component and the second component is no more than 4, no more than 3, no more than 2, no more than 1, or zero.

[0026] Optionally, L is not less than 150 mm to avoid interference between retaining devices on the welding fixture, and further L is not less than 300 mm, or L is not less than 350 mm. Optionally, L is not greater than 2000 mm, and further L is not greater than 1500 mm to facilitate handling. Optionally, S1 and S2 are both within the range of 50 to 500 mm.

[0027] Optionally, Min(P1, P1', P2, P2') ≥ 1.5·P Tmin ; Optionally, Min(P1,P1',P2,P2')≥2·P Tmin .

[0028] The present invention also relates to a hot stamping component, which is manufactured using the blank assembly according to the present invention.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for determining whether a blank assembly can produce a laser-welded product having an annular structure and a qualified weld seam is provided, wherein the parameters involved are consistent with the parameters defined for the blank assembly described above, and the method comprises the following steps:

[0030] Step ST1: determining standard parameters G, δ, and ΔS and obtaining parameters α1, L1, L2, β1, β2, β1', β2', S1, S2, and the total number of welds n of the first component and the second component, for example, by obtaining them according to an input drawing of a blank component;

[0031] Step ST2: Calculate Δα and P1, P2, P1', P2' and P Tmin ;

[0032] Step ST3: Determine whether Δα is greater than

[0033] When Δα is greater than When , proceed to step STO to optimize the product size and return to step ST1;

[0034] When Δα is not greater than When , it proceeds to step ST4 to determine whether Δα is not greater than

[0035] When Δα is not greater than When the product design is qualified, it ends;

[0036] When Δα is greater than When the value is less than P, the process goes to step ST5 to further determine whether Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is not less than P Tmin ;

[0037] When Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is less than PTmin When , it proceeds to the optimization step STO to optimize the product size and returns to step ST1;

[0038] When Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is not less than P Tmin When , the product design is qualified and ends.

[0039] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program or instructions, and is characterized in that the computer program or instructions implement the steps of the above method when executed by a processor.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present invention, a laser-welded product having an annular structure is provided. Through a specific geometric structure design, the misalignment at the weld is within the expected requirements while the maximum gap of the weld meets the requirements, thereby improving the weld performance and increasing the yield of subsequent hot stamping products.

[0041] According to the present invention, a laser-welded product having an annular structure includes n laser-welded seams.

[0042] Among them, 2≤n≤6,

[0043] The length of the first weld is S1, and the length of the second weld is S2. The laser welded product is on a plane.

[0044] The first weld and the second weld intersect through their extension lines and satisfy:

[0045] (1) or

[0046] (2) and

[0047]

[0048] in,

[0049] G is in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm;

[0050] Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number n of welds in the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference δ introduced by each weld is ≤ 0.06°;

[0051] ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the weld at each weld, within the range of 0 to 1 mm;

[0052] P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios;

[0053] P Tminis the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and

[0054] α1' is the angle between the first weld and the second weld and is greater than 0° and less than 180°;

[0055] L traverses the following lengths: within the range of the included angle α1′, the maximum straight line length L1′ between two adjacent sides of the first weld and the second weld at the first inner end and the maximum straight line length L2′ between two adjacent sides of the first weld and the second weld at the second outer end;

[0056] According to the value of L, β traverses the following angles: angles β1 and β2 between L1' and the first weld and the second weld, and angles β1' and β2' between L2' and the first weld and the second weld, respectively, β>0°.

[0057] Optionally, the range of the angle α1' limits the first area of the annular structure, and the remaining part is the second area of the annular structure, wherein, except for the first and second welds, the difference in the number of welds between the first area and the second area is not greater than 3, optionally not greater than 2, and optionally not greater than 1.

[0058] Optionally, L is not less than 150 mm to avoid interference between retaining devices on the welding fixture, and further L is not less than 300 mm, or L is not less than 350 mm. Optionally, L is not greater than 2000 mm, and further L is not greater than 1500 mm to facilitate handling. Optionally, S1 and S2 are both within the range of 50 to 500 mm.

[0059] Alternatively, when Δα=0.16° (0.0028 rad), ΔS is 1 mm and G is 0.5 mm, (1) when When Max(S1,S2)≤178.6mm, P is any positive value; or (2) when hour,

[0060] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot stamping component having an annular structure, which is formed by hot stamping the aforementioned laser-welded product.

[0061] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a positioning assembly for positioning the blank assembly according to the present invention, the positioning assembly comprising:

[0062] a base for supporting a first surface of the first component and a second surface of the second component so that the first surface and the second surface are on the same plane;

[0063] a positioning device comprising first, second and third sets of positioning members, wherein when the first component and the second component are supported on a base, the first, second and third sets of positioning members are located between the edges to be welded of the first component and the second component and separate the two opposite parallel edges to be welded by a relative distance H; and

[0064] a thrust device configured to continuously apply a thrust against outer peripheries of the first component and the second component so that the first component and the second component abut against the positioning device;

[0065] The first set of positioning members is configured to position the first component so that the bisector of the angle between the two edges to be welded is substantially located on the X axis.

[0066] The second set of positioning members is adjustable and is configured to enable the first edge to be welded of the second component to be parallel to the first edge to be welded of the first component and to enable changing the orientation of the second component relative to the first component;

[0067] The third set of locating members is arranged to abut a second edge to be welded of the second component.

[0068] Optionally, the first group of positioning members includes two positioning pins provided at a first edge to be welded of the first component and one positioning pin provided at a second edge to be welded of the first component.

[0069] Optionally, the second group of positioning members includes two adjustable positioning pins, each of which can adjust the position of the edge to be welded within a range of 0 to 2 mm in a direction perpendicular to the length of the edge to be welded in contact with it, thereby adjusting the orientation of the second component. Optionally, the adjustment of the adjustable positioning pin can be achieved by moving along an opening provided on the base, or by self-rotation. For adjustable positioning pins that are adjusted by self-rotation, a scale can be optionally provided thereon, and the angle to which the adjustable positioning pin needs to rotate can be converted by combining the distance between the two adjustable positioning pins and the angle to which the second component needs to rotate.

[0070] Optionally, the base is provided with two openings for the second set of positioning members, each opening having a first end and a second end. The two first ends are arranged on a second line parallel to the first line on which the positioning members of the first set of positioning members for the first edge to be welded of the first component are located. Each opening extends from the second line in a direction perpendicular to the second line, allowing the positioning member to be installed therein to move 2-3 mm in a direction perpendicular to the second line to adjust the orientation of the second component. Optionally, a scale is provided along the length of the opening, so that the angle of rotation of the second component can be directly converted from the distance moved by the second set of positioning members and the distance between the two openings.

[0071] The third set of locating members comprises a locating pin of fixed cylindrical profile. Optionally, the thrust means comprises a plurality of cylinders arranged around the outer periphery of the component.

[0072] Optionally, the positioning assembly further comprises an engagement unit disposed between the thrust device and the outer periphery of the first and / or second component to transmit the thrust of the thrust device to the first and / or second component. Optionally, the engagement unit comprises a main body and a roller disposed at one end of the main body, the roller being configured to contact the outer periphery to avoid shearing forces.

[0073] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a welding tool for laser welding, comprising:

[0074] Positioning assembly as previously described;

[0075] a splitting assembly for moving the first component and the second component from the positioning assembly to the tailor-welded assembly and reducing the distance between the first component and the second component; and

[0076] The tailor-welded assembly is used to receive and securely hold the first component and the second component from the split assembly in corresponding positions for further laser welding.

[0077] Optionally, the spliced assembly includes: a holding device for selectively holding the first component and the second component; and a driving unit, wherein the driving unit is configured to change the relative distance between the first component and the second component and move the first component and the second component to the tailor-welded assembly while the holding device maintains the relative orientation of the first component and the second component unchanged.

