A process for preparing an outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable

Abstract

This invention discloses a process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable, employing a continuous production line including the following equipment: a tape feeding machine, a wire feeding machine, a front traction machine, a copper tape precision cutter, a longitudinal wrapping forming fixture, a sizing device, a high-frequency preheater, a laser welder, a main traction machine, a corrugating machine, a rear traction machine, a dance wheel, and a take-up machine. This invention first uses a high-frequency preheater to preheat the overlapping parts of the copper tape at a temperature of 150-300℃; then, it enters the sizing device for secondary sizing to prevent the gaps in the preheated copper tape from widening; finally, laser welding is performed using a dual-beam composite welding method with a central green laser and an outer red laser. This organically combines high-frequency preheating, secondary sizing, and dual-beam laser welding technologies, systematically solving problems such as incomplete welds, porosity, and cracks encountered by traditional processes under high-speed production, significantly improving production efficiency and product yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of cable technology, specifically relating to a process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable. Background Technology

[0002] Radio frequency (RF) coaxial cables are key components for transmitting RF signals, and their performance directly affects the efficiency and stability of signal transmission. With the rapid development of emerging technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), the demand for RF coaxial cables is experiencing rapid growth. However, the welding process for the outer conductor of RF coaxial cables still faces many challenges, especially in terms of production speed and welding quality.

[0003] Currently, traditional welding methods, such as high-frequency welding and argon arc welding, while meeting industry needs to some extent, are struggling to adapt to the high-precision and high-efficiency production requirements as communication equipment becomes smaller and more frequent. It is difficult to achieve a good balance between production speed and welding quality. When production speeds exceed 5 m / min, quality defects such as incomplete weld lines, porosity, and missed welds are prone to occur. To ensure welding quality, production speeds are often forced to decrease, leading to low production efficiency.

[0004] Laser welding technology, with its advantages of concentrated energy and small heat-affected zone, has gradually become an effective means of solving the aforementioned problems. Especially in automated production lines, laser welding can significantly improve welding speed and ensure the consistency of weld quality. However, pure laser welding in high-speed production places higher demands on the absorption rate of copper and the stability of process parameters, especially when dealing with uneven copper strip overlap gaps and inconsistent surface conditions, welding defects may still occur.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an outer conductor manufacturing process that can both ensure welding quality and improve production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives and technical effects, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: A process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable employs a continuous production line comprising the following equipment: a tape feeding machine, a wire feeding machine, a front traction machine, a copper tape precision cutter, a longitudinal wrapping forming fixture, a sizing device, a high-frequency preheater, a laser welding machine, a main traction machine, a corrugating machine, a rear traction machine, a dancing wheel, and a take-up machine. The preparation process includes the following steps: S1. Copper strip is released by the tape release machine, and insulated core wire is released by the wire release machine. The insulated core wire is pulled by the front traction. The tape release machine and the wire release machine have the same linear speed and move synchronously. S2. Use a copper strip precision cutter to precisely cut the width of the copper strip to ensure consistent longitudinal overlap dimensions; S3. The copper strip and the insulated core wire enter the longitudinal wrapping forming tool together, so that the copper strip longitudinally wraps the outside of the insulated core wire, forming an overlapping cylindrical structure, with the edges of the copper strip just aligned. S4. Ensure the standard outer diameter is achieved using a sizing device; S5. Preheat the overlapping parts of the copper strip using a high-frequency preheater; S6. Re-enter the sizing device and use mechanical constraints to force correction of the increased lap gap of the copper strip caused by thermal expansion, so that the lap gap is restored to the tight state required for welding. S7. The copper strip is fed into a laser welding machine, where a combination of a central green laser and an outer red laser beam is used to weld the butt joint of the copper strip to form a continuous weld, and a protective gas is applied to the welding area. S8. The welded outer conductor is dragged into the texturing machine by the main traction for texturing; S9. The outer conductor after corrugation passes through the rear traction and dancing wheel in sequence, and is finally wound up by the take-up machine.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S1, the linear velocity is 5-10 m / min.

