Clamping array and method for holding down joining pairs in integral joining processes by means of one or more clamping arrays

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clamping array (10), comprising hold-down systems (12) for joining pairs (32) of a workpiece (36) in integral joining processes. The hold-down systems (12) each comprise at least one clamping element (20), at least one actuator (22) for controllably holding down the joining pair (32) by means of the at least one clamping element (20), and at least one individual hold-down mask (24) or a hold-down mask connected to the at least one clamping element (20). The hold-down systems (12) are smaller in a spatial direction X (14) than in the two other spatial directions Y-Z (15), specifically with an expansion in spatial direction X (14) which is at most half the greatest expansion in spatial directions Y-Z. In addition, the hold-down systems (12) are individually actuatable and individually controllable in terms of force or travel, and the clamping array (10) itself has, as a whole or within each of the hold-down systems (12), a suction means (28). The invention also relates to methods for holding down joining pairs (32) in integral joining processes using one or more clamping arrays (10) according to the invention, and to the use of the clamping array (10) according to the invention consisting of hold-down systems (12).

Description

[0001] Clamping array and method for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes using one or more clamping arrays

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The present invention relates to a clamping array with hold-down systems for joining pairs of a workpiece during material-to-material joining processes. The hold-down systems each comprise at least one clamping element, at least one actuator for controllably holding down the joining pair by means of the at least one clamping element, and at least one individual hold-down mask or one hold-down mask connected to the at least one clamping element. The invention also relates to methods for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes using one or more clamping arrays according to the invention, as well as the use of the clamping array according to the invention from hold-down systems.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Various devices and methods for the material-to-material joining of joining pairs are known in the literature, including the laser welding of battery cell connectors. To ensure the quality of the joining processes, the joining partner must be held down and thus clamped onto the joint. Complete masks with or without over-springs are typically used for this purpose to clamp the connectors to the cells. However, with increasing material thicknesses and the resulting necessary hold-down forces, as well as the increasing number of rows per module and the one-sided position of both poles, this type of clamping is generally no longer usable. Likewise, high cell height tolerances have a negative impact on the homogeneous distribution of clamping forces. Clamping all joints of a system simultaneously can lead to very high forces, which are detrimental to the system technology and the workpiece (e.g., the battery cell).Therefore, individual hold-down systems are being developed to hold down the cell connectors of each cell individually. However, this requires constant repositioning of the hold-down devices, which increases idle time. Parallelization using hold-down devices that can be individually positioned in XYZ directions is possible, but leads to significant challenges in terms of coordination, kinematics, and vibration damping. Common to all systems is the need to minimize wear on the hold-down device and emission agglomerations in order to maximize tool life. This often leads to hold-down geometries that do not allow adjacent cells to be clamped simultaneously.

[0006] WO 2021 138 706 A1 discloses a clamping device for clamping at least one cell for storing electrical energy, comprising a clamping device with which a cell connector can be applied to the cell or cells at least partially without a gap. A separate clamping device is provided for each cell, and the clamping device(s) can be clamped against the cell or cells.

[0007] DE 10 2014 110 915 A1 relates to a hold-down device for holding a workpiece during a joining process, comprising a contact surface for applying contact pressure to the workpiece and a measuring electrode arranged in the contact surface for performing a resistance measurement. Furthermore, a welding device for laser welding or ultrasonic welding with such a hold-down device is disclosed.

[0008] The invention described here addresses the challenges mentioned and shows a way to minimize idle times during individual clamping of individual joints through a new approach to the configuration of hold-down systems.

[0009] Disclosure of the invention

[0010] According to the invention, a clamping array with hold-down systems for joining pairs of a workpiece during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, is proposed. The hold-down systems each comprise at least one clamping element, at least one actuator for controllably holding down the joining pair by means of the at least one clamping element, and at least one individual hold-down mask or one hold-down mask connected to the at least one clamping element. The hold-down systems are designed to be smaller in one spatial direction X than along the two other spatial directions YZ, namely with an extension in spatial direction X that is at most half of the largest extension in spatial direction YZ, preferably at most one third. Furthermore, the hold-down systems can be individually controlled and individually adjusted in terms of force or displacement, and the clamping array itself, either as a whole or within each of the hold-down systems, has an extraction system.