[0078] Optionally, the holding device comprises a plurality of suction cups arranged on first and second independently movable support plates, thereby enabling the first component and the second component to be independently moved respectively. Optionally, the first support plate and the second support plate are restricted to be able to move only in the X axis.

[0079] Optionally, the driving unit includes a first driving device and a second driving device, wherein the driving unit is configured to change the relative distance between the first component and the second component by the first driving device and move the first component and the second component above the tailor-welded assembly by the second driving device while the holding device maintains the relative orientation of the first component and the second component unchanged.

[0080] Optionally, the first driving device reduces the relative distance H by a two-stage stroke. Optionally, the first stage stroke of the two-stage stroke accounts for 80-95%, optionally 85-95%, more optionally 85-90% of the relative distance H.

[0081] Optionally, the first drive device may be a pneumatic cylinder assembly. Optionally, while the first component is held stationary, the first and second strokes are both accomplished by the first drive device moving the second support plate. Optionally, the first drive device includes two pneumatic cylinders with different strokes, one for moving the second support plate through the first and second strokes, respectively.

[0082] Optionally, the tailor-welded assembly includes a magnet unit that fixedly maintains at least the relative position and orientation between the first component and the second component from the split assembly.

[0083] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a welding process for forming a laser-welded product having a ring-shaped structure, comprising:

[0084] The aforementioned blank component according to the present invention and the tailor-made welding fixture according to the present invention are provided.

[0085] placing the first component and the second component on the positioning assembly against the first, second, and third sets of positioning members so that a bisector of an angle α1 between the first and second edges to be welded of the first component is substantially located on the X-axis and the first edge to be welded of the first component is parallel to and spaced apart by a relative distance H from the first edge to be welded of the second component;

[0086] Detecting an angle α1 between the first and second edges to be welded of the first component and an angle α2 between the first and second edges to be welded of the second component, as well as lengths S1 and S2 of the first and second edges to be welded of the first component;

[0087] Calculate the angle θ that the second component may need to be adjusted, where

[0088] When θ>0°, adjusting the second group of positioning members so that the second component is rotated toward the second edge to be welded of the first component by θ; when θ≤0°, skipping the adjustment step; and

[0089] The joining and welding processes are performed to obtain a laser welded product having a ring-shaped structure.

[0090] It will be understood that when θ is less than or equal to 0°, no rotational correction is required, and the step of adjusting the second set of positioning members can be skipped. Optionally, the first, second, and third sets of positioning members ensure that the relative distance H between the first edges to be welded of the first component and the second component is within the range of 15 mm to 25 mm.

[0091] Optionally, during the assembly process, the relative distance between the first and second components is reduced by two stages of travel until they abut against each other. Optionally, the first stage of the two stages of travel accounts for 80-95%, optionally 85-95%, and more optionally 85-90% of the relative distance H.

[0092] Optionally, the first-stage stroke and the second-stage stroke are performed by moving a second support plate holding the second component while keeping the first component stationary.

[0093] Optionally, the driving unit includes a first driving device and a second driving device, wherein the driving unit is configured to change the relative distance between the first component and the second component by the first driving device and move the first component and the second component above the tailor-welded assembly by the second driving device while the holding device maintains the relative orientation of the first component and the second component unchanged.

[0094] Optionally, the second stage of the two-stage stroke is completed with the surfaces of the first component and the second component contacting a support surface of the tailor-welded assembly and one of the first component and the second component being secured by a retaining device of the tailor-welded assembly, e.g., the first component being secured. Optionally, the retaining device of the tailor-welded assembly is capable of securely retaining the first component and the second component for the tailor-welded assembly, and the retaining device is, for example, a magnet unit.

[0095] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: First, by specially designing the geometric shapes of the two welds used to form the annular structure, according to the judgment method of the present invention, it is possible to predict whether the two welds obtained are qualified before production, thereby avoiding problems after production, wasting blanks or increasing production costs. For the welded products obtained from the blank assembly according to the present invention, the welds meet both the maximum gap requirements and the requirements for the amount of deviation and misalignment, thereby improving the weld performance and increasing the yield rate. In addition, the positioning assembly in the welding fixture according to the present invention enables the welding fixture to be universally used for batch products with the same angle between the two welds forming the annular structure, thereby effectively saving tooling costs and reducing production costs. Furthermore, the two-stage stroke in the splicing assembly not only improves the splicing efficiency, but also eliminates the possibility of overlapping component edges. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the present invention is described below by way of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings only illustrate some embodiments, are not necessarily drawn to scale, and are exaggerated in some areas for clarity, and therefore should not be considered restrictive. In the accompanying drawings:

[0097] Figure 1 The possible relative relationship between the first component and the second component in the blank component for forming a laser-welded product having an annular structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0098] Figure 2The first plane defined by the blank component for forming a laser-welded product having an annular structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0099] Figure 3 The distribution of the maximum angle deviation Δα at the two edges to be welded is shown;

[0100] Figure 4 The blank assembly of Comparative Example 2 is shown;

[0101] Figure 5 The blank assembly of Example 9 optimized on the basis of Comparative Example 2 according to the present invention is shown;

[0102] Figure 6 An exemplary positioning assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0103] Figure 7 A method for determining whether a product design can obtain a laser-welded product with a qualified weld according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0104] Figure 8a and Figure 8b The process of positioning and welding the blank components of Example 9 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0105] Figure 9 shows a laser-welded product having a ring-shaped structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0106] Figure 10 The mapping relationship between the hot stamping formed component and the laser welded product made from the blank component is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0107] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments. The following examples or experimental data are intended to illustrate the present invention, and it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these examples or experimental data.

[0108] According to one aspect of the present invention, the possible relative positional relationship between the first component 11 and the second component 12 in the blank assembly for forming a laser-welded product having an annular structure is Figure 1 The first component 11 and the second component 12 are both components having at least one flat surface. Figure 1The first flat surface of the first component 11 and the second flat surface of the second component 12 are placed on the same plane (also called the first plane). Due to processing deviations and possible welding angle deviations, before the correction process of the welding process, the first component 11 and the second component 12 to be welded must be able to achieve one of the following relative relationships through relative rotation: (1) inner side contact, that is, the edges to be welded of the first component 11 and the second component 12 are in contact with each other at the inner side contact point; (2) outer side contact, that is, the edges to be welded of the first component 11 and the second component 12 are in contact with each other at the outer side contact point, and the first component and the second component will be connected into a ring structure through two welds formed by the two edges to be welded. The definition of inner and outer sides is relative to the ring structure to be formed. Optionally, the first component and / or the second component may include multiple components connected together by other welds to form a common first flat surface, and the thickness of the multiple components may be the same or different, generally in the range of 0.6 to 2.5 mm. Optionally, the thickness difference of the components on both sides of each weld does not exceed 2 mm, and optionally does not exceed 1 mm. Optionally, the sum of the number of welds of the first component and the second component is no more than 4, no more than 3, no more than 2, no more than 1, or zero, that is, the total number of welds n of the annular structure will be at most 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2, respectively. Optionally, the difference in the number of other welds of the first component and the second component is no more than 4, optionally no more than 3, optionally no more than 2, or optionally no more than 1.

[0109] The following description will be made using the inner side lamination as an example, but it will be understood that the following process is applicable to the outer side lamination.