[0009] Furthermore, in step S2, the copper strip thickness is 0.1-0.3mm, and the width is set according to the cable specifications.

[0010] Furthermore, in step S3, the longitudinal wrapping forming fixture includes an adjustable forming mold to accommodate the longitudinal wrapping diameter of cables of different specifications.

[0011] Furthermore, in step S5, the preheating temperature is 150-300℃.

[0012] Furthermore, in step S7, the protective gas is argon or nitrogen, and the gas flow rate is 5-15 L / min.

[0013] Furthermore, in step S7, the wavelength of the outer red light is 650nm and the power is 5-20W; the outer red light acts on the copper strip surface before the central green laser, reheating the welding area and causing the temperature of the weld and its surroundings to rise uniformly, forming a thermal buffer zone.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S7, the wavelength of the central green laser is 532nm and the power is 200-500W; the green light then acts on the weld area that has been reheated, serving as the main heat source to melt and fill the gap between the copper strips, forming a continuous weld.

[0015] Furthermore, in step S8, the corrugating machine is configured as an annular corrugating die or a spiral corrugating die according to product requirements, and is used to produce annular corrugated outer conductors or spiral corrugated outer conductors, respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, in step S9, a position sensor is installed on the dance wheel to detect the lifting height of the dance wheel in real time. When the dance wheel rises to the preset upper threshold height, the position sensor sends a deceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly reduces the winding speed of the take-up machine, causing the dance wheel to fall back to the normal operating range. When the dance wheel falls to the preset lower threshold height, the sensor sends an acceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly increases the speed of the take-up machine. Through the linkage control of the dance wheel and the take-up machine, speed synchronization and constant tension between the rear traction and the take-up machine are achieved.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention first uses a high-frequency preheater to preheat the overlapping parts of the copper strip at a temperature of 150-300℃; then it enters a sizing device for secondary sizing to prevent the gaps in the preheated copper strip from widening; then laser welding is performed, using a dual-beam composite welding method with a central green laser and an outer red laser. This organically combines high-frequency preheating, secondary sizing, and dual-beam laser welding technologies, systematically solving problems such as incomplete welding, porosity, and cracks faced by traditional processes under high-speed production, and significantly improving production efficiency and product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of step S7 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail so that its advantages and features can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby providing a clearer and more explicit definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form to prepare for the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0021] like Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention discloses a process for preparing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable, which adopts a continuous production line including the following equipment: tape feeding machine 1, wire feeding machine 2, front traction machine 3, copper tape precision cutter 4, longitudinal wrapping forming fixture 5, sizing machine 6, high frequency preheater 7, laser welding machine 8, main traction machine 9, corrugating machine 10, rear traction machine 11, dancing wheel 12, and take-up machine 13.

[0022] The radio frequency coaxial cable outer conductor fabrication process provided by this invention includes the following steps: S1. Copper strip is released through tape release machine 1, and insulated core wire is released through wire release machine 2. The insulated core wire is pulled by front traction 3. Tape release machine 1 and wire release machine 2 have matching linear speeds and move synchronously. S2. The copper strip width is precisely cut using the copper strip precision cutter 4 to ensure consistent longitudinal overlap dimensions; S3. The copper strip and the insulated core wire enter the longitudinal wrapping forming fixture 5 together, so that the copper strip longitudinally wraps the outside of the insulated core wire, forming an overlapping cylindrical structure, with the edges of the copper strip just aligned. S4. Ensure the standard outer diameter is achieved using the sizing device 6; S5. The overlapping parts of the copper strip are preheated by the high-frequency preheater 7; S6. The copper strip re-enters the sizing unit 6 and uses mechanical constraints to forcefully correct the increased gap in the copper strip overlap caused by thermal expansion, restoring the overlap gap to the tight state required for welding. This re-sizing step ensures the consistency of the copper strip overlap gap before entering the laser welding machine 8, avoiding defects such as welding light leakage and incomplete welding caused by the expansion of the gap due to preheating, and providing stable joint conditions for subsequent laser welding. S7. The copper strip is fed into the laser welding machine 8, and a combination beam of central green laser and outer red light is used to weld the butt joint of the copper strip to form a continuous weld, and a protective gas is applied to the welding area. S8. The welded outer conductor is dragged into the corrugating machine 10 by the main traction 9 for corrugating; the corrugating machine 10 is configured as an annular corrugating die or a spiral corrugating die according to product requirements, and is used to produce annular corrugated outer conductors or spiral corrugated outer conductors respectively. S9. The outer conductor after corrugation passes through the rear traction 11 and the dancing wheel 12 in sequence, and is finally wound up by the take-up machine 13.

