Method and apparatus for welding components

Abstract

Method for welding components (1) in which at least two components (1) are joined together in a joint (2) and subsequently connected to each other by welding a weld seam (3) using a welding device (6), where - the joint (2) is detected or scanned by a measuring and positioning unit (4) before welding and analyzed in detail in a control / computing unit (5), whereby a geometric state is detected, - a welding program adapted to the determined geometric state is individually selected from a database, and - the welding is carried out according to the selected welding program, characterized in that the selection of a welding program is carried out by an artificial intelligence that has access to a database containing data for materials, material combinations and material combinations with geometric ratios at the joint (2) and then the joint (2) is recorded again by the measuring and positioning unit (4) after welding and analyzed in detail in a control / computing unit (5) and the artificial intelligence is trained with the result of the analysis.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for the flexible welding of components.

[0002] It is known that when welding components, adversely different conditions can arise due to manufacturing tolerances of the individual components as well as geometric tolerances in their positioning or arrangement at the final joint. Besides geometric tolerances of the individual components in their positioning or arrangement, this can also occur due to insufficient, too weak, or unfavorably applied clamping technology.

[0003] It is known that deviations from the standard joint joint can lead to detrimental reworking or the scrapping of components with a high rate of rejects due to poor joint quality, particularly in welded joints. Excessive component misalignment results in poor weld quality and consequently, rejects.

[0004] EP 565846 A1 discloses a method and a device for welding sheets to form blanks using a laser. Sheets to be butt-welded are positioned with their end faces touching. To reduce the joining gap to a level acceptable for laser welding, at least one sheet is plastically deformed along the joining line so that material flows in the gap direction and reduces the gap width. However, this can negatively result in the laser beam still passing through or material dripping through.

[0005] DE 10 2023 118 058 A1 discloses a computer-aided classification method for the joining geometry of a contact joint between two workpieces to be joined in a workpiece assembly, comprising the following process steps: - Positioning a sensor of a measuring system in a predetermined processing position of a processing optic of a laser processing machine at a joining point of the workpiece assembly; - Creating a geometric profile of the workpiece assembly by scanning a surface of the workpiece assembly at the joining point in a measuring plane transverse or perpendicular to a principal extension direction of the contact joint; - Determining the joining geometry by evaluating and comparing the geometric profile with stored reference profiles for specific joining geometries. The invention also relates to a manufacturing process and a manufacturing system.

[0006] DE 10 2016 119 794 A1 discloses the following: A method for adjusting at least one technology parameter of a laser processing operation is disclosed, wherein the laser processing is adjusted depending on image information acquired by an imaging sensor. The method comprises optically acquiring image information of a processing situation of a laser processing operation using the imaging sensor and providing an image-based support function configured to generate a marker-enhanced image data set of the processing situation based on the image information, wherein the marker-enhanced image data set is generated depending on at least one input parameter of the laser processing operation.

[0007] Patent DE 10 2014 008 265 B3 discloses a device for carrying out a machining process along a main machining path on a workpiece using a high-energy machining beam, in particular a laser beam. The device comprises a machining beam source, machining beam optics for guiding the machining beam to a machining position on the workpiece, and visualization beam optics for guiding a visualization beam emanating from the workpiece to a visualization device. The machining beam optics and the visualization beam optics include a common deflection device configured to deflect the machining beam during machining along the main machining path such that the machining position lies at least temporarily away from the main machining path.According to the invention, the deflection device is further configured to deflect the visualization beam in such a way that it reflects the current processing position. The visualization device comprises a detection unit which is configured to detect the visualization beam taking into account the operating state of the deflection device.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a device and a method for welding components which enables welding with as few gaps as possible when laser beam welding a fillet and / or I-seam at the parallel joint.

[0009] The problem is solved according to the invention by a method having the features of claim 1 and by a device having the features of claim 2.

[0010] The problem is solved procedurally by a method for welding components, in which at least two components are joined together in a joint and then connected by welding a weld seam using a welding device, wherein the joint is recorded or scanned by a measuring and positioning unit before welding and analyzed in detail in a control / computing unit, whereby a geometric state is detected, a welding program adapted to the determined geometric state is individually selected from a database, and the welding is carried out according to the selected welding program.

[0011] The flexible process offers the advantage of greater tolerances in component manufacturing and arrangement, allowing upstream process steps to be less complex, more precise, and more cost-effective. Furthermore, by flexibly adapting the welding to the actual conditions, scrap can be reduced and the joining quality improved.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0013] If the analysis of the joint reveals a standard-compliant joint, the welding can be carried out without further adjustment using welding parameters that are typically used for the material of the components and the weld seam to be produced, for example an I-seam.

[0014] If a vertical offset Δz between the components to be joined is detected at the joint, which is, for example, greater than half the material thickness of the thinnest component involved in the welding, a welding program can be selected in which a fillet weld is produced instead of an I-weld, and in which, for this purpose, the laser beam is directed at the joint with a lateral angle to achieve an optimal welding result.

[0015] In one embodiment of the proposed method according to the invention, the selection of a welding program can be carried out by an artificial intelligence that has access to a database containing data for materials, material combinations, and material combinations with geometric relationships at the joint. Such a database can be populated with a multitude of different states, depending on the type and probability of occurrence.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the invention, the proposed method can provide that the joint is recorded again after welding by a measuring and positioning unit and analyzed in detail in a control / computing unit, and the artificial intelligence is trained with the result of the analysis.