[0110] like Figure 2As shown, when the first flat surface of the first component and the second flat surface of the second component are placed on the same plane (also referred to as the first plane), on the first plane, α1 is the angle between the first edge 111 to be welded and the second edge 112 to be welded of the first component 11, and α2 is the angle between the first edge 121 to be welded and the second edge 122 to be welded of the second component 12. L1 is the maximum straight line length between the innermost points of the first edge 121 to be welded and the second edge 122 to be welded of the second component, and L2 is the maximum straight line length between the outermost points of the first edge 121 to be welded and the second edge 122 to be welded of the second component. β1 and β2 are the angles between L1 and the first edge 111 to be welded and the second edge 112 to be welded of the first component, respectively, and β1' and β2' are the angles between L2 and the first edge 111 to be welded and the second edge 112 to be welded of the first component, respectively. γ1 is the angle between first edge 111 of the first component to be welded and first edge 121 of the second component to be welded, and γ2 is the angle between second edge 112 of the first component to be welded and second edge 122 of the second component to be welded. First edge 111 of the first component to be welded and first edge 121 of the second component to be welded constitute a first pair of edges to be welded. Second edge 112 of the first component to be welded and second edge 122 of the second component to be welded constitute a second pair of edges to be welded.

[0111] Under the premise of keeping the first component and the second component in contact with each other on the inside, in order to make the weld gap not exceed the maximum gap G allowed by the welding device, for example, 0.5 mm, it is often necessary to change the relative orientation between the first and second components. For example, the gap between the edges to be welded can be changed by rotating the second component clockwise by an angle θ. Figure 2 Indicated by a dotted line in the figure. This rotation causes relative sliding between the two components, causing each edge to be welded of the second component to be offset relative to the corresponding edge to be welded of the first component along the length direction of the edge to be welded. This offset is the deviation correction amount ΔS, which can be measured as follows: along the length of any edge to be welded of the first component or its extension line, the distance between the innermost point of the corresponding edge to be welded of the second component or its projection to the innermost point of the first component (or the distance between the outermost point of the corresponding edge to be welded of the second component or its projection to the outermost point of the first component). In addition, the ratio between the rotation angle θ of the second component and the corresponding deviation correction amount ΔS is called the rotation deviation ratio P, that is, P = θ / ΔS.

[0112] The extended lines s1 and s2 of the edge to be welded of the first component and the straight line L1 between the two inner contact points form a triangle. When the second component 12 is rotated by an angle θ, that is, when L1 is rotated by θ, α1, L1, and the angle β1 between L1 and the first edge to be welded 111 of the first component satisfy the following relationship:

[0113]

[0114] For ease of calculation and understanding, all rotation angles θ in this article are calculated in radians. Since the rotation angle θ is small, it can be approximated as θ≈sinθ, cosθ≈1. Therefore, the above formula (1) can be simplified to:

[0115]

[0116] ,Right now

[0117] The above formula (2) can be simplified as follows:

[0118] Combining formula (3) and formula (4), we can get

[0119]

[0120] Among them, 0°<α1<180°, β1>0°.

[0121] When β1<90°, cosβ1>0,

[0122] When β1=90°, cosβ1=0,

[0123] When β1>90°, cosβ1<0,

[0124] Since the sign of the deviation angle θ is meaningless in this scenario, we have

[0125]

[0126] It will be understood that the above calculation process is also applicable to the angle β2 between L1 and the second edge to be welded 112 of the first component. Therefore, the rotation misalignment ratio P is uniformly recorded as:

[0127]

[0128] Through this formula, the inventors discovered that the product's rotational misalignment ratio P is closely related to the geometric structure design of the weld. Therefore, in order to meet both the maximum gap G and the correction misalignment amount ΔS requirements, the present invention proposes that the geometric dimensions of the two welds used to form the annular structure need to be reasonably designed to improve the weld performance and dimensional accuracy of the final product. The specific requirements are as follows.

[0129] Reference again Figure 2 Due to deviations such as processing, there is a slight angular deviation between the first component and the second component, which can be calculated according to actual conditions, that is, α1-α2. It will be understood that when the maximum angle difference meets the requirements, the requirements can still be met when the angle difference is reduced, so the subsequent reasoning is calculated based on the maximum angle difference Δα. The maximum angle difference Δα is distributed to two welds, namely γ1 and γ2. During the positioning process of producing laser-welded products, the first component 11 remains fixed as a reference, so that any edge to be welded of the second component is parallel to the corresponding edge to be welded of the first component (one of the two welds will be formed). This will lead to the most extreme case, that is, the angle deviation Δα is all distributed at the other weld, that is, γ1=0 and γ2=Δα, or γ1=Δα and γ2=0.

[0130] Typically, the maximum acceptable gap G for each weld is fixed according to welding standards. Of course, different welding standards will have different maximum gap G requirements, usually within the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm, depending on the specific expectations. For different weld lengths S1 and S2, after the correction process, the residual angles of the two welds will be required to be less than their corresponding maximum values, that is:

[0131] and

[0132] refer to Figure 3 , there are the following situations:

[0133] (1) In the first case, that is, No matter how the angle is distributed, there will always be a weld with an angle that exceeds the upper limit, making it impossible to achieve both a reasonable misalignment while maintaining the maximum gap, resulting in defective products. In this case, rotational correction is not possible and optimization should be performed.

[0134] (2) In the second case, that is, By properly allocating the deviation to γ1 and γ2, they can meet the maximum gap requirements respectively. The details are as follows:

[0135] When γ1 = 0 and γ2 = Δα, in order to meet the maximum clearance requirement, it is necessary to rotate at least to make the residual angle at S2 Therefore, the rotation angle θ satisfies the following formula:

[0136] When γ1 = Δα and γ2 = 0, in order to meet the maximum clearance requirement, it is necessary to rotate at least to make the residual angle at S1 Therefore, the rotation angle θ satisfies the following formula:

[0137] Combining formulas (7) and (8) yields

[0138] Formula (9) is applicable to both inner and outer fitting. Figure 2 For example, for the blank component of the laser-welded product with a ring structure, by combining formula (6) and formula (9), we can get:

[0139]

[0140] It is easy to understand from the formula that when the deviation error ΔS is larger, the P value of the four endpoints can be smaller, that is, the range of P values can be larger. Because ΔS cannot exceed the range permitted by engineering, in order to simplify the calculation, all ΔS1, ΔS2, ΔS1', and ΔS2' are taken to the upper limit value, collectively referred to as ΔS. Based on this, the above formula is simplified to

[0141]

[0142] That is, all P values need to meet a minimum requirement, so the above formula is further simplified to

[0143]

[0144] (3) In the third case, When the angle deviation Δα is all distributed to the smaller side of the weld Min(S1, S2), due to The deviation angle that can be tolerated is not less than Δα, so the weld requirements can be met without rotation correction. However, when Δα is distributed to the larger side of the weld Max(S1, S2), it cannot fully tolerate Δα, so rotation correction is required to meet the requirements. The rotation angle θ at least ensures that the gap corresponding to the remaining angle at Max(S1, S2) is not greater than the maximum

[0145] gap:

[0146]

[0147] Because the requirements of formula (10) and formula (11) are the same, the second and third cases are considered together. That is, when and This design can simultaneously meet the requirements of both the maximum gap G and the deviation correction amount ΔS.

[0148] (4) In the fourth case, that is, and At this time, since the angular deviation that each weld can withstand is no less than Δα, that is, even if all the deviations are distributed at any weld, the weld requirements can be met without any rotation correction. In order to simplify the calculation, it is converted into

[0149] In summary, when Δα, ΔS, and G are set according to industry requirements, only by designing the lengths and rotational misalignment ratios of the two welds forming the annular laser-welded product to meet the requirements of Schemes 1 and 2, respectively, in Table 1, can a weld be obtained that meets both the maximum weld gap requirements and the required rotational misalignment, effectively improving weld performance and product accuracy. It will be understood that Schemes 1 and 2 are also applicable to situations where the first and second components are bonded on the outside.