[0023] In step S1, the linear velocity is 5-10 m / min.

[0024] In step S2, the copper strip thickness is 0.1-0.3mm, and the width is set according to the cable specifications.

[0025] In step S3, the longitudinal wrapping forming fixture 5 includes an adjustable forming mold to accommodate the longitudinal wrapping diameter of cables of different specifications.

[0026] In step S5, the preheating temperature is 150-300℃. Preheating raises the temperature of the copper strip overlap area, increasing the absorption rate of the copper strip to the subsequent laser, reducing the power required for laser welding, and allowing the moisture adsorbed inside the copper strip and surface volatiles to escape in advance, reducing spatter and porosity caused by rapid vaporization during welding. In addition, it reduces the temperature difference between the copper strip and the laser, reducing thermal shock and thermal stress during welding, and preventing microcracks from forming in the weld area.

[0027] In step S7, the protective gas is argon or nitrogen, and the gas flow rate is 5-15 L / min.

[0028] In step S7, the wavelength of the outer red light is 650nm and the power is 5-20W. The outer red light acts on the copper strip surface before the central green laser, reheating the welding area and causing the temperature of the weld and its surroundings to rise uniformly, forming a thermal buffer zone. The central green laser has a wavelength of 532nm and a power of 200-500W. The green light then acts on the reheated weld area as the main heat source to melt and fill the gap between the copper strips, forming a continuous weld.

[0029] The advantages of this combined beam welding method are: (1) The preheating effect of the outer ring red light increases the temperature of the copper strip, which improves the absorption rate of the copper material to green light. Compared with single green light welding, it can reduce the power required by the central green laser by 30%-50% and extend the life of the laser; (2) The preheating of the outer ring red light makes the temperature field at the front edge of the molten pool more gentle, and the molten metal spreads evenly, which is conducive to the continuous filling and forming of the weld; (3) The preheating of the outer ring red light allows the adsorbed substances on the material surface to escape fully, and the spatter and porosity during green light welding are significantly reduced, resulting in a dense weld without voids; (4) The outer ring red light also plays an auxiliary positioning role, through visible red light The spot determines whether the welding path is aligned with the copper strip joint. The tolerance for the fluctuation of the overlap gap after longitudinal wrapping is 0.05-0.1mm higher than that of single laser welding; (5) The red light preheating of the outer ring moderately slows down the cooling rate after green light welding, which is conducive to the refinement of weld grains and avoids the increase of brittleness caused by excessive cooling, thereby improving the torsional resistance and mechanical strength of the weld; (6) At a production speed of 5-10m / min, this combined beam composite welding method can stably obtain continuous, full and defect-free welds, solving the quality problems such as missed welding, false welding and porosity that are easy to occur in traditional welding processes during high-speed production.