[0011] Hold-down devices are generally known in the field and are used, for example, in material-to-material joining processes to bring the components to be joined (joining pairs) into contact with one another during the process, i.e. to hold them down together. In a clamping array according to the invention, several hold-down systems are arranged together and can be controlled jointly or individually. This means that the holding down of the individual hold-down devices can be specifically designed through force and / or position control. In this way, several positions on a workpiece can be machined simultaneously, but still individually. By individually controlling the hold-down systems and controlling the force and position, hold-down positions on a workpiece can be omitted or, in the case of unoccupied positions or rows in the workpiece (for example, missing cells in a battery module), a clamping movement can be avoided.

[0012] This distinguishes the clamping array according to the invention from known technical solutions because, on the one hand, no individual hold-down devices are used and several positions can be machined simultaneously and, on the other hand, there is no synchronous control of all elements, i.e. hold-down systems of the clamping array, which does not allow adaptation to a (for example, uneven) workpiece.

[0013] For the cell-individual clamping of connectors on battery cells for laser welding, the hold-down systems are designed such that they are significantly smaller along one spatial direction X than along the other two spatial directions YZ, namely with an extension in spatial direction X that is a maximum of half the largest extension in spatial direction YZ. Preferably, the extension in spatial direction X is a maximum of one third of the largest extension in spatial direction YZ. The at least one clamping element used in the hold-down system of the clamping array according to the invention is preferably a clamping finger, but other designs are also possible, for example clamping brackets or toggle lever clamps.

[0014] The at least one actuator of the hold-down system can be designed, for example, pneumatic, electromechanical, hydraulic, thermomechanical (shape memory actuator with return via, for example, a spring) or piezoelectric.

[0015] Basically, the hold-down systems are designed in such a way that they only perform a short stroke for the hold-down movement, i.e. a movement along the height axis of preferably less than 30 mm, which achieves the hold-down.

[0016] In addition, the hold-down system has at least one hold-down mask, which can be present individually or integrated into the clamping element.

[0017] The hold-down system can also be equipped with a portable extraction system, which can also be used for the entire clamping array. This means that the extraction can be globally applied to all individual hold-down devices, or it can be designed so that each individual hold-down device has its own extraction system.

[0018] Individual extraction systems can be combined at the clamping array level and connected to a common extraction unit.

[0019] The free opening of the clamping array of hold-down systems is oriented in the direction of the joining module, for example in the direction of a laser optics of a welding module.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment of the clamping array according to the invention with hold-down systems, the hold-down systems are positioned arbitrarily relative to one another along the spatial direction X. The hold-down systems can be positioned in any configuration relative to one another along the short spatial direction X. This allows for the holding down of connections that are close together along the short spatial direction of the clamping system, for example, with center-to-center distances of the joints of 10 mm - 100 mm, 10 mm - 50 mm, or 10 mm - 30 mm. Using the example of joining processes on battery modules, joints that are closer together than the outer diameter of an individual cell can thus be processed.

[0021] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, using one or more clamping arrays according to the invention, comprising the positioning of the clamping array and the joining pairs, the holding down and the material-to-material joining.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, at least two clamping arrays according to the invention are used.

[0023] For the desired joining processes, one or more, preferably two, clamping arrays, which in turn consist of several individual hold-down systems, can be used simultaneously. When using two arrays, the work is particularly alternating. This means that one array holds down and a joining process is performed, while the other is offset.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the workpiece is stationary and the clamping array(s) and one or more joining modules are moved over the workpiece for processing.

[0025] The clamping arrays with their hold-down systems (any number per clamping array) are moved to the joining position and clamp the joining partners at the respective joining points. Furthermore, the joining module, for example, an optics unit from a welding module for laser processing, is moved over the workpiece. Joining occurs either statically, intermittently, or in a single pass.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the clamping arrays are moved individually. The controls are independent of one another, thus enabling alternating operation.