[0150] Table 1 Design of blank components for forming laser-welded products with annular structures

[0151]

[0152] It will be understood that the angular deviation Δα determined by the processing technology (and possibly combined joining technology), the maximum gap G determined by the welding device, and the maximum correction misalignment ΔS determined by the stamping technology will vary due to different equipment, product quality requirements, and future developments. For example, G is typically within the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm. For example, the overall requirement for misalignment in a typical tailor-welded product is no more than 2 mm, where misalignment due to processing and other factors is approximately 1 mm. Therefore, the correction misalignment ΔS caused by rotation needs to be controlled within 1 mm. Δα is the maximum angular difference from the theoretical dimension introduced by the total number of welds n in the annular structure, i.e., n × δ, where the maximum angular difference δ introduced by each weld is ≤ 0.06°. For an annular structure, the total number of welds n is the sum of the number of welds already present before the first and second components are welded together, plus the two welds that join them. It is typically no more than 6, otherwise excessive angular tolerances will be introduced, resulting in welds that do not meet the requirements. As can be seen from Table 1, for each determined design solution, Δα will fluctuate within a certain range. The smaller its value, the more likely it is to fall into Solution 1. Therefore, when Δα takes the maximum value, the design is qualified, and the fluctuation of Δα will not change this result. It will be understood that in actual design, G, ΔS, and δ are constants selected according to actual conditions. For example, G can be 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.15mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, or 0.45mm, and / or ΔS can be 0.9mm, 0.8mm, 0.7mm, 0.6mm, 0.5mm, 0.4mm, 0.3mm, or 0.2mm, and / or δ can be 0.05°, 0.045°, 0.04°, 0.03°, or 0.02°, and changes in these parameters will not affect the implementation of the concept of the present invention.

[0153] Based on the above, in order to ensure that the obtained weld meets both the requirements of the misalignment amount and the requirements of the maximum weld gap, the applicant proposes that the blank component for forming a laser-welded product with an annular structure includes:

[0154] A first component 11 having a first edge to be welded 111, a second edge to be welded 112 and a flat first surface,

[0155] a second component 12 having a first edge to be welded 121, a second edge to be welded 122, and a flat second surface, and

[0156] When the first surface and the second surface are placed on a first plane and the first edge 111 and the second edge 112 to be welded of the first component are opposite to the first edge 121 and the second edge 122 to be welded of the second component, respectively, and at the same time, they are at least partially in contact with each other on the inside or outside, on the first plane, the first edge 111 and the second edge 112 to be welded of the first component intersect through their extended lines, and the blank assembly satisfies:

[0157] (1) or

[0158] (2) and

[0159] in,

[0160] G is the maximum gap allowed by the welding device, which is in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm;

[0161] Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number of welds n of the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference introduced by each weld δ≤0.06°, 2≤n≤6;

[0162] ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the edge to be welded at each edge to be welded, within the range of 0 to 1 mm;

[0163] S1 is the length of the first edge to be welded of the first and second components;

[0164] S2 is the length of the second edge to be welded of the first and second components;

[0165] P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios;

[0166] P Tmin is the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and

[0167] α1 is the angle between the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component, and α1 is greater than 0° and less than 180°;

[0168] L traverses the following lengths: a maximum straight line length L1 between the innermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component and a maximum straight line length L2 between the outermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component;

[0169] According to the value of L, β traverses the following angles: angles β1 and β2 between L1 and the first edge to be welded 111 and the second edge to be welded 112 of the first component, respectively, and angles β1' and β2' between L2 and the first edge to be welded 111 and the second edge to be welded 112 of the first component, respectively, β>0°.

[0170] Optionally, Min(P1, P1', P2, P2') ≥ 1.5·P Tmin So that the deviation error does not exceed 0.7mm, further Min(P1,P1',P2,P2')≥2·P Tmin So that the deviation error does not exceed 0.5mm.

[0171] Optionally, the total number n of welds is no more than 5, or no more than 4, or no more than 3, or only 2.

[0172] Optionally, the difference in thickness between the first and second components at the edge to be welded is within 1 mm or 0.5 mm. For example, at the edge to be welded, the thicknesses of the first and second components are 1.0 mm and 1.4 mm, respectively. Under identical welding conditions, the greater the thickness difference between the two components, the more excess material from the thicker component can flow into the weld gap, thereby filling the weld gap to a certain extent and reducing it, thereby increasing the tolerance to the maximum gap. When the thickness of the first and second components is equal, welding wire can be used to fill the weld gap to accommodate the maximum gap G. Optionally, G is within the range of 0.1 to 0.35 mm, further within the range of 0.15 to 0.3 mm. Optionally, the first and second components constitute a door ring for a vehicle.

[0173] As Δα increases, the design requirements for product dimensions become more stringent to achieve the desired weld performance, while conversely, the design requirements become more relaxed. For commonly used component processing methods in the industry, such as casting, the maximum angle difference δ introduced by each weld is ≤ 0.06°. Using higher-precision processing methods, such as laser cutting, δ can be reduced to ≤ 0.04°, or even further to ≤ 0.03°. With other conditions remaining unchanged, improving processing accuracy can improve the weld performance of the resulting weld.

[0174] The design of L1 and L2 is because the components on both sides of each fitting point need to be fixed on the welding fixture by holding devices. These holding devices include but are not limited to electromagnets, which require a certain installation space. Therefore, L is optionally required to be in the range of 150 to 2000 mm. Optionally, L ≥ 200 mm, or L ≥ 300 mm, or L ≥ 400 mm, or L ≥ 500 mm, or L ≤ 1800 mm, or L ≤ 1500 mm.

[0175] According to the blank assembly of the present invention, its specific geometric structure design can ensure that the two welds of the formed annular structure meet the maximum weld gap requirements and ensure that the correction error is within the expected requirements, thereby improving the weld performance and product precision of the final laser-welded product with an annular structure and increasing the yield rate.

[0176] Tables 2 and 2-2 show examples and comparative examples and an optimized solution of a blank assembly according to the present invention, using selected δ, ΔS, and G, wherein the thicknesses of the first and second components at the edges to be welded are approximately 1.2 mm and 1.7 mm, respectively, with a difference of 0.5 mm. Table 3 shows the number of additional welds that the first and second components in the blank assembly will have before forming the annular structure, i.e., the total number of welds that the annular structure will have, n, minus 2. Specific parameter location reference Figure 2 .

[0177] Table 2 According to the embodiment, comparative example and optimization scheme of the present invention

[0178]

[0179]

[0180] Table 2 continues according to the embodiments, comparative examples and optimization schemes of the present invention

[0181]

[0182]

[0183] Table 3 Number of other welds to be provided to the first and second components of each embodiment and comparative example

[0184]

[0185] Examples 1 to 10 provide examples that meet the requirements of Schemes 1 and 2, respectively, when the angle α1 between the two edges of the first component to be welded is within the range of 0° to 180° (excluding the endpoints). In these examples, P1 and P2 are the P values of β1 and β2 when L is L1, and P1' and P2' are the P values of β1' and β2' when L is L2. For example, Example 1 meets the fourth case described above, where Δα is 0.0028 rad, which is equal to the value of G / Max(S1, S2) of 0.0028 rad, thus meeting the requirements of Scheme 1. In this case, weld seam requirements can be met without performing a correction step during the tailored welding process.

[0186] For example, in Example 2, Δα is 0.0028 rad, which is between the value of G / Max(S1, S2) of 0.0021 rad and the value of G / S1+G / S2 of 0.0044 rad, thus meeting the weld conditions of Design Scheme 2. In this case, P calculated according to formula (10) Tmin ×10000 is 7, and the P values calculated according to the product parameters α, L and β of Example 2 are 76, 140, 51 and 36 respectively. The smallest P value is greater than P Tmin , meeting the P value requirement of Scheme 2. Therefore, Example 2 as a whole meets Scheme 2. During the tailor-welding process, the correction process that satisfies Formula (9) can obtain a weld that meets the weld requirements without excessive misalignment. The same is true for Examples 3-10 that meet Design Scheme 2.

