Laser welding device

Abstract

A laser welding apparatus is configured to weld a material using a laser beam. The apparatus may include a laser scanner configured to supply a laser beam to weld a material; at least one pair of depression bars configured to press the material; and a cover configured to shield the laser beam applied to the material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a welding apparatus and a welding method, and more specifically, to a laser welding apparatus and a laser welding method. Background Technology

[0002] Laser welding can be used to join metals using a focused laser beam. It is suitable for applications requiring high precision and speed, particularly in areas where automation could be beneficial, such as battery and automotive manufacturing processes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure describes a laser welding apparatus and laser welding method capable of providing consistent and excellent weld quality.

[0004] This disclosure provides a laser welding apparatus that can facilitate the application of laser welding.

[0005] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a laser welding apparatus may include: a laser scanner configured to provide a laser beam for welding materials; and at least a pair of pressure bars configured to press the material to be welded, the pair of pressure bars including a first pressure bar and a second pressure bar, wherein the position of each of the first and second pressure bars with respect to the material can be adjusted based on the surface of the material that each of the first and second pressure bars faces.

[0006] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a laser welding system may include: a laser welding apparatus configured to weld materials using a laser beam, wherein the laser welding apparatus includes at least a pair of pressure bars and a cover, the at least pair of pressure bars being configured to press the material to be welded, the pair of pressure bars including a first pressure bar and a second pressure bar, and the cover being configured to shield the laser beam applied to the material; a multi-axis robot on which the laser welding apparatus is mounted and configured to guide the movement path of the laser welding apparatus; and a controller configured to control the operation of the laser welding apparatus and the multi-axis robot, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the position of each of the first and second pressure bars relative to the material based on the surface of the material faced by each of the first and second pressure bars.

[0007] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a laser welding method may include: applying pressure to a material to be welded by at least a pair of pressure bars of a laser welding apparatus, the pair of pressure bars including a first pressure bar and a second pressure bar; adjusting the position of each of the first pressure bars and the second pressure bar relative to the material based on the surface of the material to which each of the first pressure bars and the second pressure bar faces; determining the position of each of the first pressure bars and the second pressure bar by a position sensor of the laser welding apparatus; and determining whether to perform welding on the material based on the detected position of the first pressure bars and the second pressure bar. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The above and other features of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to some embodiments of this disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings, which are given hereinafter by way of illustration only and therefore do not limit this disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1 Examples of laser welding systems according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0010] Figure 2 Examples of laser welding apparatuses according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0011] Figure 3 Examples of laser welding apparatuses according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, which illustrate a laser beam.

[0012] Figure 4 Examples of laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, wherein the housing and cover are shown in a transparent manner.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a front view of a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the housing is shown in a transparent manner and the cover has been removed.

[0014] Figure 6 An example of a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of this disclosure is depicted, showing a state in which a portion of the housing has been removed and a cover has been installed.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a front view of a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, showing a state in which a portion of the housing has been removed and the cover has been removed.

[0016] Figure 8A An example of a cover for a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 8B A perspective view showing an example of a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 8C yes Figure 8B Enlarged view of the area indicated by the dashed line.

[0019] Figure 8D An example of a block wall of a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 8E A cross-sectional view of one side of an example laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 9A flowchart illustrating an example process of operating a laser welding apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The descriptions of specific structures or functions presented in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely exemplary and intended to explain embodiments based on the concepts of this disclosure, which can be implemented in various forms. Furthermore, these descriptions should not be construed as limiting to the embodiments described herein, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0023] On the other hand, in this disclosure, terms such as “first” and / or “second” may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component.

[0024] Throughout this specification, the same reference numerals denote the same components. The terminology used herein is intended to describe embodiments and not to limit this disclosure. In this specification, the singular form also includes the plural meaning unless otherwise stated. The terms “comprising” and / or “including” as used herein indicate the presence of a referenced component, step, operation, and / or element, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or elements.

[0025] It should be understood that the terms "vehicle" or "of a vehicle" or other similar terms as used herein include motor vehicles in the general sense, such as passenger cars including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, water vehicles including various boats and ships, aircraft, etc., and also include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As described herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle with two or more power sources, such as a vehicle powered by both gasoline and electricity.