[0017] The object of the invention is achieved on the apparatus side by a welding device that is designed and configured to carry out the proposed method. For example, the welding device can be equipped with a measuring and positioning unit and with a control / computing unit. The measuring and positioning unit can be, for example, a camera or a measuring beam unit. The measuring beam unit can be, for example, an optical coherence tomograph (OCT), which can advantageously be used to capture a height profile of the joint.

[0018] The proposed method can be implemented using currently available plant technology.

[0019] The measuring and positioning unit can examine the joint before welding and check the quality of the weld after welding.

[0020] The proposed method and device offer a high degree of flexibility for numerous applications, for example in car body construction (e.g., butt joints on vehicle doors) and in connections within the electric powertrain (e.g., battery contacts and / or hairpins in electric motors). The invention is also flexible with regard to materials and material combinations. Similar and dissimilar materials can be joined, even with different material thicknesses.

[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0022] This shows: Fig. 1. Schematic representation of the examination of a standard-compliant joint joint, Fig. 2 schematically the welding of the joint Fig. 1, Fig. 3 schematically the investigation of a joint with vertical offset Δz, Fig. 4 schematically the welding of the joint Fig. 3, Fig. 5 schematically the investigation of a joint with horizontal offset Δy, Fig. 6 schematically the welding of the joint Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 schematically the investigation of a joint with horizontal offset Δy.

[0023] There are suitable welding programs for various conditions, including butt joints: Fig. Figure 1 shows the pictorial representation of a joint 2 between two components 1, where the height offset is no greater than half the thickness t of the thinner of the two components (Δz ≤ 0.5t).

[0024] The welding device 6, arranged above the components 1, comprises a laser welding optic 61, a measuring and positioning unit 4, and a control / processing unit 5. The measuring and positioning unit 4 includes a camera 41, which captures an image of the joint 2. The control / processing unit 5 is connected to the measuring and positioning unit 4 via a data transmission link. It analyzes the received image data and determines that both components 1 have been joined with an approximately plane joint (e.g., height offset Δz ≤ 0.5t).

[0025] The control / processing unit 5 therefore decides to create the connection between the two components 1 by welding a conventional (linear) I-seam. The welding process is in Fig. 2 shown, wherein the welding device 6 generates a laser beam 62 and directs it through the laser welding optics 61 onto the joint 2, so that a weld seam 3 is formed.

[0026] Fig. Figure 3 shows the pictorial representation of a joint 2 between two components 1, which has a vertical offset Δz.

[0027] The welding device 6, arranged above the components 1, comprises a laser welding optic 61, a measuring and positioning unit 4, and a control / computing unit 5. The measuring and positioning unit 4 includes a camera 41, which captures an image of the joint 2. The control / computing unit 5 is connected to the measuring and positioning unit 4 via a data transmission link. It analyzes the received image data and determines that both components 1 are joined with a height offset Δz that is greater than half the thickness t of the thinner of the two components (Δz ≥ 0.5t).

[0028] The control / computing unit 5 therefore decides to create the connection between the two components 1 by welding a fillet weld at a lateral angle, i.e., with a lateral offset of the laser beam 62. The welding process is in Fig. 4 shown, wherein the welding device 6 generates a laser beam 62 and directs it through the laser welding optics 61 onto the joint 2, so that a weld seam 3 is formed.

[0029] Fig. Figure 5 shows the pictorial representation of a joint 2 between two components 1, which has a horizontal offset Δy.

[0030] The welding device 6, arranged above the components 1, comprises a laser welding optic 61, a measuring and positioning unit 4, and a control / computing unit 5. The measuring and positioning unit 4 includes a camera 41, which captures an image of the joint 2. The control / computing unit 5 is connected to the measuring and positioning unit 4 via a data transmission link. It analyzes the received image data and determines that both components 1 are joined with a lateral offset Δy, i.e., with a gap, which is greater than half the thickness t of the thinner of the two components (Δy ≥ 0.5t).

[0031] The control / processing unit 5 therefore decides to establish the connection between the two components 1 by welding with an oscillation of the laser beam 62 perpendicular to the welding direction. The welding process is in Fig. Figure 6 shows the welding device 6 generating a laser beam 62 and directing it through the laser welding optics 61 onto the joint 2, wherein the laser beam 62 wobbles in the x-direction and simultaneously in the y-direction during welding, so that a weld seam 3 is formed which closes the gap Δy.

[0032] Fig. 7 shows one variant of Fig. 1. The difference here is that the measuring and positioning unit 4 includes a measuring beam unit 42, which scans the joint 2 using measuring beam 43 and creates a height profile of the joint 2 using OCT.

Claims

[1] Method for welding components (1) in which at least two components (1) are joined together in a joint (2) and subsequently connected to each other by welding a weld seam (3) using a welding device (6), where - the joint (2) is detected or scanned by a measuring and positioning unit (4) before welding and analyzed in detail in a control / computing unit (5), whereby a geometric state is detected, - a welding program adapted to the determined geometric state is individually selected from a database, and - the welding is carried out according to the selected welding program, characterized by , that the selection of a welding program is carried out by an artificial intelligence that has access to a database containing data for materials, material combinations and material combinations with geometric ratios at the joint (2), and then the joint (2) is recorded again by the measuring and positioning unit (4) after welding and analyzed in detail in a control / computing unit (5) and the artificial intelligence is trained with the result of the analysis. [2] Welding device (6) comprising - a measuring and positioning unit 4, - a control / computation unit 5, and - a laser welding optic 61 for directing a laser beam 62 generated in the welding device 6 onto a joint 2, characterized by that the welding device (6) is designed and configured for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

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