Composite stirring head with length-adjustable stirring needle and welding method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of friction stir welding, in particular to a composite stirring head with the length of a stirring needle adjustable and a welding method.The composite stirring head comprises a shaft shoulder, the shaft shoulder comprises a shaft shoulder body, an inner cavity is formed in the shaft shoulder body, and through holes are formed in the positions, on the two sides of the inner cavity, of the shaft shoulder body; the through holes comprise a first through hole and a second through hole; the stirring needle is arranged in the inner cavity, the stirring needle comprises a needle head and a needle handle which are connected together, and a kidney-shaped hole is formed in the needle handle; the adjusting bolt penetrates through the through hole and the kidney-shaped hole, the adjusting bolt comprises a nut end, a first cylindrical end, a second cylindrical end and a third cylindrical end which are connected together, and the second cylindrical end, the nut end, the first cylindrical end and the third cylindrical end are arranged in an off-axis mode; and the balance nut is arranged on the third cylindrical end in a sleeving mode, and the composite stirring head can be compatible with various welding depths.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of friction stir welding, and in particular to a composite stirring head with adjustable stirring needle length and a welding method. Background Art

[0002] Existing friction stir welding stirring heads are generally of an integral structure, in which the stirring needle and the shaft shoulder are integrated, and a single stirring head corresponds to a fixed stirring needle length.

[0003] Problems with existing process methods:

[0004] 1) During the product processing, if the friction stir welding depth (corresponding to the stirring needle length) needs to be changed, the stirring head needs to be replaced;

[0005] 2) Existing friction stir welding equipment cannot realize automatic cutting head replacement. Cutting head replacement requires manual operation, which is inefficient, affects production efficiency and increases costs;

[0006] 3) If welds of different welding depths are assigned to different processes, the number of product clamping times and welding tooling will increase, affecting production efficiency and increasing costs;

[0007] 4) Existing agitator heads have an integrated pin and shoulder structure. The agitator head typically fails due to pin breakage, while the shoulder generally does not. Pin breakage requires replacement of the entire agitator head, resulting in significant material loss and high costs. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a composite stirring head with adjustable stirring needle length and a welding method, so as to solve the problems of the existing stir friction welding stirring head having a single fixed welding depth, being incompatible with multiple welding depths, having a short stirring head life, and having a large loss when replacing the stirring head, so as to reduce the material loss of the stirring head and reduce the welding cost.

[0009] The present invention first provides a composite stirring head with an adjustable stirring needle length, the composite stirring head comprising:

[0010] A shaft shoulder, wherein the shaft shoulder comprises a shaft shoulder body, wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises an inner cavity, and wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises through holes on both sides of the inner cavity, wherein the through holes comprise a first through hole and a second through hole;

[0011] A stirring needle is placed in the inner cavity, the stirring needle includes a needle head and a needle handle connected together, the needle handle is provided with a waist hole, and the needle head is at least partially located outside the inner cavity;

[0012] an adjusting bolt passing through the through hole and the waist hole, the adjusting bolt comprising a nut end, a first cylindrical end, a second cylindrical end, and a third cylindrical end connected together, the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end being coaxially arranged, the second cylindrical end being eccentrically arranged relative to the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end, the nut end being located outside the first through hole, and the third cylindrical end being at least partially located outside the second through hole;

[0013] and a balancing nut sleeved on the third cylindrical end.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides a welding method, comprising the following steps:

[0015] A weld is provided, wherein two penetration depths h1 and h2 are required during welding, where h2-h1=2d;

[0016] Providing a composite stirring head, and assembling the composite stirring head on the end of the main shaft of the friction stir welding machine;

[0017] Wherein, the composite stirring head comprises:

[0018] A shaft shoulder, wherein the shaft shoulder comprises a shaft shoulder body, wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises an inner cavity, and wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises through holes on both sides of the inner cavity, wherein the through holes comprise a first through hole and a second through hole;

[0019] A stirring needle is placed in the inner cavity, the stirring needle includes a needle head and a needle handle connected together, the needle handle is provided with a waist hole, and the needle head is at least partially located outside the inner cavity;

[0020] an adjusting bolt passing through the through hole and the waist hole, the adjusting bolt comprising a nut end, a first cylindrical end, a second cylindrical end, and a third cylindrical end connected together, the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end being coaxially arranged, the second cylindrical end being eccentrically arranged relative to the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end, the nut end being located outside the first through hole, and the third cylindrical end being at least partially located outside the second through hole;

[0021] and a balancing nut, sleeved on the third cylindrical end;

[0022] The weld with the penetration depth h1 is welded, and the weld with the penetration depth h2 is welded after the adjusting bolt is rotated.