[0030] In step S9, a position sensor is installed on the dance wheel 12 to detect the lifting height of the dance wheel 12 in real time. When the dance wheel 12 is raised to the preset upper threshold height, the position sensor sends a deceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly reduces the winding speed of the take-up machine 13, so that the dance wheel 12 falls back to the normal working range. When the dance wheel 12 falls to the preset lower threshold height, the sensor sends an acceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly increases the speed of the take-up machine 13. Through the linkage control of the dance wheel 12 and the take-up machine 13, the speed synchronization and tension constant between the rear traction 11 and the take-up machine 13 are achieved, avoiding the stretching and deformation of the copper strip or the loose winding caused by speed mismatch.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] like Figure 1-2As shown, a process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable employs a continuous production line comprising the following equipment: a tape feeding machine 1, a wire feeding machine 2, a front traction machine 3, a copper tape precision cutter 4, a longitudinal wrapping forming fixture 5, a sizing device 6, a high-frequency preheater 7, a laser welding machine 8, a main traction machine 9, a corrugating machine 10, a rear traction machine 11, a dancing wheel 12, and a take-up machine 13.

[0033] The radio frequency coaxial cable outer conductor fabrication process provided by this invention includes the following steps: S1. The linear speed is set to 8 m / min. A copper strip with a thickness of 0.2 mm is released through the tape release machine 1, and an insulated core wire is released through the wire release machine 2. The insulated core wire is pulled by the front traction 3. The linear speeds of the tape release machine 1 and the wire release machine 2 are matched and they move synchronously. S2. The copper strip width is precisely cut using the copper strip precision cutter 4 to ensure consistent longitudinal overlap dimensions; S3. The copper strip and the insulated core wire enter the longitudinal wrapping forming fixture 5 together, so that the copper strip longitudinally wraps the outside of the insulated core wire, forming an overlapping cylindrical structure, with the edges of the copper strip just aligned. S4. Ensure the standard outer diameter is achieved using the sizing device 6; S5. The copper strip overlap area is preheated by the high-frequency preheater 7 at a preheating temperature of 200℃. This step improves the absorption rate of the copper strip to the laser, removes surface moisture and volatiles, and reduces the thermal shock of subsequent laser welding. S6. The copper strip re-enters the sizing unit 6 and uses mechanical constraints to forcefully correct the increased gap in the copper strip overlap caused by thermal expansion, restoring the overlap gap to the tight state required for welding. This re-sizing step ensures the consistency of the copper strip overlap gap before entering the laser welding machine 8, avoiding defects such as welding light leakage and incomplete welding caused by the expansion of the gap due to preheating, and providing stable joint conditions for subsequent laser welding. S7. The laser welding machine 8 is fed in, and a combination beam of central green laser and outer red light is used to weld the copper strip joint to form a continuous weld. Nitrogen gas is applied to the welding area. The wavelength of the outer red light is 650nm and the power is 10W. The outer red light acts on the surface of the copper strip before the central green laser, reheating the welding area and causing the temperature of the weld and its surroundings to rise evenly, forming a heat buffer zone. The wavelength of the central green laser is 532nm and the power is 350W. The green light then acts on the reheated weld area as the main heat source to melt and fill the copper strip joint, forming a continuous weld. S8. The welded outer conductor is dragged into the corrugating machine 10 by the main traction 9 for corrugation. The annular corrugating die is selected as needed to produce an annular corrugated outer conductor. S9. The corrugated outer conductor passes sequentially through the rear traction 11 and the winding wheel 12, and is finally wound up by the take-up machine 13. The winding wheel 12 is equipped with a position sensor to detect the lifting height of the winding wheel 12 in real time. When the winding wheel 12 rises to the preset upper threshold height, the position sensor sends a deceleration signal, and the controller (PLC) correspondingly reduces the winding speed of the take-up machine 13, causing the winding wheel 12 to fall back to the normal operating range. When the winding wheel 12 falls to the preset lower threshold height, the sensor sends an acceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly increases the speed of the take-up machine 13. Through the linkage control of the winding wheel 12 and the take-up machine 13, the speed synchronization and constant tension between the rear traction 11 and the take-up machine 13 are achieved, avoiding copper strip stretching deformation or loose winding caused by speed mismatch.

