Preparation device and preparation method of titanium alloy consumable electrode

Abstract

The invention provides a titanium alloy consumable electrode preparation device and method, and relates to the technical field of titanium alloy machining, the preparation device comprises a stacking material frame and a clamp, the stacking material frame is provided with a plurality of electrode blocks, the clamp comprises a bottom plate and a top plate, pull rods are arranged between the two sides of the bottom plate and the two sides of the top plate, and the bottom plate, the top plate and the pull rods form a frame structure; the electrode blocks are arranged in the frame structure in an aligned mode, key grooves are formed in the outer sides of the electrode blocks along the central axis, the metal supporting rod penetrates through the key grooves of the electrode blocks and is parallel to the pull rod, and the two sides of the metal supporting rod are connected with the bottom plate and the top plate respectively. The electrode block obtained through pressing is in the shape of a cylinder with a key groove in the side face, and compared with a 1 / 2 circle and 1 / 3 circle electrode pressing mode and a stacking mode using a center rod, the electrode preparation efficiency is high, the electrode pressing time is shortened by about 1 / 3-1 / 2, the pressing frequency is reduced, energy consumption is low, auxiliary electrode welding is not affected, and the metallurgical quality of cast ingots is not affected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of titanium alloy processing technology, and in particular to a device and method for preparing a titanium alloy consumable electrode. Background Technology

[0002] The current method for preparing consumable titanium alloy round electrodes is as follows: after mixing various raw materials evenly, small electrode blocks are pressed in segments. The electrode blocks are cylindrical with a cross-section of 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of a circle. The electrode blocks are rotated and spliced ​​around a central rod to form layers of round electrodes. These are then stacked sequentially to form a complete electrode, which is then clamped with a fixture and placed in a welding box for welding. This method has low electrode preparation efficiency, and the hollow electrode core affects the welding strength of the auxiliary electrode, posing a metallurgical risk. If the round electrode pressing method and the stacking and clamping method without a central rod are used, the electrode is prone to sagging due to gravity, resulting in poor flatness after welding, inconvenience in furnace loading, easy cracking, and a risk of piece falling off during smelting. The commonly used electrode welding method is spot welding at the splicing position of each electrode block or continuous long strip welding along the length of the entire electrode. Spot welding has low efficiency, and continuous long strip welding has high welding stress, making the electrode prone to cracking and posing a risk of piece falling off during smelting.

[0003] Patent application No. 202311194543.7 discloses a preparation device and method for eliminating cracks in titanium and titanium alloy consumable electrode blocks. By reducing the internal residual stress of the electrode block after pressing and forming through the relative displacement between the mold sleeve and the bottom mold, the cracking of the electrode is mitigated. However, the influence of electrode clamping and welding methods on the stress and straightness of the electrode is not considered.

[0004] Patent application number 201921719484.X discloses a novel electrode block stacking and pre-compression device. It improves the electrode preparation efficiency by pressing the whole round electrode and stacking and clamping without using a central rod. However, it does not take into account the problems of poor electrode straightness, high stress, and easy cracking caused by the electrode sagging due to its own weight during placement and welding. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a preparation device and method for titanium alloy consumable electrodes. The cylindrical electrode blocks pressed by this invention have a circular cross-section with keyways. Each electrode block is formed by pressing once or multiple times. After the electrode blocks are stacked straight, a metal support rod is passed through the keyway on the side of the electrode block, and the electrode is clamped with a clamp. Welding is carried out in a vacuum plasma welding box. During the transfer, welding and placement of the electrode blocks, the metal rod can support the electrode blocks. During the placement and welding of the electrode blocks in the welding box, a lifting hydraulic device is placed on the welding box material cart to support the electrode, prevent the electrode from sagging due to its own weight, ensure good electrode straightness, and reduce the stress on the electrode. The electrode welding method adopts longitudinal continuous welding and uses optimized welding process parameters. The residual stress after electrode welding is small, cracking is less, and the risk of melting and falling off is small.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is: An apparatus for preparing titanium alloy consumable electrodes includes a stacking rack and a fixture. Multiple electrode blocks are arranged on the stacking rack. Each electrode block has a circular cross-section with keyways. The fixture includes a base plate and a top plate. A tie rod is arranged between the two sides of the base plate and the top plate, forming a frame structure. The multiple electrode blocks are aligned within the frame structure. A liftable hydraulic support device is provided at the bottom of each electrode block. Keyways are arranged along the central axis on the outer side of each electrode block. A metal support rod passes through the keyways of the multiple electrode blocks and is parallel to the tie rod. Both sides of the metal support rod are connected to the base plate and the top plate, respectively.