[0027] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the clamping array(s) and one or more joining modules are stationary, and the workpiece is moved for processing. This means that a moving workpiece is processed with one or more stationary clamping arrays and one or more stationary joining modules. The workpiece is continuously moved, for example, by one clamping row of the workpiece, and temporarily remains stationary for the joining processes.

[0028] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the workpiece and clamping array(s) are moved together during the joining process and then individually moved to new positions. This means that a moving workpiece is processed with one or more clamping arrays and one or more joining modules. The workpiece does not remain stationary for the joining process, and the clamping arrays are moved along with it. The movement of the clamping arrays occurs in such a way that they move to the position of the workpiece to be held down, touch down there, hold down, and are moved along with the workpiece movement using their own axis. After processing, the clamping is released, and the clamping array moves to the next location, counter to the workpiece movement.The clamping array can, if necessary, perform an additional stroke perpendicular to the workpiece's travel movement. In this embodiment, a combination of at least two clamping arrays can be advantageously used, allowing work to be carried out within the other clamping array while one clamping array is being moved. The joining module(s) can be fixed or movable in this embodiment.

[0029] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the hold-down systems of the clamping arrays clamp or release the tension either all simultaneously, in groups, array-wise, or individually. This means that, depending on the requirements, the control can be adapted to the prevailing conditions and kept as simple as possible, but also as individual as necessary for an optimal joining result.

[0030] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, parallelization takes place in that at least one other clamping array or a workpiece is moved to a new position during the clamping of at least one clamping array.

[0031] While one clamping array is in use in a joining process, a second or several additional clamping arrays can be moved or relocated to a new position and / or initiate the holding down of the joining pairs there. The sequence is preferably controlled so that one clamping array is clamped while the other(s) are released and moved to a new position.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for holding down joining pairs during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the sequence of the hold-down positions is freely designed.

[0033] However, with the free design of the hold-down positions, collisions between the individual clamping arrays must be avoided at all costs. Furthermore, the sequence of clamping arrays should be sequenced in such a way that there is always a free space at a joining position for the relaxed clamping array. Thus, the relocation of one clamping array does not have to be delayed until the other clamping array is released, thus avoiding waiting times in the process. Furthermore, the invention relates to a use of the clamping array according to the invention consisting of hold-down systems for producing at least five material-to-material connections, preferably at least 10 material-to-material connections, in particular at least 100 material-to-material connections, between joining pairs within a workpiece.

[0034] The use of the clamping array of hold-down systems according to the invention enables the material-to-material joining of many, even closely spaced, joints (e.g., center-to-center distances of 10 mm to 100 mm) as well as a short cycle time. Such a cycle time is, for example, less than 1 s per joining process, in particular less than 0.2 s per joining process.

[0035] In an advantageous embodiment, the use of the clamping array of hold-down systems according to the invention serves to produce material-locking connections between flexible joining partners with wall thicknesses of less than 3 mm, preferably less than 2 mm, particularly preferably 0.1 mm - 2 mm.

[0036] The material of the workpiece itself and the joining partner is arbitrary (within the scope specified by the joining process).

[0037] In a further advantageous embodiment, the use of the clamping array of hold-down systems according to the invention serves to produce material-locking connections between joining partners, wherein material-locking joining is carried out by means of laser welding and laser optics, preferably a galvo scanner system.

[0038] Laser optics allow for a quick and easy transition of the welding process from one joining position to the next. In particular, laser optics consisting of a galvo scanner system allows for very rapid switching between joining positions by deflecting the deflection mirrors.

[0039] In a further advantageous embodiment, the use of the clamping array of hold-down systems according to the invention serves for the material-to-material joining, in particular welding, in particular laser welding, of connectors, in particular cell connectors for battery cells or battery modules.

[0040] The use is not limited to the above-mentioned designs, but can be used for other material-bonded joining processes (e.g. resistance welding, gas pressure welding, friction welding, diffusion welding, ultrasonic welding, explosive welding, electron beam welding) as well as for other joining systems.