[0034] The radio frequency coaxial cable outer conductor produced in this embodiment has uniform and dense welds, free from defects such as incomplete welding, porosity, and cracks. It exhibits excellent torsional resistance and mechanical strength, and the production speed reaches 8m / min. Compared with traditional processes, the production efficiency is significantly improved, and the product quality is stable.

[0035] Any parts or structures not specifically described in this invention can be made using existing technologies or products, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0036] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention specification, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A process for fabricating the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable, characterized in that, The continuous production line includes the following equipment: tape feeding machine, wire feeding machine, front traction, copper strip precision cutter, longitudinal wrapping forming fixture, sizing device, high frequency preheater, laser welding machine, main traction, texturing machine, rear traction, dance wheel, and take-up machine. The preparation process includes the following steps: S1. Copper strip is released by the tape release machine, and insulated core wire is released by the wire release machine. The insulated core wire is pulled by the front traction. The tape release machine and the wire release machine have the same linear speed and move synchronously. S2. Use a copper strip precision cutter to precisely cut the width of the copper strip to ensure consistent longitudinal overlap dimensions; S3. The copper strip and the insulated core wire enter the longitudinal wrapping forming tool together, so that the copper strip longitudinally wraps the outside of the insulated core wire, forming an overlapping cylindrical structure, with the edges of the copper strip just aligned. S4. Ensure the standard outer diameter is achieved using a sizing device; S5. Preheat the overlapping parts of the copper strip using a high-frequency preheater; S6. Re-enter the sizing device and use mechanical constraints to force correction of the increased lap gap of the copper strip caused by thermal expansion, so that the lap gap is restored to the tight state required for welding. S7. The copper strip is fed into a laser welding machine, where a combination of a central green laser and an outer red laser beam is used to weld the butt joint of the copper strip to form a continuous weld, and a protective gas is applied to the welding area. S8. The welded outer conductor is dragged into the texturing machine by the main traction for texturing; S9. The outer conductor after corrugation passes through the rear traction and dancing wheel in sequence, and is finally wound up by the take-up machine.

2. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the linear velocity is 5-10 m / min.

3. The process for fabricating the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the copper strip thickness is 0.1-0.3mm, and the width is set according to the cable specifications.

4. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the longitudinal wrapping forming fixture includes an adjustable forming mold to accommodate the longitudinal wrapping diameter of cables of different specifications.

5. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S5, the preheating temperature is 150-300℃.

6. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S7, the protective gas is argon or nitrogen, and the gas flow rate is 5-15 L / min.

7. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S7, the wavelength of the outer red light is 650nm and the power is 5-20W. The outer red light acts on the copper strip surface before the central green laser, reheating the welding area and causing the temperature of the weld and its surroundings to rise uniformly, forming a thermal buffer zone.

8. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S7, the wavelength of the central green laser is 532nm and the power is 200-500W. The green light then acts on the weld area that has been reheated, serving as the main heat source to melt and fill the gap between the copper strips, forming a continuous weld.

9. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S8, the corrugating machine is configured as an annular corrugating die or a spiral corrugating die according to product requirements, which are used to produce annular corrugated outer conductors or spiral corrugated outer conductors, respectively.

10. The process for manufacturing the outer conductor of a radio frequency coaxial cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S9, a position sensor is installed on the dance wheel to detect the lifting height of the dance wheel in real time. When the dance wheel rises to the preset upper threshold height, the position sensor sends a deceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly reduces the winding speed of the take-up machine, causing the dance wheel to fall back to the normal operating range. When the dance wheel falls to the preset lower threshold height, the sensor sends an acceleration signal, and the controller correspondingly increases the speed of the take-up machine. Through the linkage control of the dance wheel and the take-up machine, speed synchronization and constant tension between the rear traction and the take-up machine are achieved.

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