[0007] Preferably, in the apparatus for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode, the base plate includes two parallel support plates, and a spring is provided on the tie rod between the two support plates; the metal support rod is connected to a support plate near the electrode block by a fixing buckle.

[0008] A method for preparing a titanium alloy consumable electrode, comprising the following steps: Step S1: Mixing and pressing electrode blocks: Weigh sponge titanium, pure metal and intermediate alloy as raw materials according to the composition of titanium alloy. Mix the raw materials evenly through mixing equipment and press the electrode blocks through hydraulic press and mold. Repeat the above steps to obtain a number of electrode blocks. Step S2, Electrode Block Assembly: Stack the electrode blocks obtained in several steps S1 neatly on the stacking rack. The clamp is lifted above the stacking platform by a crane. Then, align the clamp and the electrode blocks. Pass the metal support rod through the keyway of the adjacent electrode blocks and clamp the electrode blocks with the clamp to obtain the assembled electrode. Place the assembled electrode on the material cart in the welding box. Step S3, Electrode Welding: The electrodes assembled in step S2 are welded in a vacuum plasma welding box to obtain a titanium alloy consumable electrode.

[0009] Preferably, in the method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode, the inner cavity cross-sectional shape of the mold in step S1 is a circle with circumferentially symmetrical keyways, and the shape of the electrode block is similar to a cylinder with a cross-section of a circle with keyways.

[0010] Preferably, in the method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode, each electrode block in step S1 is formed by one or more axial pressing processes.

[0011] Preferably, in the method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode, in step S2, several liftable hydraulic support devices are placed on the material cart to support the suspended electrode block.

[0012] Preferably, in the method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode, the electrode welding method in step S3 is longitudinal continuous welding, and the welding parameters are: 4 to 8 longitudinal welds, welding current of 500 to 550A, voltage of 60 to 80V, welding speed of 90 to 120mm / min, and argon flow rate of 20 to 30L / min.

[0013] Advantages of this invention: (1) The preparation device and method of the titanium alloy consumable electrode of the present invention are used to prepare the electrode block shape of the pressed electrode block as a cylinder with keyways on the side. Compared with the 1 / 2 circle and 1 / 3 circle electrode pressing method and the stacking method using the center rod, the electrode preparation efficiency of the present invention is high, the electrode pressing time is shortened by about 1 / 3 to 1 / 2, the number of pressing times is reduced, the energy consumption is low, it does not affect the welding of auxiliary electrodes, and has no impact on the metallurgical quality of ingot casting.

[0014] (2) The preparation method of the titanium alloy consumable electrode of the present invention uses a metal support rod to support the electrode through the keyway of the electrode block. At the same time, during the placement and welding process of the electrode in the welding box, the lifting hydraulic device on the welding box material cart can support the electrode to prevent the electrode from sagging due to its own weight. The electrode has good straightness, which can ensure that the electrode maintains a suitable gap with the crucible during the melting process, which is convenient for loading into the furnace and ensures production safety. At the same time, the electrode has good straightness, so the stress on the electrode after welding is small, cracking is less, and the risk of melting and dropping is small.

[0015] (3) The preparation method of the titanium alloy consumable electrode of the present invention adopts longitudinal continuous welding in electrode welding mode, adopts preferred welding parameters, has high welding efficiency, less cracking, low risk of melting and dropping, and ensures production safety and product quality; the preparation method is efficient, safe and reliable, which is conducive to realizing large-scale production. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode block in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a front view and (b) is a top view.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the clamp holding the electrode block in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode block being placed on the lifting hydraulic device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode welding method in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electrodes in the comparative example of the present invention, wherein (a) is a front view and (b) is a top view. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0022] Example 1 like Figure 1-4 An apparatus for preparing titanium alloy consumable electrodes includes a stacking rack and a fixture. Multiple electrode blocks 2 are arranged on the stacking rack. The electrode blocks have a circular cross-section with keyways 1. The fixture includes a base plate 11 and a top plate 12. A pull rod 4 is arranged between the two sides of the base plate 11 and the top plate 12. The base plate 11, top plate 12, and pull rod 4 form a frame structure. The multiple electrode blocks 2 are aligned within the frame structure. A liftable hydraulic support device 10 is provided at the bottom of each electrode block 2. A keyway 1 is provided along the central axis on the outer side of each electrode block 2. A metal support rod 3 passes through the keyways 1 of the multiple electrode blocks 2 and is parallel to the pull rod 4. The two sides of the metal support rod 3 are connected to the base plate 11 and the top plate 12, respectively. The base plate 11 includes two parallel support plates. A spring 5 is provided on the pull rod 4 between the two support plates. The metal support rod 3 is connected to a support plate near the electrode block 2 via a fixing buckle 7. Figure 1 6 represents the position when the jack is tightening the electrode, and the liftable hydraulic support device 10 can specifically be a jack.