[0041] Advantages of the invention

[0042] The focus of the present invention is the minimization of idle times during the individual clamping of individual joints through a new approach to the configuration of hold-down systems and a method for sequencing clamping and joining functions. Furthermore, the clamping array according to the invention addresses the problems that arise with prior art devices due to increasing material thicknesses and the associated necessary hold-down forces, the growing number of joining positions per workpiece (in particular the growing number of cells per battery module), and the one-sided position of battery poles (in joining processes on battery systems). In the specific case of cell connector welding for battery modules, many closely spaced individual welds must be reliably produced in a short cycle time. To ensure the quality of the weld, the joining partner must be held down and thus clamped onto the battery poles.Clamping all joints of the system simultaneously leads to very high forces, which are detrimental to the system technology and the battery system.

[0043] The design of the hold-down system used in the clamping array according to the invention makes it possible to hold down closely spaced joining pairs, in particular with center-to-center distances of 10 mm - 100 mm, preferably 10 mm - 50 mm, and particularly preferably 10 mm - 30 mm. The clamping array according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously when the joining pairs are arranged in a dense pack—specifically, not in two rows, but in multiple rows in a matrix arrangement (e.g., 7x26) of joints. The hold-down systems can be positioned relative to one another in any desired configuration along the short spatial direction and thus hold down connections that are closely spaced along the short spatial direction of the clamping system (cf. the above-mentioned center-to-center distances), for example, closer than the outer diameter of an individual cell in a battery module.

[0044] The hold-down systems in the clamping array according to the invention are all individually controllable and can be adjusted in terms of force and / or displacement. This allows joining points to be omitted if necessary, or, in the case of unoccupied joining points, a hold-down movement can be avoided.

[0045] The force- and / or position-adjustable operation of at least one clamping element enables adaptation to height tolerances, which can negatively impact the homogeneous distribution of clamping forces in conventional systems. This effect is avoided by the hold-down systems used, which use individually adjustable hold-down. Hold-down is achieved by an individual hold-down actuator for each joint, which can be operated with force and / or position control as needed depending on the prevailing conditions in order to achieve the optimal clamping state without overloading the surrounding system technology. At the same time, the use of adjustable hold-down force per joining pair improves the quality of the joining process and faulty joining processes (misjoinings) can be minimized.

[0046] A further advantage of the invention is the possibility of minimizing non-productive times in the hold-down process by parallelizing the hold-down across a large number of individual hold-down systems, as well as a method for alternating clamping using two or more clamping arrays. This means that while a joining process is being carried out on one clamping array, a second or more additional clamping arrays can be moved or offset to a new position and / or initiate the hold-down of the joining pairs. This means that after one joining process is completed, the joining process on the next clamping array can begin immediately. In parallel, the previous joining pairs are released, the clamping array is offset, and then re-clamped at the next joining position. This preferably takes place within the time required for the other clamping array(s) to join the joining pairs. This process is repeated until all joining pairs have been welded.

[0047] In addition, the compact design of the hold-down system according to the invention also promotes a reduction in downtime, as it enables the simultaneous individual clamping and unclamping of many individual joining pairs. This high dynamic performance during clamping and unclamping, as well as during the repositioning of the hold-down system, due to the compact design, thus also reduces the overall cycle times when using the hold-down system. Such a cycle time is, for example, less than 1 s per joining process, in particular less than 0.2 s per joining process.

[0048] Furthermore, the modularity of the hold-down systems and the clamping arrays according to the invention is particularly advantageous, as it allows for a high degree of reusability of the clamping arrays across different types of workpieces and regardless of the detailed configuration of the product to be manufactured. Likewise, the individual controllability of the individual hold-down devices ensures that different component configurations can be joined without any changeover process and without making any changes to the clamping array itself.

[0049] The generalization of the hold-down systems on the one hand and the individual controllability on the other allow the processing of a wide range of parts on a single clamping array system or station. The clamping technology can thus remain the same for the entire range of parts, while the control can be loaded and adapted based on a product identification.

