Water cooling plate brazing machining method
By combining laser marking and liquid immersion ultrasonic testing with float control during the processing of water-cooled plates, the problem of lack of operational data traceability for brazed water-cooled plates has been solved, achieving full-cycle traceability and predictability of welding quality, and improving detection efficiency and accuracy.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511359750.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-11
AI Technical Summary
The lack of operational data traceability in the current brazing process of water-cooled plates makes it impossible to predict welding defects using historical data, leading to difficulties in quality control.
During the processing, traceability marks are recorded by laser marking, combined with machine scanning and machine learning models to achieve full-cycle traceability. Non-contact detection is carried out using liquid immersion ultrasonic testing and float ball control of probe height, and welding defects are predicted by combining historical data.
It enables data traceability and predictability of welding quality throughout the entire operation cycle of water-cooled plates, improves ultrasonic testing efficiency and defect identification resolution, and ensures welding quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN120920846A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of water-cooled plate technology for new energy vehicles, and in particular to a brazing process method for water-cooled plates. Background Technology
[0002] Water-cooled plates are key components of automotive cooling systems, primarily used for efficient heat dissipation and temperature control, and are widely used, especially in new energy vehicles. Through their internal flow channel design, water-cooled plates utilize coolant circulation to rapidly conduct heat, achieving a heat dissipation efficiency more than five times that of air cooling. They are suitable for precise temperature control of high-power equipment such as power batteries and motors in new energy vehicles, preventing thermal runaway caused by battery or engine overheating and extending equipment lifespan.
[0003] Brazed water-cooled plates typically consist of two metal plates (such as aluminum plates), one of which is stamped to form an internal flow channel structure, and the other is a cover plate, which is sealed together by brazing.
[0004] The existing processing steps for brazing water-cooled plates are numerous, but laser marking is only performed after brazing. This results in a lack of traceable operational data for previous processes such as stamping, degreasing and brazing, assembly, and brazing, and it is impossible to predict welding defects using historical operational data. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a brazing process for water-cooled plates, so as to solve the problems that existing brazed water-cooled plates cannot achieve full-cycle traceability and cannot use historical operation data to predict welding defects.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a brazing process for a water-cooled plate, comprising the following steps: S1. Laser marking: Traceability marks are etched on the surfaces of the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates using lasers. Subsequent processing steps are carried out after scanning and recognizing the traceability marks. S2. Upper plate forming: The first aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the cover plate forming mold for stamping and trimming to obtain the cover plate; S3, Flow channel forming: The second aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the flow channel forming mold, and the cooling flow channel is stamped and formed on the second aluminum alloy raw material plate; S4. Lower plate forming: The second aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the runner plate mold for stamping and trimming to obtain the runner plate; S5. Riveting: Rivet the water nozzle to the cover plate to fix it in place; S6. Degreasing and Brazing: The flow channel plate is degreased in a degreasing furnace, and then brazing flux is sprayed onto the welding surface of the flow channel plate. S7. Assembly: Adsorb the cover plate and place it on the flow channel plate, aligning the cover plate with the flow channel plate around its perimeter; S8. Brazing: The assembled cover plate and flow channel plate are placed on the brazing bracket and sent into the brazing furnace for brazing to obtain the water-cooled plate. S9. Weld inspection: The weld of the water-cooled plate is subjected to ultrasonic testing by liquid immersion method; S10, Helium Detection: Helium leak detection for water-cooled plates; S11. Assembly Inspection: Perform flatness and dimensional inspection on the water-cooled plate; S12. Grinding: Grind the weld seams of the water-cooled plate and clean up any spatter. S13. Insulation spraying: The surface of the water-cooled plate is sprayed with conformal coating; S14. Finished product inspection: Use machine vision to inspect the appearance of the front and back of the water-cooled plate.
[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution: In step S9, the welded water-cooled plate is placed in a water tank, and the water in the tank submerges the water-cooled plate. The probe of the ultrasonic flaw detector emits ultrasonic waves through the water layer to the water-cooled plate, and the probe moves along the XYZ axes to detect the weld of the water-cooled plate.
[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution: In step S9, a float is placed on the water surface of the tank. The degree of water surface undulation is calculated by monitoring the change in the height of the float. The probe is then controlled to descend along the Z-axis to adjust its height so that the probe height is below the lowest point of the liquid surface.
[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: In step S9, a machine learning model is trained based on historical operation data of the water-cooled plate, and then the welding defect area is predicted by real-time brazing parameters. The real-time brazing parameters include brazing temperature, holding time, filler metal filling amount and welding voltage curve. The water-cooled plate performs ultrasonic testing on the predicted welding defect area.
[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: In step S7, after the cover plate and the flow channel plate are stacked, spot welding is performed at multiple positions of the joint between the cover plate and the flow channel plate to achieve pre-positioning.
[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: In step S1, before laser marking, the surfaces of the first aluminum alloy raw material plate and the second aluminum alloy raw material plate are acid-washed and cleaned to remove the oxide layer.