[0026] The present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, a laser welding system may include a laser welding device 1, a controller 100, and a multi-axis robot 200.

[0028] A programmable controller 100 can be configured to control the operation of the laser welding apparatus 1 and the multi-axis robot 200. The controller 100 can be configured to control the operation of the laser welding apparatus 1 and the multi-axis robot 200 based on a predetermined operating path of the laser welding apparatus 1. In some embodiments, the controller 100 may include one or more controllers configured to control the laser welding apparatus 1 and one or more controllers configured to control the multi-axis robot 200. In some other embodiments, the controller 100 may include one or more integrated controllers configured to control both the laser welding apparatus 1 and the multi-axis robot 200.

[0029] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the laser welding device 1 can be mounted on a multi-axis robot 200. The movement path of the laser welding device 1 can be guided by the multi-axis robot 200. In some embodiments, the multi-axis robot 200 can be a robot with at least four axes.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the laser welding apparatus 1 is configured to weld materials. In some embodiments, the laser welding apparatus 1 is configured to weld materials using a laser beam (LB) supplied from a laser generator. The laser welding apparatus 1 can weld multiple overlapping materials together. In some embodiments, the materials may include metals, alloys, and / or non-metals. For example, the materials may include steel, copper, and / or aluminum.

[0031] Reference Figure 3 The laser welding apparatus 1 may include a scanning area and a tool area. The laser welding apparatus 1 may include a laser scanner 2 in the scanning area. The laser scanner 2 may be configured to control the optical path of a laser beam (LB). In the scanning area, the focal point of the laser beam (LB) can be scanned. In the tool area, the welding target can be pressed and the laser beam (LB) can be blocked. Furthermore, the laser beam (LB) can be applied to the material to be welded through the tool area.

[0032] According to some aspects of this disclosure, the laser welding apparatus 1 can achieve high-speed, high-quality welding, for example, using a laser scanner 2. The laser scanner 2 may include multiple mirrors. In some embodiments, the laser scanner 2 may be a galvanometer scanner, a polygon scanner, or an acousto-optic deflector. The laser scanner 2 can be controlled simultaneously with the operation of a multi-axis robot 200 to achieve high-quality welding. In some embodiments, the laser scanner 2 may be a three-dimensional laser scanner. The laser scanner 2 can achieve high-speed scanning along the x and y axes, as well as real-time correction of the z-axis height. Therefore, various patterns of laser beams (LB) can be used, and welding quality can be ensured.

[0033] like Figure 4As shown, a housing 4 can be provided within the tool area. A laser beam (LB) passing through the laser scanner 2 can be guided through the housing 4 onto the material to be welded. At least one pair of pressure bars 20 can be arranged within the housing 4. This pair of pressure bars 20 may include a first pressure bar 20a and a second pressure bar 20b. However, the number of pressure bars 20 can vary.

[0034] The pressure bar 20 can be configured to press down on the material to be welded. In some embodiments, the pressure bar 20 can be operatively connected to the actuator 10 to press down on the material to be welded. In some embodiments, by utilizing the pressure bar 20 configured to press down on the material to be welded, the laser welding apparatus 1 can be operated without the need for a separate fixture typically used in related technologies.

[0035] Reference Figure 5 The actuator 10 may include a first actuator 10a and a second actuator 10b. In some embodiments, a pair of pressure bars 20 may be operatively coupled to the actuators 10a, 10b. For example, the first actuator 10a may be configured to control the pressing force of the first pressure bar 20a, and the second actuator 10b may be configured to control the pressing force of the second pressure bar 20b. According to some aspects of this disclosure, the pressing force of each of the pressure bars 20a, 20b can be controlled by individually controlling each of the actuators 10a, 10b corresponding to each of the pressure bars 20a, 20b. In some embodiments, the pressing force of each pressure bar 20 may be in the range of 20 to 1000 Newtons (N). In some embodiments, the actuator 10 may be a pneumatic actuator. The pressing force of the actuator 10 may be automatically controlled by an electric regulator. In some other embodiments, the actuator 10 may be a hydraulic actuator or an electric actuator.