[0023] Example 2 like Figure 1-4 A method for preparing a TC4 titanium alloy consumable electrode includes the following steps: Step S1: Mixing and pressing electrode blocks: Based on the alloy composition of TC4 titanium alloy Ti-6.4Al-4.2V-0.2Fe, grade 0 sponge titanium, Al99.70, AlV65, and AlFe60 are selected as raw materials. The raw materials are mixed evenly using a mixing device, and then pressed into electrode blocks using a hydraulic press and a mold. The above steps are repeated to obtain several electrode blocks. The inner cavity cross-section of the mold is a circle with circumferentially symmetrical keyways 1. The shape of the electrode block is similar to a cylinder, and its cross-section is a circle with keyways 1. Each electrode block is formed by axial pressing once. The height of the pressed electrode block is 265mm, the electrode specification is φ600×6000mm, the material input is 6t, and the electrode pressing time is about 2h. Step S2, Electrode Block Assembly: Several electrode blocks obtained in step S1 are automatically flipped by a flipping device and pushed onto a stacking rack for neat stacking. The clamp is lifted above the stacking platform by a crane. The clamp and electrode block 2 are aligned. The crane slowly descends, and the position is manually aligned. The metal support rod 3 is passed through the keyway 1 of the adjacent electrode block 2. Then, the top plate on one side of the clamp is tightened by a jack. That is, the electrode block is clamped by the clamp to obtain the assembled electrode. The assembled electrode is placed on the material cart in the welding box. Several liftable hydraulic support devices 10 are placed on the material cart to support the suspended electrode block 2. A track is set under the material cart. The material cart is moved into the vacuum plasma welding box equipment by moving along the track. Step S3, Electrode Welding: The electrodes assembled in Step S2 are welded in a vacuum plasma welding box. The electrode welding method is longitudinal continuous welding. The welding parameters are: 4 longitudinal welds, welding current 550A, voltage 68V, welding speed 110mm / min, argon flow rate 27L / min. During the vacuuming process, electrode welding, and cooling, three liftable hydraulic support devices on the material cart support the suspended electrodes, reducing the impact of continuous electrode drooping due to gravity on the straightness, thus obtaining a titanium alloy consumable electrode. Figure 4 It is a titanium alloy consumable electrode. Figure 4 In the diagram, 8 represents the gap between adjacent electrode blocks, and 9 represents the weld seam of the longitudinal continuous weld.

[0024] The titanium alloy consumable electrode obtained in this embodiment has a flatness of 4mm after welding, almost no cracks, no need for repair welding, and no chipping or breakage during the smelting process.

[0025] Example 3 like Figure 1-4 A method for preparing a TC18 titanium alloy consumable electrode includes the following steps: Step S1: Mixing and pressing electrode blocks: Based on the alloy composition of TC18 titanium alloy Ti-5.1Al-5.0Mo-5.0V-1Cr-1Fe-0.13O, grade 0 sponge titanium, Mo40V40Al20, AlCr60, FeAl60, Al99.7, and YTiO2-2 are selected as raw materials. The raw materials are mixed evenly using a mixing device, and then pressed into electrode blocks using a hydraulic press and a mold. The above steps are repeated to obtain several electrode blocks. The inner cavity cross-section of the mold is a circle with circumferentially symmetrical keyways 1. The shape of the electrode block is similar to a cylinder, and its cross-section is a circle with keyways 1. Each electrode block is formed by two axial pressings. The first pressing pressure is 2000t, and the second pressing electrode block height is 270mm. The electrode specifications are φ600×6000mm, the material input is 6t, and the electrode pressing time is about 1.7h. Step S2, Electrode Block Assembly: Stack the electrode blocks obtained in several steps S1 neatly on the stacking rack. The clamp is lifted above the stacking platform by a crane. Align the clamp and electrode block 2. The crane slowly descends. The position is manually aligned. The metal support rod 3 passes through the keyway 1 of the adjacent electrode block 2. Then, the top plate on one side of the clamp is tightened by a jack. That is, the electrode block is clamped by the clamp to obtain the assembled electrode. The assembled electrode is placed on the material cart in the welding box. Several liftable hydraulic support devices 10 are placed on the material cart to support the suspended electrode block 2. Step S3, Electrode Welding: The electrodes assembled in step S2 are welded in a vacuum plasma welding box. The electrode welding method is longitudinal continuous welding. The welding parameters are: 6 longitudinal welds, welding current 530A, voltage 72V, welding speed 90mm / min, argon flow rate 25L / min. During the evacuation of the welding box, electrode welding and cooling process, 3 liftable hydraulic support devices on the material cart support the suspended electrodes, reducing the impact of the electrodes continuously drooping due to gravity on the straightness, and obtaining titanium alloy consumable electrodes.