[0187] Compared to Example 4, Example 5 shows the results under the condition of improved product processing accuracy δ = 0.03. Obviously, under the same product design, the improvement of processing accuracy will further reduce the amount of weld correction misalignment while meeting the maximum weld requirements.

[0188] Compared with Example 4, Example 6 gives the results under the condition of reduced product processing accuracy δ=0.06. Obviously, since the deviation angle caused by δ becomes larger, the maximum angle difference Δα of the annular structure becomes larger under the same total number of welds, which also means that the design requirements for product size become more stringent, making the product design of Example 4 not meet the requirements in this case. Therefore, Example 6 is further optimized by reducing the total number of welds, shortening the weld length of Example 4, and adjusting other parameters accordingly, so that a weld that meets both the maximum weld requirements and the deviation correction amount can be obtained. It will be understood that under δ=0.06, in order to obtain a weld that meets the requirements, the optimization that can be performed on Example 4 is not limited to this. In addition, the optimized design of Example 6 does not change the angle between the two edges to be welded of the first component, so the positioning assembly of Example 4 can still be used.

[0189] Compared with Example 4, Example 7 gives the result of having more welds at the same processing accuracy δ=0.04. Due to the increase in the total number of welds, the maximum angle difference Δα of the annular structure becomes larger, so the design requirements for the product size become more stringent, so that the product design of Example 4 does not meet the requirements in this case. Similarly, Example 7 is further optimized by shortening the weld length of Example 4 and adjusting other parameters accordingly, so that a weld that meets both the maximum weld requirement and the amount of correction misalignment can be obtained. It will be understood that in the case of δ=0.04 and 6 welds, in order to obtain a weld that meets the requirements, the optimization that can be performed on Example 4 is not limited to this. It can be seen from the modifications of Example 4 to Example 6-7 that, when the design according to the present invention is not satisfied, it is not possible to optimize the design by adjusting only one parameter, but it is necessary to achieve the intended purpose through comprehensive adjustment of multiple parameters as a whole.

[0190] Comparative Example 1 shows the first case, i.e. Therefore, no matter how the rotation is performed, there will always be an angle at the edge to be welded that exceeds the upper limit, making the weld obtained at this location unable to meet the maximum gap requirement. Therefore, rotation correction cannot be achieved and optimization design should be carried out.

[0191] Further, if Figure 4 As shown, although comparative example 2 meets the weld conditions of scheme 2, its P value is less than the P value calculated theoretically according to formula (10). Tmin Therefore, during the correction process, while meeting the maximum gap requirement, the resulting misalignment at the two welds was 2.22mm and 1.99mm, respectively. This was significantly greater than the expected misalignment, increasing the scrap rate. This shows that a qualified weld must meet both the weld conditions and the various P values simultaneously.

[0192] In order to make the product of comparative example 2 meet the requirements, the present invention optimizes the design of comparative example 2. For example, Figure 5 As shown in Figure 2, by shortening the distance between the two welds, such as reducing the weld angle α from 126° to 89°, the weld length will also change accordingly, as shown in Table 2. After the adjustment, not only the weld conditions defined by Δα are met, but also the P values are not less than P Tmin , which meets the requirements of Solution 2. Under this design, the optimized solution can obtain a welded product that meets both the maximum gap requirement and the misalignment requirement by adopting the welding fixture and welding process according to the present invention.

[0193] Comparative Example 3 is similar to Comparative Example 1 and falls under the first scenario described above. In this case, to optimize the product design, while maintaining the angle between the two welded edges of the first component, the inner side L1 remains unchanged. By shortening L2 and correspondingly shortening welds S1 and S2, a product shape that meets the design requirements is achieved (see Example 10). This optimization approach ensures that the positioning assembly originally used in Comparative Example 3 is still applicable to the optimized product, enhancing the versatility of the positioning assembly.

[0194] Table 2 and Table 2(f) show that, on the one hand, welds meeting the desired performance can only be achieved when the product design parameters α, β1, β2, β1', β2', L1, L2, S1, S2, and n, along with the standard parameters ΔS, G, and δ, meet the conditions defined in Schemes 1 and 2. On the other hand, it is clear that a change in one product design parameter, such as α or L1, will inevitably lead to a change in at least one of the other parameters. Therefore, these parameters are strongly interdependent and should be considered as a whole.

[0195] like Figure 6 As shown, the positioning assembly according to the present invention includes: a base (not shown), which is used to support the flat first surface of the first component 11 and the flat second surface of the second component 12, so that the first surface and the second surface are on the same plane; a positioning device, which includes a first group of positioning members 20, a second group of positioning members 30 and a third group of positioning members 40 arranged on the base; and a thrust device 50, which is configured to continuously apply a thrust against the outer periphery of the first component and the second component, so that the first component and the second component abut against the positioning device.

[0196] The first group of positioning members 20 is arranged to position the first component so that the bisector of the angle α between its two edges to be welded is substantially located on the X-axis. Optionally, the first group of positioning members 20 includes three positioning members, for example, three positioning pins, two of which are used for the first edge to be welded of the first component and the other is used for the second edge to be welded. Optionally, the three positioning pins of the first group of positioning members are fixed and arranged to be suitable for a fixed angle to adapt to the designed angle between the two edges to be welded of the first component, for example, any value within the range of 5° to 178°, such as 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 66°, 70°, 80°, 90°, 97°, 100°, 110°, 120°, 130°, 140°, 155°, etc.

[0197] Optionally, one of the two locating pins for the first edge to be welded of the first component is an adjustable locating pin, so that the angle defined by the first set of locating members can be adjusted to accommodate the angular deviation caused by the processing of the first component, so that the bisector of the angle between the two edges to be welded of the first component is located on the X-axis. Alternatively, the first set of locating members 20 is fixed. Therefore, due to the angular deviation caused by processing, the bisector of the angle α of the first component may deviate from the X-axis, but according to the present invention, it deviates by at most 0.18°, so the bisector of the angle α is still considered to be basically on the X-axis. Optionally, the X-axis is the direction in which the first and second components are moved to complete the splicing, and is the direction in which the first and second components are transported from the positioning assembly to the welded assembly, and is the direction defined by the arrangement position of the positioning assembly and the welded assembly, so as to facilitate alignment and simplify the welding process.

[0198] The second group of positioning members 30 includes two positioning pins, at least one of which is an adjustable positioning pin, wherein each adjustable positioning pin is capable of adjusting the position of the edge to be welded in a range of 0 to 2 mm in a direction perpendicular to the length of the edge to be welded in contact with it. The second group of positioning members 30 is arranged to first position the first welding edge of the second component parallel to the first edge to be welded of the first component, and then adjust the orientation of the second component by adjusting one of the adjustable positioning pins, so that the angular deviation introduced due to processing, etc. can be reasonably distributed at the two welds. Optionally, the adjustment of the adjustable positioning pin can be achieved by moving along an opening provided on the base, or by rotating itself, such as an adjustable positioning pin with an elliptical profile. The adjustable positioning pin with an elliptical profile is, for example, connected to the base by a thread so that it can be rotated using the thread.

[0199] Optionally, the base is provided with two openings for the second group of positioning members, each of which has a first end and a second end. The two first ends are arranged on a second straight line parallel to the first straight line where the positioning members for the first edge to be welded of the first component in the first group of positioning members are located, and each opening extends from the second straight line in a direction perpendicular to the second straight line, so that the positioning members to be installed therein can move 2 to 3 mm in a direction perpendicular to the second straight line to adjust the orientation of the second component, for example, by being installed in the corresponding openings through a tight fit but still being able to move along the length of the openings. Optionally, a scale is provided in the length direction of the openings, so that the angle of rotation of the second component can be directly converted by the distance to be moved by the second group of positioning members and the distance between the two openings. Optionally, the movement of the second group of positioning members can be performed manually or automatically.

