Tool clamp for friction stir welding

Abstract

The utility model discloses a work fixture for friction stir welding, relates to the technical field of welding, and remarkably improves the welding quality and efficiency by integrating components such as a pressing mechanism, a positioning structure, a tool setting gauge and an aluminum skimming removing device. A groove in the positioning structure is accurately matched with the frame, so that the position stability of a workpiece in the welding process is ensured, and welding defects are reduced; the multiple pressing mechanisms distributed at equal intervals provide uniform pressing force, and stress concentration and gap change are avoided; the tool setting gauge realizes high-precision positioning of the stirring needle, and manual adjustment errors are overcome; the aluminum skimming removing device cleans aluminum skimming in time, and the smoothness of the working surface of the stirring needle is maintained; the portability and the installation stability of the clamp are enhanced through the design of the hanging rings and the threaded holes. The whole structure has a synergistic effect, workpiece positioning precision, welding process stabilization and operation convenience are achieved, and the problem that in traditional friction stir welding, due to positioning deviation, uneven pressing or aluminum scrap accumulation, the welding quality is reduced is effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of welding technology, and in particular to a tooling fixture for friction stir welding. Background Technology

[0002] Friction stir welding (FSW) is a novel solid-state joining technology invented by the Welding Institute in the UK in 1991. This technology utilizes the heat generated by the friction between a high-speed rotating stirring pin and the workpiece to locally melt the materials being welded. As the stirring pin moves forward along the welding interface, the plasticized material flows from the front to the rear of the stirring pin under the rotational friction force, forming a dense solid-state weld under the pressure of the stirring pin. Compared with traditional welding methods, FSW offers advantages such as high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and energy saving, and is suitable for various materials, including aluminum, copper, and steel. Therefore, this technology is widely used in aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, and electronics industries. FSW fixtures are crucial components used to ensure the positioning, fixation, and support of workpieces during the welding process.

[0003] Due to the high pressure and high temperature involved in friction stir welding, the workpiece requires sufficient clamping force from the fixture to maintain contact and prevent displacement or gap changes during welding. Existing clamping systems mostly apply uniform clamping force hydraulically or pneumatically to ensure stable contact between the workpiece and the welding tool. However, due to uneven force distribution or insufficient fixture rigidity, traditional fixtures can still cause localized stress concentrations, thus affecting welding quality.

[0004] Therefore, in response to the above phenomenon, a tooling fixture for friction stir welding is proposed to meet the needs of practical use. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides a tooling fixture for friction stir welding, which solves the technical problems in the background art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a tooling fixture for friction stir welding, used to clamp a frame and an aluminum plate to be welded, comprising: a clamping mechanism, a first positioning structure, a base, a second positioning structure, and a support plate; the support plate is disposed on the base; the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are disposed on the support plate; the frame is positioned on the support plate by the positioning of the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure; the aluminum plate is disposed on the frame; the clamping mechanism comprises several components, the clamping direction of which is perpendicular to the surface of the aluminum plate, and the clamping mechanism is disposed on the base to clamp the frame and the aluminum plate.

[0007] In some embodiments, a plurality of the clamping mechanisms are located on the same plane and are equidistantly arranged along the edge of the base; the clamping mechanism further includes a push-button switch, which is disposed on the base and electrically connected to the clamping mechanism for controlling the operation of the clamping mechanism.

[0008] In some embodiments, one of the pressing mechanisms includes a cylinder and a lower pressure plate; the cylinder is mounted on a base, one end of the lower pressure plate is mounted on the movable end of the cylinder and moves up and down with the movable end of the cylinder; the other end of the lower pressure plate is in contact with the surface of the aluminum plate to press the frame and the aluminum plate together.

[0009] In some embodiments, the bottom of the lower pressure plate is provided with a polyurethane cushioning pad, and the lower pressure plate is attached to the surface of the aluminum plate through the cushioning pad, the thickness of which is 5-10mm.

[0010] In some embodiments, a tool setter is also included, which is disposed on the side of the base and is used to calibrate the initial position of the friction stir welding stirring pin.

[0011] In some embodiments, a lifting ring is also included, which is disposed on the base and has a load-bearing capacity of not less than twice the total weight of the base.

[0012] In some embodiments, an aluminum chip removal device is also included, which is disposed on the side of the base.

[0013] In some embodiments, a connecting plate is provided below the base, and a number of threaded holes are opened on the bottom surface of the connecting plate. The connecting plate is fixed on the worktable by the engagement of the threaded holes and nuts.