[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution: In step S3, before forming the cooling channels on the second aluminum alloy raw material plate, several circular grooves are first processed on the edge of the second aluminum alloy raw material plate outside the cooling channel forming area.
[0013] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. In this invention, the first aluminum alloy raw material plate and the second aluminum alloy raw material plate are first laser-marked before processing, so that subsequent processes such as plate forming, flow channel forming, riveting, brazing, and helium testing are scanned and identified before processing, thereby recording the operation data and associating it with the product ID, so as to generate a unique operation data file for the product, realize the traceability of the entire operation cycle, and further, based on the analysis of the operation data, welding quality analysis and prediction can be performed to improve the efficiency of ultrasonic flaw detection.
[0014] 2. In this invention, the welded water-cooled plate undergoes non-contact ultrasonic testing via liquid immersion, achieving non-destructive testing to ensure welding quality. Furthermore, during the testing process, a float is placed on the water surface of the tank. By monitoring the float's height change and calculating the water surface undulation, the probe's height is controlled to descend along the Z-axis, ensuring the probe is positioned below the lowest point of the liquid surface. This effectively controls the water layer thickness between the probe and the water-cooled plate, significantly improving defect identification resolution. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a brazing process for a water-cooled plate. Detailed Implementation
[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.
[0018] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention. Example 1
[0019] Please see Figure 1This invention provides a technical solution: a brazing process for a water-cooled plate, comprising the following steps: S1. Laser marking: Traceability marks are etched on the surfaces of the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates using lasers. The traceability marks include a QR code, a serial number, and a production date. The QR code is associated with the source of the raw materials of the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates, and the serial number serves as the product ID of the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates. Subsequent processing steps will proceed after scanning the code to obtain the serial number, thereby generating a unique operation data file for the product and achieving traceability throughout the entire operation cycle. S2. Upper plate forming: The first aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the cover plate forming mold for stamping and trimming to obtain the cover plate; S3, Flow channel forming: The second aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the flow channel forming mold, and the cooling flow channel is stamped and formed on the second aluminum alloy raw material plate; S4. Lower plate forming: The second aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the runner plate mold for stamping and trimming to obtain the runner plate; S5. Riveting: Rivet the water nozzle to the cover plate to fix it in place; S6. Degreasing and Brazing: The flow channel plate is degreased in a degreasing furnace, and then brazing flux is sprayed onto the welding surface of the flow channel plate. S7. Assembly: Adsorb the cover plate and place it on the flow channel plate, aligning the cover plate with the flow channel plate around its perimeter; S8. Brazing: The assembled cover plate and flow channel plate are placed on the brazing bracket and sent into the brazing furnace for brazing to obtain the water-cooled plate. S9. Weld inspection: The weld of the water-cooled plate is subjected to ultrasonic testing by liquid immersion method; S10, Helium Detection: Perform helium leak detection on the water-cooled plate, with a helium charging pressure of 0.8-1.2MPa and a pressure holding time of 30 minutes; S11. Assembly Inspection: Perform flatness and dimensional inspection on the water-cooled plate; S12. Grinding: Grind the weld seams of the water-cooled plate, clean up spatter, and smooth the weld seam excess. S13. Insulation spraying: The surface of the water-cooled plate is sprayed with three-proof paint to form an insulating and corrosion-resistant protective film layer; S14. Finished Product Inspection: Use machine vision to inspect the front and back of the water-cooled plate. If no defects are detected, package and unload the product.
[0020] In step S1, before laser marking, the surfaces of the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates are acid-washed to remove the oxide layer. After cleaning, the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates are dried and then laser-marked.
[0021] Working principle: Before processing the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates, laser marking is performed. This allows subsequent processes such as plate forming, flow channel forming, riveting, brazing, and helium testing to scan and identify the markings before processing. This records the operation data and associates it with the product ID, generating a unique operation data file for each product. This enables traceability throughout the entire operation cycle. Furthermore, based on the analysis of the operation data, welding quality analysis and prediction can be performed, improving the efficiency of ultrasonic flaw detection. Example 2
[0022] This embodiment further improves upon the above embodiment by making the following technical solution: In step S9, the welded water-cooled plate is placed in a water tank, where the water submerges the plate. The probe of the ultrasonic flaw detector emits ultrasonic waves through the water layer towards the water-cooled plate, and the probe moves along the XYZ axes to detect the weld seam of the water-cooled plate. The welded water-cooled plate undergoes non-contact ultrasonic flaw detection using the immersion method, achieving non-destructive testing to ensure welding quality. Example 3
[0023] This embodiment further improves upon the above embodiment by implementing the following technical solution: In step S9, a float is placed on the water surface of the tank. By monitoring the change in the float's height, the degree of water surface undulation is calculated, and the probe is controlled to descend along the Z-axis to adjust its height, ensuring that the probe height is below the lowest point of the liquid surface. This effectively controls the water layer thickness between the probe and the water-cooled plate, effectively improving the defect identification resolution.