[0200] The third group of positioning members 40 is fixed and arranged to abut against the second edge to be welded of the second component. The relative distance H is the distance between the paired first edges to be welded of the first component and the second component caused by the first and second groups of positioning members, optionally in the range of 15 to 25 mm, for example, 20 mm. Optionally, the aforementioned fixed positioning members (applicable to the first and third groups of positioning members) can be positioning pins with at least a partially continuous curved profile, such as cylindrical pins or elliptical pins, which are used to contact the edge to be welded. Optionally, the fixed positioning members in the positioning assembly are connected to the base by screwing, interference or snap fit, welding, etc.

[0201] Optionally, the base is provided with two parallel rows of openings, each row comprising at least two openings, so that two openings in each row can be selected to install the corresponding first and second groups of positioning members according to the length of the edge to be welded. Optionally, the plurality of openings are arranged evenly spaced apart.

[0202] Optionally, the positioning assembly further includes an engagement unit 60, positioned between the thrust device 50 and the outer periphery of the component to be welded, to transfer the thrust of the thrust device to the component to be welded. For example, if the thrust device 50, at its maximum travel, still cannot reach the outer periphery of the first component 11, the engagement unit 60 is positioned between the two, enabling the thrust device 50 to move the component to be welded. Optionally, a roller is provided at one end of the engagement unit 60 to abut against the outer periphery of the component to be welded, preventing shear forces from causing component movement.

[0203] refer to Figure 7 According to the present invention, a method for determining whether a blank component can obtain a laser-welded product having an annular structure with a qualified weld seam includes:

[0204] At step ST1 , standard parameters G, δ, and ΔS are determined and parameters α, L1, L2, β1, β2, β1′, β2′, S1, S2, and the total number of welds n of the first and second components are obtained, for example, based on an input drawing of a blank component.

[0205] At step ST2, Δα and P1, P2, P1', P2' and P Tmin .

[0206] In step ST3, it is determined whether Δα is greater than

[0207] If the judgment in step ST3 is yes, the process proceeds to step STO to optimize the product size and then returns to step ST1.

[0208] If the result of step ST3 is no, the process goes to step ST4 to determine whether Δα is not greater than

[0209] If the judgment in step ST4 is yes, the product design is qualified and the process ends.

[0210] If the result of step ST4 is no, the process goes to step ST5 to further determine whether Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is not less than P Tmin .

[0211] If the judgment in step ST5 is no, the process proceeds to the optimization step STO to optimize the product size and then returns to step ST1.

[0212] If the judgment in step ST5 is yes, the product design is qualified and the process ends.

[0213] The definitions of the various parameters involved in the above method are the same as those of the blank component.

[0214] After the product design is determined to be qualified, the tailored welding process can be carried out. The above-mentioned method according to the present invention can be automatically implemented by a computer. The present invention relates to a computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that the computer program or instructions, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above-mentioned method.

[0215] For products judged as "yes" in step ST4, a qualified weld can be obtained by performing conventional positioning, joining and welding processes without the correction process.

[0216] For products judged as "yes" in step ST5, it may be necessary to perform a correction process after positioning to obtain a qualified weld.

[0217] Reference below Figure 6-8b Through comparative example 2 and the optimization scheme, the product design rationality judgment method, the correction process and the welding process according to the present invention are exemplarily described using the welding fixture according to the present invention.

[0218] Starting from Comparative Example 2, in ST1, relevant parameters such as the standard parameters and actual parameters of the components listed in Table 1 are determined. Then proceed to ST2 to calculate Δα and P1, P2, P1', P2' and P Tmin , which is listed in Table 2. Afterwards, we proceed to ST3. Since Δα is 0.0035, which is less than

[0219] (0.0043), so the judgment is no, and proceed to ST4.

[0220] (0.0021), so it is judged as no, and the process goes to step ST5. Then, since each of its P values is less than P Tmin(Comparative Example 2 is 14), so the judgment is no, and proceed to the optimization step STO.

[0221] At STO, the optimization solution Example 9 in Table 2 is continued, and then the process returns to step ST1. This time, the process restarts with Example 9. After going through ST1 and ST2, the process is judged as "no" at ST3, further judged as "no" at ST4, and further judged as "yes" at ST5. Therefore, the process is qualified and the next step of the tailored welding process can be performed, which generally includes a positioning process, an optional deviation correction process, a splicing process, and a welding process.

[0222] The positioning process of the parts to be welded according to the present invention is described as follows. Figure 8a As shown, the flat first surface of the first component 11 is placed on the base of the positioning assembly and the first component 11 is moved, for example, by applying a thrust against the outer periphery of the first component through a thrust device 50 (such as a cylinder) and optionally a connecting unit 60, or manually, so that the first edge to be welded S1 abuts against two positioning pins X1 and X1' in the first group of positioning members and the second edge to be welded S2 abuts against another positioning pin X2 in the first group of positioning members. At this time, the bisector of the angle between the two edges to be welded S1 and S2 of the first component is basically located on the X-axis line.

[0223] Afterwards, adjust the two adjustable locating pins X11 and X11' of the second set of positioning members 30 so that the line they form is parallel to the line containing X1 and X1'. In this embodiment, the distance between X11 and X11' is 180 mm. A locating pin X22 of the third set of positioning members 40 is positioned adjacent to locating pin X2. Optionally, X1, X1', X2, and X22 are fixed and have a partially continuous curved profile to contact the edge to be welded.

[0224] Then, place the flat second surface of the second component 12 on the base so that the first surface of the first component and the second surface of the second component are on the same plane. Move the second component 12, for example, by applying a thrust against the outer periphery of the second component through a thrust device 50 (such as a cylinder) or manually, so that the first edge S1' to be welded of the second component 12 abuts against the positioning pins X11 and X11' and its second edge S2' to be welded abuts against the positioning pin X22. At this time, the first edges S1 and S1' to be welded of the first component and the second component are parallel to each other and the relative distance between them is H, which is maintained by applying a thrust against the outer periphery of the second component by the thrust device 50 (such as a cylinder) and optionally the connecting unit 60. In addition, as Figure 8a As shown, in this example, the first component has three welds, namely W1, W2, and W3, and the second component has no welds. It will be understood that the first and second components can have other combinations of welds, but the total number of welds of the two components is at most four.

[0225] Then, the deviation correction process is carried out. First, the first and second components after positioning are inspected, for example, by collecting data through photography, scanning, etc. and performing automated data analysis to obtain the actual angles α1, α2 and the lengths of the edges to be welded S1, S2, so as to calculate the angle deviation and the required rotation angle θ. For optimized embodiment 9, it was found that the angle α1 of the first component was 88.84°, the angle α2 of the second component was 89.04°, and the outer sides of the two components were in contact. Since the first edges to be welded remain parallel, the angle deviation Δα of 0.0035 rad (0.2°) is entirely located at the second pair of edges to be welded S2, S2'.

[0226] According to the second case mentioned above, in order to ensure that both the misalignment amount and the maximum gap meet the requirements, the minimum rotation angle θ needs to meet the following requirements:

[0227]

[0228] It will be understood that when θ is less than or equal to 0°, no rotational correction is required, and the correction process of adjusting the second group of positioning components can be skipped. According to the calculation, the second component is rotated counterclockwise by θ=0.0014rad. This is achieved by adjusting the locating pin X11 in a direction perpendicular to the line connecting X11 and X11', so that the movement D of the locating pin X11 is 0.25mm, D=180mm×0.0014rad=0.25mm, for example, moving away from the first end along the length of the aforementioned opening. When the locating pin X11 has an elliptical profile, the second component can also be moved by rotating the locating pin X11 so that its contact point with the second component moves from the short axis of the ellipse toward its long axis. The specific amount of movement will depend on the actual structure of the ellipse. It will be understood that the geometric relationship between the first component and the second component after rotation still meets the design of the present invention. In other embodiments, the angle α1 measured for the first component may be greater than the angle α2 measured for the second component, so that the inner sides of the two components fit together. In this case, combined with Figure 8a , correct the deviation by moving X11' and rotating the second component clockwise.