[0014] Compared with related technologies, the tooling fixture for friction stir welding provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0015] This utility model provides a tooling fixture for friction stir welding. By integrating components such as a clamping mechanism, a positioning structure, a tool setter, and an aluminum chip removal device, it significantly improves welding quality and efficiency. Specifically, the grooves on the first and second positioning structures precisely match the frame, ensuring workpiece position stability during welding and reducing welding defects; multiple equally spaced clamping mechanisms provide uniform clamping force, avoiding stress concentration and gap variations; the tool setter achieves high-precision positioning of the stirring pin, overcoming errors from manual adjustment; the aluminum chip removal device promptly removes aluminum chips, maintaining the flatness of the stirring pin's working surface; and the design of the lifting ring and threaded hole enhances the fixture's portability and installation stability. The synergistic effect of the overall structure achieves precise workpiece positioning, stable welding process, and convenient operation, effectively solving the problem of decreased welding quality caused by positioning deviations, uneven clamping, or aluminum chip accumulation in traditional friction stir welding. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the aluminum plate and frame structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a side view of the structure of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing mechanism of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model from a bottom view.

[0023] The following are the labels in the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Aluminum plate; 3. Base; 31. Connecting plate; 32. Threaded hole; 4. Clamping mechanism; 5. First positioning structure; 6. Second positioning structure; 7. Support plate; 8. Push button switch; 9. Tool setting device; 10. Lifting ring; 11. Aluminum chip removal device; 41. Cylinder; 42. Lower pressure plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Example 1

[0025] This embodiment provides a tooling fixture for friction stir welding, such as... Figure 1-7 As shown, this utility model includes a clamping mechanism 4 for clamping the frame 1 and the aluminum plate 2, a first positioning structure 5 and a second positioning structure 6 for positioning the frame 1, a support plate 7 for supporting the frame 1 and the aluminum plate 2, and a base 3 for providing the mounting foundation for each component.

[0026] Support plate 7 is fixed to base 3; first positioning structure 5 and second positioning structure 6 are fixed to support plate 7 by bolts; frame 1 is placed on support plate 7 by positioning of first positioning structure 5 and second positioning structure 6; aluminum plate 2 is placed on frame 1; several clamping mechanisms 4 are provided, with their clamping direction perpendicular to the surface of aluminum plate 2. Clamping mechanisms 4 are set on base 3 and electrically connected to each other to clamp frame 1 and aluminum plate 2. First positioning structure 5 and second positioning structure 6 are provided with grooves of specific shapes, which can cooperate with frame 1 for positioning, ensuring the stability of the position of frame 1 and aluminum plate 2 during welding, thereby reducing welding defects and improving welding quality.

[0027] Several clamping mechanisms 4 are located on the same plane and are equidistantly arranged along the edge of the base 3; the clamping mechanism also includes a push-button switch 8, which is disposed on the base 3 and is used to control the operation of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0028] In one specific embodiment, the fixture is provided with twelve equally spaced parallel clamping mechanisms 4, and each button switch simultaneously controls the action of two opposing clamping mechanisms 4.

[0029] A clamping mechanism includes a cylinder 41 and a lower pressure plate 42. The cylinder 41 is mounted on the base 3, and one end of the lower pressure plate 42 is located at the movable end of the cylinder 41, moving up and down with the movable end of the cylinder 41. The other end of the lower pressure plate 42 is in contact with the surface of the aluminum plate 2 to clamp the frame 1 and the aluminum plate 2. A buffer pad is provided at the bottom of the lower pressure plate 42, and the lower pressure plate 42 is in contact with the surface of the aluminum plate through the buffer pad. The buffer pad is 5-10mm thick and can be made of polyurethane material. By setting the buffer pad, the wear caused by the metal lower pressure plate 42 on the edge of the aluminum plate 2 can be reduced, and the downward pressure can also be made more uniform.

[0030] It also includes a tool setter 9, which is located on one side of the base 3 and is used to calibrate the initial position of the stirring pin in friction stir welding. Manual friction stir welding relies on manual adjustment and mechanical fixation to determine the position of the stirring tool. This method may result in inaccurate relative positioning between the tool and the workpiece during welding, especially with complex workpieces or in welding scenarios requiring fine adjustments. If the position, depth, or angle deviation of the stirring tool is too large, it will lead to uneven heating or pressure during welding, thus affecting the weld quality. The tool setter 9 allows for quick and accurate positioning of the stirring pin.

[0031] It also includes a lifting ring 10, which is mounted on the base 3, and the load-bearing capacity of the lifting ring 10 is not less than twice the total weight of the base 3. The lifting ring 10 works in conjunction with a crane to facilitate manual movement of the jig for friction stir welding.