[0024] In addition to adjusting the probe height to control the water layer thickness, the liquid level can also be increased by supplying water into the tank. Example 4
[0025] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further improves upon the following technical solutions: In step S9, a machine learning model is trained based on historical operation data of the water-cooled plate, and then the welding defect area is predicted by real-time brazing parameters. The real-time brazing parameters include brazing temperature, holding time, filler metal filling amount and welding voltage curve. The water-cooled plate performs ultrasonic testing on the predicted welding defect area.
[0026] Historical operation data for water-cooled plates is based on a unique operation data archive generated after laser marking, enabling traceability of the entire operation cycle. This allows for AI quality prediction to reduce the areas requiring ultrasonic testing, improve ultrasonic testing efficiency, and adjust brazing parameters based on welding defects. Example 5
[0027] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further improves upon the following technical solution: In step S7, after the cover plate and the flow channel plate are stacked, spot welding is performed on multiple positions of the joint between the cover plate and the flow channel plate to achieve pre-positioning.
[0028] The cover plate and the flow channel plate are initially locked in position by spot welding to avoid deformation of the cover plate and flow channel plate during brazing, thus effectively ensuring the processing quality of the cooling flow channel. Example 6
[0029] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further improves upon the following technical solution: In step S3, before forming the cooling channel on the second aluminum alloy raw material plate, several circular grooves are first processed on the edge of the second aluminum alloy raw material plate outside the cooling channel forming area.
[0030] The circular groove forms a bulge on the back of the second aluminum alloy raw material plate, which improves the deformation resistance of the flow channel plate and protects the cooling flow channel.
[0031] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for brazing a water-cooled plate, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Laser marking: Traceability marks are etched on the surfaces of the first and second aluminum alloy raw material plates using lasers. Subsequent processing steps are carried out after scanning and recognizing the traceability marks. S2. Upper plate forming: The first aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the cover plate forming mold for stamping and trimming to obtain the cover plate; S3, Flow channel forming: The second aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the flow channel forming mold, and the cooling flow channel is stamped and formed on the second aluminum alloy raw material plate; S4. Lower plate forming: The second aluminum alloy raw material plate is fed into the runner plate mold for stamping and trimming to obtain the runner plate; S5. Riveting: Rivet the water nozzle to the cover plate to fix it in place; S6. Degreasing and Brazing: The flow channel plate is degreased in a degreasing furnace, and then brazing flux is sprayed onto the welding surface of the flow channel plate. S7. Assembly: Adsorb the cover plate and place it on the flow channel plate, aligning the cover plate with the flow channel plate around its perimeter; S8. Brazing: The assembled cover plate and flow channel plate are placed on the brazing bracket and sent into the brazing furnace for brazing to obtain the water-cooled plate. S9. Weld inspection: The weld of the water-cooled plate is subjected to ultrasonic testing by liquid immersion method; S10, Helium Detection: Helium leak detection for water-cooled plates; S11. Assembly Inspection: Perform flatness and dimensional inspection on the water-cooled plate; S12. Grinding: Grind the weld seams of the water-cooled plate and clean up any spatter. S13. Insulation spraying: The surface of the water-cooled plate is sprayed with conformal coating; S14. Finished product inspection: Use machine vision to inspect the appearance of the front and back of the water-cooled plate.
2. The brazing method for a water-cooled plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S9, the welded water-cooled plate is placed in a water tank, and the water in the tank submerges the water-cooled plate. The probe of the ultrasonic flaw detector emits ultrasonic waves through the water layer to the water-cooled plate, and the probe moves along the XYZ axes to detect the weld of the water-cooled plate.
3. The brazing method for a water-cooled plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, In step S9, a float is placed on the water surface of the tank. The degree of water surface undulation is calculated by monitoring the change in the height of the float. The probe is then controlled to descend along the Z-axis to adjust its height so that the probe height is below the lowest point of the liquid surface.
4. The brazing method for a water-cooled plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, In step S9, a machine learning model is trained based on historical operation data of the water-cooled plate, and then the welding defect area is predicted by real-time brazing parameters. The real-time brazing parameters include brazing temperature, holding time, filler metal amount and welding voltage curve. The water-cooled plate performs ultrasonic testing on the predicted welding defect area.
5. The brazing method for a water-cooled plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S7, after the cover plate and the flow channel plate are stacked, spot welding is performed at multiple positions of the joint between the cover plate and the flow channel plate to achieve pre-positioning.
6. The brazing method for a water-cooled plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, before laser marking, the surfaces of the first aluminum alloy raw material plate and the second aluminum alloy raw material plate are acid-washed and cleaned to remove the oxide layer.
7. The brazing method for a water-cooled plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, before forming the cooling channels on the second aluminum alloy raw material plate, several circular grooves are first processed on the edge of the second aluminum alloy raw material plate outside the cooling channel forming area.