[0023] The composite stirring head with adjustable stirring needle length and the welding method provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0024] Through the separate design of the stirring needle and the shaft shoulder in the stirring head, the stirring needle can be moved within a certain range along the axial direction of the shaft shoulder through a specific device, thereby realizing the adjustment of the stirring needle length. The stirring needle and the shaft shoulder are assembled in a shaft pin matching manner. By rotating the adjusting bolt, the stirring needle can be moved up and down, thereby realizing the adjustment of the stirring needle length.

[0025] The stirring pin and the shoulder are made of different materials. The stirring pin is made of a tungsten-rhenium alloy, which offers greater strength and wear resistance, but is also more expensive. This extends the life of the stirring pin and significantly reduces its size compared to traditional solutions, with minimal impact from increased material costs. The shoulder is made of conventional die steel, reducing material costs, thereby extending the overall life of the stirring head and reducing overall production costs, including welding costs.

[0026] When welding the same product with different welding depth requirements, two types of fusion welds can be welded simultaneously. The stirring needle length can be quickly adjusted during the welding process, avoiding the separate welding steps or replacement of the stirring head in traditional welding methods, improving production efficiency, reducing equipment occupancy, and lowering welding process costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the composite stirring head of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 Shown is an exploded schematic diagram of the composite stirring head of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 Shown is a cross-sectional view of the side of the stirring pin of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the stirring needle of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 Shown is a front cross-sectional view of the shoulder of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the adjusting bolt of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 Shown is a cross-sectional view of the stirring needle of the present invention in an extended state;

[0034] Figure 8 Shown is a cross-sectional view of the stirring needle of the present invention in a retracted state;

[0035] Figure 9 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the adjusting bolt of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 10 Shown is a cross-sectional view of the composite stirring head of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 11 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the welded object of the present invention;

[0038] 1-stirring needle, 101-needle head, 102-needle handle, 102a-arc-shaped platform, 103-waist hole;

[0039] 2-shoulder, 201-shoulder body, 201a-scale, 202-inner cavity, 203-first through hole, 204-second through hole;

[0040] 3-adjusting bolt, 301-third cylindrical end, 302-second cylindrical end, 303-first cylindrical end, 304-nut end, 304a-indicator needle, 305-first step surface, 306-second step surface, 307-third step surface;

[0041] 4-Balance nut. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the present invention provides a composite stirring head with an adjustable stirring needle length, the composite stirring head includes a stirring needle 1, the stirring needle 1 includes a needle head 101, the needle head 101 is connected to a needle handle 102, the needle handle 102 is provided with a waist hole 103, the needle head 101 can be made of high-strength and wear-resistant tungsten-rhenium alloy material, which can extend the life of the needle head 101, the volume of the stirring needle 1 accounts for 13% of the entire stirring head, and the increase in the material cost of the stirring needle 1 has little effect on the overall cost.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the needle handle 102 is provided with arc-shaped platforms 102a on both sides of the waist hole 103.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, the radius of the arc of the waist hole 103 is r, and the center distance of the waist hole 103 is 2d. In some embodiments, r is greater than or equal to 4 mm.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the shoulder body 201 is provided with scales h1 and h2 above and below the first through hole 203 , and the difference between h2 and h1 is 2d, that is, the length adjustment amount of the stirring needle 1 , and d can be less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0046] like Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the composite stirring head includes a shoulder 2, and the shoulder 2 includes a shoulder body 201. An inner cavity 202 is provided in the shoulder body 201. A through hole communicating with the inner cavity 202 is also provided on the shoulder body 201. The cross-sectional shape of the inner cavity 202 can be adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the stirring needle 1. The inner cavity 202 is used to accommodate the stirring needle 1. The shoulder 2 is a non-consumable part and can be made of ordinary mold steel. Compared with the traditional integral stirring head, the production cost can be reduced.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the through holes can be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the inner cavity 202, and the through holes include a first through hole 203 and a second through hole 204. The first through hole 203 is a threaded hole, and the second through hole 204 is a plain hole without threads.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, scales 201 a are provided on the side walls of the shoulder body 201 on the upper and lower sides of the outer side of the first through hole 203 , which can display different length states of the stirring needle 1 .