[0229] Afterwards, the assembly process is performed. First, the first and second components are picked up from the positioning assembly by a holding device of the assembly assembly (not shown) and their relative orientation is maintained. For example, the holding device may include a suction cup, a magnet, a claw, or other device capable of selectively holding the components, which is fixedly mounted on the first and second support plates of the assembly assembly.

[0230] Afterwards, the distance between the first and second components is reduced by the split assembly, optionally by moving either of the first and second support plates in a two-stage stroke. Optionally, the two-stage stroke is performed by a first drive device of the split assembly, wherein the first stage stroke reduces the relative distance H between the first and second components by 80-95%, optionally 85-90%. Optionally, the first drive device can be, for example, a FESTO TM Alternatively, the first driving device includes two cylinders with different strokes, which are used to perform the first stage stroke and the second stage stroke respectively.

[0231] While the first and second components, oriented and positioned and with their relative distance reduced by the first-stage stroke, are still held by the split assembly, the second drive mechanism of the split assembly is used to move the first and second components above the tailor-welded assembly and engage the support surface of the tailor-welded assembly. The tailor-welded assembly's retaining mechanism then secures one of the first and second components, for example, the first component. Optionally, this process is performed simultaneously with the first-stage stroke. For example, the retaining mechanism of the tailor-welded assembly includes at least two magnet units configured to receive and securely retain the first and second components from the split assembly in corresponding positions.

[0232] Thereafter, the first drive device of the assembly is again utilized to move the other of the first and second components (e.g., the second component) to further reduce the relative distance until the first and second components abut against each other. For example, a sensor is used to feedback the abutting force and issue a warning. The other of the first and second components (e.g., the second component) is then secured using the retaining device of the welded assembly, and the assembly is removed. The welding process is then performed to obtain a laser-welded product having a ring-shaped structure. Optionally, after the first and second components are placed on the welded assembly, the assembly is returned to the top of the positioning assembly to enter the next cycle.

[0233] Based on the above, since the blank is not cut in the above process, the geometric parameters of the blank can be mapped to the obtained welded product.

[0234] The weld seam of the laser-welded product obtained above meets both the maximum gap requirement and the deviation and misalignment requirement. Figure 9 As shown, a laser-welded product 100 having an annular structure according to the present invention has a first surface and a second surface on a plane, wherein at least one of the surfaces is on the first plane. The laser-welded product includes a number n of laser-welded seams, where 2≤n≤6, wherein the length of the first weld seam LS1 is S1, and the length of the second weld seam LS2 is S2, wherein the first weld seam and the second weld seam intersect through their extension lines and satisfy the following conditions on the first plane:

[0235] (1) or

[0236] (2) and

[0237] in,

[0238] G is in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm;

[0239] Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number n of welds in the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference δ introduced by each weld is ≤ 0.06°;

[0240] ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the weld at each weld, within the range of 0 to 1 mm;

[0241] P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios;

[0242] P Tmin is the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and

[0243] α1' is the angle between the first weld and the second weld and is greater than 0° and less than 180°;

[0244] L traverses the following length: within the range of the included angle α1', at the first end portion of the inner side, the two adjacent sides of the first weld and the second weld (such as Figure 9 a maximum straight line length L1′ between two sides shown as 102 and 104 in FIG1 and a maximum straight line length L2′ between two adjacent sides of the first weld and the second weld at the second end portion of the outer side;

[0245] According to the value of L, β traverses the following angles: angles β1 and β2 between L1' and the first weld and the second weld, and angles β1' and β2' between L2' and the first weld and the second weld, respectively, β>0°.

[0246] The range of the angle α1' defines the first region 120 of the annular structure, and the remaining portion defines the second region 110 of the annular structure. Optionally, in addition to the first and second welds, the difference in the number of welds between the first region and the second region is no more than 3, optionally no more than 2, and optionally no more than 1.

[0247] Optionally, L is not less than 150 mm to avoid interference between retaining devices on the welding fixture, and further L is not less than 300 mm, or L is not less than 350 mm. Optionally, L is not greater than 2000 mm, and further L is not greater than 1500 mm to facilitate handling. Optionally, S1 and S2 are both within the range of 50 to 500 mm.

[0248] Optionally, the laser welded product can be further subjected to a hot stamping process to obtain a tough hot stamped component with a desired spatial structure, which has an annular structure. As mentioned above, the laser welded product is a flat welded piece. During the hot stamping process, the main and secondary positioning holes on it are used as reference points to stamp out parts with a spatial structure from the flat welded piece. Figure 10 As shown, the weld seam length remains virtually unchanged during this process; it simply changes from a straight line to a 3D curve as it is projected onto the corresponding portion of the part according to the stamping direction. Therefore, the design of the blank assembly incorporating the present invention can be reflected in both the laser-welded product and the final hot-stamped part.

[0249] According to the present invention, all potential weld seams used to form annular structures are located along two sides of a triangle. Therefore, the positioning assembly according to the present invention is placed at the locations of the two weld seams of the potential products. In this case, as long as the angle between the two weld seams is the same, positioning assemblies with corresponding angles can be used in common, greatly improving the versatility of the tooling.

[0250] In the assembly process, the inventors propose a two-stage process to reduce the relative distance between the components to be welded. Due to the size of the positioning components themselves, the aforementioned process cannot be performed on the positioning components. Implementing this process on the welded components would require a much longer production process. If the relative distance reduction is completed in mid-air, the edges of the components may droop due to gravity. In this case, when the adjusted first and second components are placed on the welded components, their edges may overlap. In light of this, the inventors propose performing the first stage of the process during mid-air handling, eliminating 80-95% of the H. The remaining second stage of the process is then performed on the welded components. This process reduces both the driving force and the stroke, facilitating high-precision positioning; it also prevents overlap between components. This two-stage process not only consistently transfers the orientation adjusted on the positioning components to the welded components, achieving high-precision correction, but also quickly achieves contact between the components, effectively improving welding efficiency and yield.

[0251] Based on the above description of the present invention, changes to the present invention are possible. Although certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention. Without being exclusive, the aforementioned features can be combined in various ways. Therefore, it will be understood that changes can be made in the specific embodiments described, and these changes will be within the full intended scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A blank assembly for forming a laser-welded product having an annular structure, comprising: a first component having a first edge to be welded, a second edge to be welded, and a flat first surface, a second component having a first edge to be welded, a second edge to be welded, and a flat second surface, and When the first surface and the second surface are placed on a first plane and the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component are opposite to the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component respectively and at the same time are in at least abutment on the inside or outside, on the first plane, the first edge to be welded of the first component and the second edge to be welded of the first component intersect through their extension lines and the blank assembly satisfies: (1) or (2) And Min(P1,P1',P2,P2')≥P Tmin ; in, G is the maximum weld gap allowed by the welding device, which is in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm; Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number of welds n of the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference introduced by each weld δ≤0.06°, 2≤n≤6; ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the edge to be welded at each edge to be welded, within the range of 0 to 1 mm; S1 is the length of the first edge to be welded of the first and second components; S2 is the length of the second edge to be welded of the first and second components; P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios, where Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is the minimum value among P1, P1', P2, and P2'; P Tmin is the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and α1 is the angle between the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component, and α1 is greater than 0° and less than 180°; L1 is the maximum straight line length between the innermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component and L2 is the maximum straight line length between the outermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component; β1 and β2 are the angles between L1 and the first and second edges to be welded of the first component, respectively, and β1' and β2' are the angles between L2 and the first and second edges to be welded of the first component, respectively, and β1, β2, β1' and β2'>0°.