[0032] It also includes an aluminum chip removal device 11, which is located on the side of the base 3. During friction stir welding, aluminum chips accumulate gradually with the use of the stirring pin, which may cause the working surface of the stirring pin to become uneven, thus affecting the welding effect. At this time, by moving the stirring pin to the contour groove of the aluminum chip removal device 11, the aluminum chips around the stirring pin rub against the contour groove to remove the residual aluminum chips on the stirring pin.

[0033] A connecting plate 31 is provided below the base 3. The bottom surface of the connecting plate 31 has a number of threaded holes 32. The connecting plate 31 is fixed on the worktable by the engagement of the threaded holes 32 and the nuts.

[0034] The working process of the fixture for friction stir welding of the present invention is as follows:

[0035] First, fix the fixture to the worktable by using the threaded hole 32 at the bottom of the fixture and the nut.

[0036] Then the frame 1 to be welded and the aluminum plate 2 are placed on the support plate 7, and the frame 1 is positioned by the first positioning structure 5 and the second positioning structure 6.

[0037] Then, the frame 1 and aluminum plate 2 are pressed together by controlling the button switch 8.

[0038] Restart the tool setting device 9 to make the tool setting accuracy of the welding head more accurate, thereby improving the quality and precision of welding.

[0039] Finally, after welding is completed, the clamping mechanism 4 is released by pressing the release button of the button switch 8, releasing the frame 1 and aluminum plate 2, so that the user can take out the frame 1 and aluminum plate 2 after welding.

[0040] After removing the frame 1 and aluminum plate 2, the aluminum shavings on the friction stir welding needle can be cleaned using the aluminum shaving removal device 11 on the fixture to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the next welding operation.

[0041] In summary, the fixture for friction stir welding of the present invention precisely positions the frame 1 by setting a positioning structure, ensuring that the frame 1 and the aluminum plate 2 are completely positioned, avoiding the impact of positioning problems on the welding quality. The tool setter 9 precisely sets the welding head, improving the welding accuracy. Furthermore, the clamping mechanism 4 can provide a sufficiently large clamping force to prevent the gap between the frame 1 and the aluminum plate 2 from changing during the welding process. In addition, the large number of mechanisms reduces stress concentration and further improves the welding quality.

Claims

1. A tooling fixture for friction stir welding, used to clamp a frame (1) to be welded and an aluminum plate (2), characterized in that, include: The base (3), pressing mechanism (4), first positioning structure (5), second positioning structure (6), and support plate (7) are arranged on the base (3). The first positioning structure (5) and the second positioning structure (6) are arranged on the support plate (7). The frame (1) is positioned on the support plate (7) by the positioning of the first positioning structure (5) and the second positioning structure (6). The aluminum plate (2) is arranged on the frame (1). There are several pressing mechanisms (4), and their pressing direction is perpendicular to the surface of the aluminum plate (2). The pressing mechanisms (4) are arranged on the base (3) to press the frame (1) and the aluminum plate (2).

2. The tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 1, characterized in that, Several of the clamping mechanisms (4) are located on the same plane and are equidistantly arranged on the edge of the base (3); the clamping mechanism (4) also includes a push button switch (8), which is disposed on the base (3) and electrically connected to the clamping mechanism (4) for controlling the operation of the clamping mechanism (4).

3. The tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the pressing mechanisms (4) includes a cylinder (41) and a lower pressure plate (42); the cylinder (41) is mounted on the base (3), and one end of the lower pressure plate (42) is mounted on the movable end of the cylinder (41) and moves up and down with the movable end of the cylinder (41); the other end of the lower pressure plate (42) is in contact with the surface of the aluminum plate (2) to press the frame (1) and the aluminum plate (2).

4. A tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the lower pressure plate (42) is provided with a polyurethane buffer pad, and the lower pressure plate (42) is attached to the surface of the aluminum plate (2) through the buffer pad. The thickness of the buffer pad is 5-10mm.

5. A tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a tool setter (9), which is set on one side of the base (3) and is used to calibrate the initial position of the stirring pin of friction stir welding.

6. A tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a lifting ring (10), which is set on the base (3), and the bearing capacity of the lifting ring (10) is not less than twice the total weight of the base (3).

7. A tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an aluminum chip removal device (11), which is disposed on one side of the base (3).

8. A tooling fixture for friction stir welding according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (3) is provided with a connecting plate (31) below it. The bottom surface of the connecting plate (31) is provided with a number of threaded holes (32). The connecting plate (31) is fixed on the workbench by the cooperation of the threaded holes (32) and the nuts.

Images