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the diameter of the first through hole 203 is greater than the diameter of the second through hole 204 .

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, the composite stirring head includes an adjusting bolt 3, and the adjusting bolt 3 includes a first cylindrical end 303, a second cylindrical end 302, a third cylindrical end 301 and a nut end 304 connected together in sequence, the first cylindrical end 303, the third cylindrical end 301 and the nut end 304 are coaxial designs, the second cylindrical end 302 and the first cylindrical end 303, the third cylindrical end 301 and the nut end 304 are non-coaxial designs, and the axial deviation is d, the outer wall of the first cylindrical end 303 is provided with an external thread, which can be matched with the internal thread on the first through hole 203, and the outer wall of the third cylindrical end 301 is provided with an external thread, which can be used to install the balancing nut 4.

[0051] The distance between the centers of the waist holes is 2d, the radius of the waist hole arc is r, and the axial deviation between the second cylindrical end 302 and the nut end 304, the first cylindrical end 303 and the third cylindrical end 302 is half of the distance between the centers of the waist holes 2d, that is, d. This can ensure that the crankshaft of the adjusting bolt 3 and the stirring needle 1 move in coordination.

[0052] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the diameter d of the stirring needle 1 is 针 is the bottom diameter d of the shoulder 2 轴 One third of .

[0053] In one embodiment, the length of the first cylindrical end 303 is 8-10 mm, the length of the second cylindrical end 302 is 14-15 mm, and the length of the third cylindrical end 301 is 18-20 mm.

[0054] In some embodiments, the diameter of the first cylindrical end 303 is larger than the diameters of the second cylindrical end 302 and the third cylindrical end 301, and the diameter of the second cylindrical end 302 is equal to the diameter of the third cylindrical end 301. Specifically, the diameter of the first cylindrical end 303 is preferably M10, the diameter of the second cylindrical end 302 is 8 mm, and the diameter of the third cylindrical end 301 is 8 mm.

[0055] like Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, one side of the first cylindrical end 303 and the second cylindrical end 302 may be coplanar. Both sides of the second cylindrical end 302 and the third cylindrical end 301 are not coplanar.

[0056] like Figure 9 As shown, in one embodiment, a first step surface 305 is provided at the connection between the first cylindrical end 303 and the second cylindrical end 302, and a second step surface 306 and a third step surface 307 are provided on both sides of the connection between the second cylindrical end 302 and the third cylindrical end 301, respectively. The second step surface 306 and the third step surface 307 can be in a vertical direction.

[0057] like Figure 10 As shown, the first step surface 305 is located in the first through hole 203 , and the second step surface 306 and the third step surface 307 are located in the inner cavity 202 .

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown, further, an indicator needle 304a is provided on the outer side wall of the nut end 304, and the indicator needle 304a can be aligned with the scales 201a on both sides to remind the operator of the current length of the stirring needle 1.

[0059] The composite stirring head includes a balancing nut 4 , which can be threadedly connected to the third cylindrical end 301 to balance the nut end 304 , thereby improving the overall stability of the composite stirring head.

[0060] Due to the non-coaxial design of the adjusting bolt 3 , when the adjusting bolt 3 is rotated, the axis of the second cylindrical end 302 of the adjusting bolt 3 can be located above or below the axes of the first cylindrical end 303 and the third cylindrical end 301 .

[0061] like Figure 7As shown, when the axis of the second cylindrical end 302 is lower than the axes of the first cylindrical end 303 and the third cylindrical end 301 , the stirring needle 1 is in an extended state.

[0062] like Figure 8 As shown, when the axis of the second cylindrical end 302 is higher than the axes of the first cylindrical end 303 and the third cylindrical end 301, the stirring needle 1 is in a retracted state. The present invention converts the axial displacement of the non-coaxial second cylindrical end 302 caused by the rotation of the adjusting bolt 3 into the up-and-down displacement of the stirring needle 1, thereby causing the stirring needle 1 to produce a vertical displacement of 2d to achieve the adjustment of the length of the stirring needle 1.