[0036] In some implementations, the position of a pair of pressure strips 20a, 20b can be adjusted. For example, the position of each of the pressure strips 20a, 20b relative to the material to be welded can be adjusted to align with a specific surface of the material that each of the pressure strips 20a, 20b faces. In some cases, the surface of the material to be welded may be uneven. By adjusting the position of each of the pressure strips 20a, 20b individually and / or separately, each pressure strip 20a, 20b can accommodate the uneven / uneven surface of the material to be welded.

[0037] In some implementations, for example, in response to each of the pressure strips 20a, 20b pressing the material to be welded, the real-time position of each of the pressure strips 20a, 20b can be measured or detected. In some implementations, the laser welding apparatus 1 may include a position sensor 40. The controller 100 may be configured to correct the z-axis height of the laser scanner 2 based on data measured or detected by the position sensor 40, thereby ensuring consistent welding quality. Based on the real-time position of the pressure strips 20 measured by the position sensor 40, the positional distribution of the material to be welded can be monitored, and welding and / or weldability conditions can be set.

[0038] The housing 4 may include a cover 30. The cover 30 may be configured to move along the pressure bar 20. For example, the cover 30 may move linearly along the pressure bar 20 in the z-axis direction. The cover 30 may maintain a constant distance from the surface of the material to be welded. Furthermore, a laser beam (LB) may be applied to the material to be welded through the cover 30. The cover 30 can (directly) block the scattered laser beam by removing welding fumes and shielding the portion to be welded. In some aspects of this disclosure, by utilizing the cover 30, the laser chamber commonly used in related art can be omitted.

[0039] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the cover 30 can be connected to the housing 4 via a spring 32. The cover 30 can be aligned with the end of the pressure strip 20 via the spring 32. In some embodiments, the spring 32 may include a first spring aligned with the first pressure strip 20a and a second spring aligned with the second pressure strip 20b. (Refer to...) Figure 8A Each pressure strip 20 may include a protrusion 22. The cover 30 may include a guide 34 configured to allow movement of the protrusion 22 through it. For example, the cover 30 may include a first guide corresponding to a protrusion of the first pressure strip 20a and a second guide corresponding to a protrusion of the second pressure strip 20b. Movement of the cover 30 may be guided (e.g., adjusted or restricted) by the protrusions 22 and the guide 34.

[0040] like Figure 8B As shown, the laser welding apparatus 1 may include a camera 50. In some embodiments, the camera 50 may be arranged coaxially with the laser scanner 2. The camera 50 may be configured to capture images of the portion welded by the laser welding apparatus 1. In some embodiments, the camera 50 may be a machine vision camera. One or more images of the welded portion captured by the camera 50 may be transmitted to a controller 100. The controller 100 may collect and process the transmitted one or more images.

[0041] like Figure 8CAs shown, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, the laser welding apparatus 1 may include an illumination element 60. The illumination element 60 may be arranged in the path of the laser beam (LB) in the laser welding apparatus 1. In some embodiments, the illumination element 60 may be arranged in the path of the laser beam (LB) within the housing 4. For example, the illumination element 60 may be arranged at the bottom of the laser scanner 2. The illumination element 60 may be configured to provide illumination when the camera 50 captures an image of the welded portion after welding is complete. The illumination element 60 may be arranged at a predetermined angle. By optimizing the angle of the illumination element 60, various aspects of this disclosure can provide illumination to the camera 50 to obtain one or more images.

[0042] The laser welding apparatus 1 may include a cross-jet generator 70. The cross-jet generator 70 may be disposed within the housing 4. The cross-jet generator 70 can effectively remove spatter, fumes, etc. generated during the welding process. For example, the cross-jet generator 70 may be configured to generate a compressed fluid flow such as compressed air to prevent optical contamination of the laser scanner 2 and effectively remove fumes around the part being welded.

[0043] like Figure 8D As shown, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, a blockwall 80 may be provided within the housing 4. The blockwall 80 may be arranged to surround the periphery of the path of the laser beam (LB) within the housing 4 and / or located outside the periphery of the laser beam (LB) path. Furthermore, the blockwall 80 may be arranged to surround the periphery of the cross-jet generator 70 and / or located outside the periphery of the cross-jet generator 70. In some embodiments, the blockwall 80 may be arranged between actuators 10a and 10b. The blockwall 80 can prevent spatter generated during welding from flowing into other components of the laser welding apparatus 1—such as actuators 10, pressure bars 20, etc. In some embodiments, the blockwall 80 may be configured to generate a pressure differential using the compressed fluid flow during operation of the cross-jet generator 70 and to restrict the compressed fluid flow. Therefore, the blockwall 80 can effectively absorb fumes around the welded portion below the housing 4.