[0026] The titanium alloy consumable electrode in this embodiment has a flatness of 2mm after welding, almost no cracks, no need for repair welding, and no chips or fragments falling off during the smelting process.

[0027] Comparative Example 1 A method for preparing a TC4 titanium alloy consumable electrode includes the following steps: Step S1: Mixing and pressing electrode blocks: Based on the alloy composition of TC4 titanium alloy (Ti-6.4Al-4.2V-0.2Fe), select grade 0 sponge titanium, Al99.70, AlV65, and AlFe60 as raw materials. Mix the raw materials evenly using a mixing device, and then press them using a hydraulic press to obtain electrode blocks with a cross-sectional shape of 1 / 3 circle. Repeat the above steps to obtain several electrode blocks. Electrode specifications: φ600×6000mm, material input: 6t, electrode pressing time: approximately 4 hours. Step S2, Electrode Block Assembly: Stack several electrode blocks obtained in step S1 neatly on the stacking rack. Rotate the electrode blocks around the central rod to splice them into layers of whole circular electrodes. Two blocks are assembled into one layer. Rotate and stack them in sequence to form a whole electrode. Then use the clamp of Example 1 to clamp it. Step S3, Electrode Welding: The electrodes assembled in Step S2 are welded in a vacuum plasma welding box. The electrode welding method is longitudinal continuous strip welding. The welding parameters are: 4 longitudinal welds, welding current 550A, voltage 68V, welding speed 110mm / min, argon flow rate 23L / min, to obtain a titanium alloy consumable electrode. Figure 5 This is the titanium alloy consumable electrode obtained in this comparative example.

[0028] The titanium alloy consumable electrode obtained in this comparative example has a flatness of 12mm after welding, and there are cracks in many places on the electrode. It was repaired by welding for 1 hour. There was material loss during the melting process.

[0029] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for preparing a titanium alloy consumable electrode, characterized in that, The device includes a stacking rack and a fixture. Multiple electrode blocks (2) are set on the stacking rack. The cross-section of the electrode blocks is a circle with a keyway (1). The fixture includes a bottom plate (11) and a top plate (12). A pull rod (4) is set between the two sides of the bottom plate (11) and the top plate (12). The bottom plate (11), the top plate (12) and the pull rod (4) form a frame structure. Multiple electrode blocks (2) are aligned and set in the frame structure. A liftable hydraulic support device (10) is set at the bottom of the electrode blocks (2). A keyway (1) is set along the central axis on the outer side of the electrode blocks (2). A metal support rod (3) passes through the keyway (1) of the multiple electrode blocks (2) and is set parallel to the pull rod (4). The two sides of the metal support rod (3) are connected to the bottom plate (11) and the top plate (12) respectively.

2. The apparatus for preparing a titanium alloy consumable electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (11) includes two parallel support plates, and a spring (5) is provided on the tie rod (4) between the two support plates; the metal support rod (3) is connected to a support plate near the electrode block (2) by a fixing buckle (7).

3. A method for preparing a titanium alloy consumable electrode, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Mixing and pressing electrode blocks: Weigh sponge titanium, pure metal and intermediate alloy as raw materials according to the composition of titanium alloy. Mix the raw materials evenly through mixing equipment and press the electrode blocks through hydraulic press and mold. Repeat the above steps to obtain a number of electrode blocks. Step S2, Electrode Block Assembly: Stack the electrode blocks obtained in several steps S1 neatly on the stacking rack. The clamp is lifted above the stacking platform by a crane. Then, align the clamp and the electrode block (2) and pass the metal support rod (3) through the keyway (1) of the adjacent electrode block (2). Clamp the electrode block with the clamp to obtain the assembled electrode. Place the assembled electrode on the material cart in the welding box. Step S3, Electrode Welding: The electrodes assembled in step S2 are welded in a vacuum plasma welding box to obtain a titanium alloy consumable electrode.

4. The method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S1, the inner cavity cross-section of the mold is a circle with circumferentially symmetrical keyways (1), and the shape of the electrode block is similar to a cylinder with a cross-section of a circle with keyways (1).

5. The method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S1, each electrode block is formed by one or more axial pressing processes.

6. The method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S2, several liftable hydraulic support devices (10) are placed on the material cart to support the suspended electrode block (2).

7. The method for preparing the titanium alloy consumable electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S3, the electrode welding method is longitudinal continuous welding, and the welding parameters are: 4 to 8 longitudinal welds, welding current of 500 to 550A, voltage of 60 to 80V, welding speed of 90 to 120mm / min, and argon flow rate of 20 to 30L / min.

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