[0063] like Figure 11 The present invention also provides a method for welding with a composite stirring head as described above. The method can be used on the same product requiring welds of various depths, for example, with weld depths of h1 and h2, and a penetration difference of h2 - h1 = 2d. A compatible composite stirring head can then be designed based on h1, h2, and 2d.

[0064] During the welding process, weld the weld with depth h1 first. After welding is completed, use a wrench to turn the stirring head adjustment bolt 3 to h2, and then continue to weld the weld with depth h2. There is no need to replace the stirring head or replace the equipment, so that the same stirring head can be used for compatible welding of two welding depths.

[0065] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. When numerical ranges are given in the embodiments, it should be understood that, unless otherwise specified in the present invention, both endpoints of each numerical range and any numerical value between the two endpoints may be selected. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. In addition to the specific methods, equipment, and materials used in the embodiments, according to the prior art mastery and the description of the present invention by those skilled in the art, any methods, equipment, and materials of the prior art similar or equivalent to the methods, equipment, and materials described in the embodiments of the present invention may be used to implement the present invention. Any person familiar with this technology may modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present invention shall still be encompassed by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A composite stirring head with adjustable stirring needle length, characterized by: The composite stirring head includes: A shaft shoulder, wherein the shaft shoulder comprises a shaft shoulder body, wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises an inner cavity, and wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises through holes on both sides of the inner cavity, wherein the through holes comprise a first through hole and a second through hole; A stirring needle is placed in the inner cavity, the stirring needle includes a needle head and a needle handle connected together, the needle handle is provided with a waist hole, and the needle head is at least partially located outside the inner cavity; an adjusting bolt passing through the through hole and the waist hole, the adjusting bolt comprising a nut end, a first cylindrical end, a second cylindrical end, and a third cylindrical end connected together, the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end being coaxially arranged, the second cylindrical end being eccentrically arranged relative to the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end, the nut end being located outside the first through hole, and the third cylindrical end being at least partially located outside the second through hole; and a balancing nut sleeved on the third cylindrical end.

2. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the first through hole is greater than the diameter of the second through hole.

3. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The center distance of the waist holes is 2d, the arc radius of the waist holes is r, and the axial deviation between the second cylindrical end and the nut end, the first cylindrical end and the third cylindrical end is half of the center distance of the waist holes.

4. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: One side of the first cylindrical end and the second cylindrical end is coplanar, and two sides of the second cylindrical end and the third cylindrical end are not coplanar.

5. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first step surface is provided at the connection between the first cylindrical end and the second cylindrical end, and a second step surface and a third step surface are provided at the connection between the second cylindrical end and the third cylindrical end.

6. The composite stirring head according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first step surface is located in the first through hole, and the second step surface and the third step surface are located in the inner cavity.

7. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shoulder body is provided with scales h1 and h2 above and below the first through hole, the difference between h2 and h1 is 2d, and an indicator needle is provided on the outer side wall of the nut end.

8. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cylindrical end is provided with an external thread, and the first through hole is provided with an internal thread.

9. The composite stirring head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third cylindrical end has an external thread matching the balancing nut, and the second through hole has no internal thread.

10. A welding method, characterized in that: The welding method comprises the following steps: A weld is provided, wherein two penetration depths h1 and h2 are required during welding, where h2-h1=2d; Providing a composite stirring head, and assembling the composite stirring head on the end of the main shaft of the friction stir welding machine; Wherein, the composite stirring head comprises: A shaft shoulder, wherein the shaft shoulder comprises a shaft shoulder body, wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises an inner cavity, and wherein the shaft shoulder body comprises through holes on both sides of the inner cavity, wherein the through holes comprise a first through hole and a second through hole; A stirring needle is placed in the inner cavity, the stirring needle includes a needle head and a needle handle connected together, the needle handle is provided with a waist hole, and the needle head is at least partially located outside the inner cavity; an adjusting bolt passing through the through hole and the waist hole, the adjusting bolt comprising a nut end, a first cylindrical end, a second cylindrical end, and a third cylindrical end connected together, the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end being coaxially arranged, the second cylindrical end being eccentrically arranged relative to the nut end, the first cylindrical end, and the third cylindrical end, the nut end being located outside the first through hole, and the third cylindrical end being at least partially located outside the second through hole; and a balancing nut, sleeved on the third cylindrical end; The weld with the penetration depth h1 is welded, and the weld with the penetration depth h2 is welded after the adjusting bolt is rotated.

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