2. The blank assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The difference in the number of welds between the first component and the second component is no more than 3.

3. The blank assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The difference in the number of welds between the first component and the second component is no more than 2.

4. The blank assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The difference in the number of welds between the first component and the second component is no more than one.

5. The blank assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein L is within the range of 150 to 2000 mm; or S1 and S2 are within the range of 50 to 500 mm.

6. The blank assembly according to claim 5, wherein: L shall not be less than 300mm.

7. The blank assembly according to claim 5, wherein: L shall not be less than 350mm.

8. The blank assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: Min(P1,P1',P2,P2')≥1.5·P Tmin 。 9. The blank assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: Min(P1,P1',P2,P2')≥2·P Tmin 。 10. A laser-welded product having an annular structure, comprising n laser-welded seams, wherein: 2≤n≤6， The length of the first weld is S1, and the length of the second weld is S2. The laser welded product is on a plane. The first weld and the second weld intersect through their extension lines and satisfy: (1) or (2) And Min(P1,P1',P2,P2')≥P Tmin ; in, G is the maximum weld gap allowed by the welding device, which is in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm; Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number n of welds in the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference δ introduced by each weld is ≤ 0.06°; ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the weld at each weld, within the range of 0 to 1 mm; P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios, where Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is the minimum value among P1, P1', P2, and P2'; P Tmin is the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and α1' is the angle between the first weld and the second weld and is greater than 0° and less than 180°; Within the range of the angle α1′, L1′ is the maximum straight line length between two adjacent sides of the first weld and the second weld at the first inner end, and L2′ is the maximum straight line length between two adjacent sides of the first weld and the second weld at the second outer end; β1 and β2 are the angles between L1' and the first weld and the second weld respectively, and β1' and β2' are the angles between L2' and the first weld and the second weld respectively, and β1, β2, β1' and β2' are >0°.

11. The laser welded product according to claim 10, wherein: The range of the angle α1' defines the first region of the annular structure, and the remaining portion is the second region of the annular structure, wherein, except for the first and second welds, the difference in the number of welds between the first region and the second region is no more than 3.

12. The laser welded product according to claim 11, wherein: The difference between the number of welds in the first region and the number of welds in the second region is no more than 2.

13. The laser welded product according to claim 11, wherein: The difference between the number of welds in the first region and the number of welds in the second region is no more than one.

14. A laser welding process for forming a ring-shaped laser welded product, comprising: Providing a blank assembly according to claim 1, A tailor-made welding fixture is provided, comprising a positioning assembly for positioning the blank assembly, the positioning assembly comprising a base for supporting the first surface of the first component and the second surface of the second component so that the first surface and the second surface are in the same plane; a positioning device comprising first, second and third groups of positioning members, wherein when the first component and the second component are supported on the base, the first, second and third groups of positioning members are located between the edges to be welded of the first component and the second component; and a thrust device configured to continuously apply a thrust against the outer peripheries of the first component and the second component so that the first component and the second component abut against the positioning device; The second set of positioning members is adjustable and is configured to enable the first edge to be welded of the second component to be parallel to the first edge to be welded of the first component and to enable changing the orientation of the second component relative to the first component; The third set of positioning members is arranged to abut against the second edge to be welded of the second component; placing the first component and the second component on the positioning assembly against the first, second, and third sets of positioning members so that a bisector of an angle α1 between the first and second edges to be welded of the first component is substantially located on the X-axis and the first edge to be welded of the first component is parallel to and spaced apart by a relative distance H from the first edge to be welded of the second component; Detecting an angle α1 between the first and second edges to be welded of the first component and an angle α2 between the first and second edges to be welded of the second component, as well as lengths S1 and S2 of the first and second edges to be welded of the first component; Calculate the angle θ that the second component may need to be adjusted, where When θ>0°, adjusting the second group of positioning members so that the second component is rotated toward the second edge to be welded of the first component by θ; when θ≤0°, skipping this adjustment step; as well as A joining process and a welding process are performed to obtain a laser welded product having a ring-shaped structure.

15. The tailor welding process according to claim 14, wherein: The second group of positioning members includes two spaced-apart adjustable positioning pins with an elliptical profile, so that the orientation of the second component can be adjusted by rotating any one of the adjustable positioning pins; or the positioning assembly also includes a connecting unit, which is arranged between the thrust device and the outer periphery of the first and / or second component to transmit the thrust of the thrust device to the first and / or second component.

16. The tailor welding process according to claim 14, wherein: The welding fixture also includes: A splitting assembly for moving the first component and the second component from the positioning assembly to the tailor-welded assembly and reducing the relative distance between the first component and the second component; and The tailor-welded assembly is used to receive and securely hold the first component and the second component from the split assembly in corresponding positions for further tailor-welding.

17. The tailor welding process according to claim 16, wherein: The split assembly includes: a holding device for selectively holding a first component and a second component; and a driving unit including a first driving device and a second driving device, wherein the driving unit is configured to change the relative distance between the first component and the second component through a two-stage stroke by the first driving device while the holding device keeps the relative orientation of the first component and the second component unchanged.

18. The tailor welding process according to claim 17, wherein: The first stage of the two-stage stroke accounts for 80-95% of the relative distance.

19. The tailor welding process according to claim 14, wherein: The first stage of the two-stage stroke accounts for 80 to 95% of the relative distance H.

20. The tailor welding process according to claim 14, wherein: The first stage of the two-stage stroke accounts for 85-95% of the relative distance H.

21. A method for determining whether a blank assembly can produce a laser-welded product having an annular structure and a qualified weld seam, comprising the following steps: Step ST1: Determine standard parameters G, δ, and ΔS and obtain parameters α1, L1, L2, β1, β2, β1′, β2′, S1, S2, and the total number of welds n of the first component and the second component; Step ST2: Calculate Δα and P1, P2, P1', P2' and P Tmin ; Step ST3: Determine whether Δα is greater than When Δα is greater than When , proceed to step STO to optimize the product size and return to step ST1; When Δα is not greater than When , it proceeds to step ST4 to determine whether Δα is not greater than When Δα is not greater than When the product design is qualified, it ends; When Δα is greater than When the value is less than P, the process goes to step ST5 to further determine whether Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is not less than P Tmin ; When Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is less than P Tmin When , it proceeds to the optimization step STO to optimize the product size and returns to step ST1; When Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is not less than P Tmin When , the product design is qualified and the process ends, where G is the maximum weld gap allowed by the welding device, which is within the range of 0.01 to 0.5 mm; Δα is the maximum angle difference from the theoretical size introduced by the total number of welds n of the annular structure, that is, n×δ, where the maximum angle difference introduced by each weld δ≤0.06°, 2≤n≤6; ΔS is the maximum allowable deviation along the length of the edge to be welded at each edge to be welded, within the range of 0 to 1 mm; S1 is the length of the first edge to be welded of the first and second components; S2 is the length of the second edge to be welded of the first and second components; P1, P1', P2, P2' are the rotation misalignment ratios, where Min(P1, P2, P1', P2') is the minimum value among P1, P1', P2, and P2'; P Tmin is the theoretical minimum rotation misalignment ratio, and α1 is the angle between the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the first component, and α1 is greater than 0° and less than 180°; L1 is the maximum straight line length between the innermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component and L2 is the maximum straight line length between the outermost points of the first edge to be welded and the second edge to be welded of the second component; β1 and β2 are the angles between L1 and the first and second edges to be welded of the first component, respectively, and β1' and β2' are the angles between L2 and the first and second edges to be welded of the first component, respectively, and β1, β2, β1' and β2'>0°.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that When the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to claim 21 are implemented.

23. A hot stamping component with an annular structure, formed by hot stamping the laser welded product according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

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