[0044] Specifically, Figure 8EThe diagram illustrates the compressed fluid flow during operation of the cross-jet generator 70. During operation of the cross-jet generator 70, a fluid flow can be generated that draws air around the portion W to be welded into the housing 4 through the cover 30. Splashes, fumes, etc., can be effectively discharged through the outlet 4a, which is configured to communicate the space within the block wall 80 with the outside of the housing 4. In some embodiments, a structure capable of capturing the compressed fluid can be provided around the outlet from which the compressed fluid is discharged from the block wall 80. This structure can perform the function of collecting the compressed fluid so that it can be effectively discharged to the outlet during operation of the cross-jet generator 70. In some embodiments, this structure may include an inclined surface facing the outlet.

[0045] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the laser welding apparatus 1 can operate as follows. (Refer to...) Figure 9 When the welding process begins at operation S800, the controller 100 can be configured to move the multi-axis robot 200 to the welding position at operation S802. At operation S804, the pressure bar 20 can be placed on the material to be welded and can be configured to press the material to be welded with a predetermined pressing force by the controller 100 or an electric adjuster.

[0046] The controller 100 can be configured to communicate with the position sensor 40. In operation S806, the controller 100 can use the position sensor 40 to detect the height of each pressure bar 20 and determine whether welding can be performed at the corresponding position. Here, the height or position of each pressure bar 20 detected by the controller 100 can be the position where each pressure bar 20 is pulled into or out of the housing 4 relative to a predetermined original position. That is, the height or position of each pressure bar 20 detected by the controller 100 can be the position relative to the original position.

[0047] In some embodiments, controller 100 may be configured to determine whether welding can be performed based on the detected height of each pressure bar 20. In some embodiments, at operation S808, controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the position of each pressure bar 20 is within a first predetermined allowable range. In some embodiments, at operation S810, in addition to determining whether the position of each pressure bar 20 is within the first predetermined allowable range, controller 100 is also configured to determine whether the position difference or height difference between two pressure bars 20 is within a second predetermined allowable range. In response to determining that both conditions are met, at operation S812, controller 100 may be configured to correct the z-axis position of laser scanner 2 and adjust the focal length of the laser beam (LB) to match the detected position value of the pressure bar 20. Then, at operation S814, controller 100 may control laser welding apparatus 1 to perform welding. In some embodiments, at operation S816, in response to determining that at least one of the two conditions (operations S808 and S810) is not met, controller 100 may be configured not to perform welding. According to some aspects of this disclosure, when the height of the pressure strip 20 and / or the height difference of the pressure strip 20 is not within a first predetermined allowable range and / or a second predetermined allowable range, the controller can determine that an unexpected problem has occurred and will not perform the welding operation. In some embodiments, the controller can determine to perform the welding operation when the height of the pressure strip 20 and the height difference of the pressure strip 20 are within the first predetermined allowable range and the second predetermined allowable range, respectively, thereby ensuring welding quality and improving reliability.

[0048] In some embodiments, the laser welding apparatus 1 according to some aspects of this disclosure can be applied to the welding process of a car body. For example, by using laser welding instead of mechanical fastening to achieve unidirectional joining between aluminum materials, the cost of auxiliary materials (e.g., rivets) can be reduced.

[0049] The laser welding apparatus according to some aspects of this disclosure can provide consistent and excellent welding quality.

[0050] The laser welding apparatus according to some aspects of this disclosure can promote the application of lasers.

[0051] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly recognize other effects not mentioned herein based on the foregoing description.

[0052] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains that the disclosure described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and figures, and that various alternatives, modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the technical spirit of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A laser welding apparatus, comprising: Laser scanners provide laser beams to weld materials; as well as At least one pair of pressure strips are used to press the material to be welded, wherein the pair of pressure strips includes a first pressure strip and a second pressure strip. The position of each of the first and second pressure strips relative to the material can be adjusted based on the surface of the material that each of the first and second pressure strips faces.

2. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one pair of actuators, the pair of actuators comprising: The first actuator adjusts the pressing force of the first pressure bar; and The second actuator adjusts the pressing force of the second pressure bar.

3. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The laser scanner controls the optical path of the laser beam.

4. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A housing, wherein the first pressure strip and the second pressure strip are arranged in the housing; as well as A cover is operably connected to the housing and blocks the laser beam applied to the material to be welded.

5. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: One or more springs movably connect the cover to the housing.

6. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: The camera captures images of the welded portion of the material. as well as An illumination element is arranged inside the housing and provides illumination to the welded portion.

7. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: A cross-jet generator is arranged inside the housing and generates a compressed fluid flow.

8. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: A block wall is arranged inside the housing and outside the periphery of the cross-jet generator and outside the periphery of the path of the laser beam passing through the housing.

9. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A position sensor detects the position of each of the first and second pressure strips; as well as The controller determines whether the material can be welded by the laser welding device based on the detected position of each of the first and second pressure bars.

10. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The controller: Determine whether the position of each of the first and second pressure strips is within a first predetermined allowable range; Determine whether the positional difference between the first pressure strip and the second pressure strip is within a second predetermined allowable range; as well as Welding of the material is performed based on the following: i) the position of each of the first and second pressure strips is within the first predetermined allowable range, and ii) the positional difference between the first and second pressure strips is within the second predetermined allowable range.

11. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The controller transmits the detected position and the position difference to the laser scanner to adjust the focus of the laser beam based on the following: i) the position of each of the first pressure bar and the second pressure bar is within the first predetermined allowable range, and ii) the position difference between the first pressure bar and the second pressure bar is within the second predetermined allowable range.

12. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The controller does not perform welding on the material based on at least one of the following: i) the position of each of the first and second pressure strips is not within the first predetermined allowable range, and ii) the positional difference between the first and second pressure strips is not within the second predetermined allowable range.

13. A laser welding system, comprising: A laser welding apparatus that uses a laser beam to weld materials, wherein the laser welding apparatus includes: At least one pair of pressure strips are used to press the material to be welded, said pair of pressure strips including a first pressure strip and a second pressure strip; and Cover, to block the laser beam applied to the material; A multi-axis robot, on which the laser welding device is mounted, and which guides the movement path of the laser welding device; and A controller controls the operation of the laser welding device and the multi-axis robot, wherein the controller adjusts the position of each of the first and second pressure bars relative to the material based on the surface of the material faced by each of the first and second pressure bars.

14. A laser welding method, comprising: At least one pair of pressure bars of a laser welding device are used to apply pressure to the material to be welded, the pair of pressure bars including a first pressure bar and a second pressure bar; Based on the surface of the material that each of the first and second pressure strips faces, adjust the position of each of the first and second pressure strips relative to the material; The position of each of the first and second pressure bars is determined by the position sensor of the laser welding device; as well as Whether to perform welding on the material is determined based on the detected positions of the first and second pressure strips.

15. The laser welding method according to claim 14, further comprising: Welding is not performed on the material because the positions of the first and second pressure strips are not within the first predetermined allowable range.

16. The laser welding method according to claim 14, further comprising: Welding is performed on the material based on the positions of the first and second pressure strips within a first predetermined allowable range.

17. The laser welding method according to claim 16, further comprising: Before welding the material, the laser beam is focused using the laser scanner of the laser welding apparatus to correspond to the positions of the first and second pressure strips.

18. The laser welding method according to claim 14, wherein, Determining whether to weld the material includes: Determine whether the position of each of the first and second pressure strips is within a first predetermined allowable range; and Determine whether the positional difference between the first pressure strip and the second pressure strip is within a second predetermined allowable range.

19. The laser welding method according to claim 18, further comprising: Welding of the material is determined based on the following: i) the position of each of the first and second pressure strips is within the first predetermined allowable range, and ii) the positional difference between the first and second pressure strips is within the second predetermined allowable range.

20. The laser welding method according to claim 14, further comprising: The laser welding device is positioned above the material to be welded using a multi-axis robot.

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