[0050] Finally, the clamping array according to the invention offers the advantageous possibility of arranging the hold-down systems in a way that allows for materially bonded joining at large angles of incidence - compared to those usual in the field - and thus achieves greater flexibility with regard to process control. The free opening of the clamping array of hold-down systems is oriented towards the joining module (e.g., laser optics). Such a design enables maximization of the joining speed, in particular a welding speed, due to the wide free beam angles of incidence on the joining pair. Due to reflection, typical beam angles of incidence during joining processes are in the range of up to 15° deviation from the normal. In the clamping array according to the invention, angles of incidence in the range of at least 0° to 25° are possible, and in some designs even wider ranges.

[0051] Overall, the solution proposed according to the invention results in a high degree of flexibility with regard to the range of components, a minimization of idle times and a minimization of the total force acting on battery modules or battery cells.

[0052] Short description of the drawings

[0053] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings and the following description.

[0054] They show:

[0055] Figure 1 shows a schematic structure for an inventive use of two clamping arrays comprising hold-down systems for machining a workpiece to be joined; and

[0056] Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the clamping array comprising seven hold-down systems.

[0057] Embodiments of the invention

[0058] In the following description of the embodiments of the invention, identical or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, whereby a repeated description of these elements is omitted in individual cases. The figures only schematically illustrate the subject matter of the invention.

[0059] Figure 1 shows a schematic structure for an inventive

[0060] Use of two clamping arrays 10 comprising hold-down systems 12 for

[0061] Machining of a workpiece to be joined 36. The exact structure and arrangement of the components is not decisive and is shown as an example.

[0062] The system shown shows two clamping arrays 10 each comprising six hold-down systems 12, connected to a carrier element 18, a workpiece 36 - here a battery cell 37 - and a joining module 42 - here a welding module 42 comprising a laser optics 46.

[0063] It is fundamental that the hold-down systems 12 are designed to be smaller in one spatial direction X 14 than along the two other spatial directions YZ 15, namely with an extension in the spatial direction X 14 that is at most half of the largest extension in the spatial direction YZ 15, preferably at most one-third. The free opening of the clamping array 10 of hold-down systems 12 is oriented in the direction of the joining module 42, which allows for wide free angles of incidence 44 (at least 0° - 25°) for the joining process, which are defined as the angle between the laser beam 47 and the solder. This allows for material-to-material joining at large angles of incidence - compared to those customary in the field - and thus achieves greater flexibility with regard to process control.

[0064] For the method according to the invention or the use according to the invention, the clamping arrays 10 with their hold-down systems 12 (in principle any number of hold-down systems 12 per clamping array 10) are moved to the hold-down position 13 and hold down the joining partners 33. The movement or displacement takes place in the illustrated direction of movement 11 of the clamping array 10. Using the example of the battery cell 37, connectors 38, in particular cell connectors 39, are held down on a pole 34 of a battery cell 37 in the battery system or both poles 34 simultaneously with the aid of the clamping array 10 and then joined. Cell connector 39 and pole 34 form the joining pair 32 here. The material-to-material joining takes place either statically, in a cycled manner, or in a single pass.

[0065] While a joining process is being carried out on one clamping array 10, the second clamping array 10 - or even several further clamping arrays 10 - can be moved or offset to a next, new joining or hold-down position 13 or can initiate the holding down of the joining pairs 32. After the first joining process (for example on the left) is completed, the next joining process on the other clamping array 10 (for example on the right) can begin immediately. In parallel, the joining pairs 32 (for example on the left) are then released, the clamping array 10 is offset and re-tensioned at the next joining position. This preferably takes place within the time required for the clamping array 10 (for example on the right) to join the joining pairs 32 with a material bond. This process is repeated until all joining pairs 32 have been joined.

[0066] Since the hold-down devices 12 can be controlled individually, if joining positions are missing or unoccupied (for example, missing / unoccupied individual cells or cell rows), the corresponding hold-down systems 12 can be omitted during clamping.

[0067] The joining process can be changed from left to right, for example, using the joining module 42 (welding module). For example, in a welding module 42, preferably using a laser optics 46, preferably consisting of a galvo scanner system, it is possible to quickly jump back and forth between the welding positions by deflecting the deflection mirrors. This minimizes downtime in the hold-down process by parallelizing the hold-down process across a plurality of hold-down systems 12, on the one hand, and by the method of alternating clamping using two or more clamping arrays 10, on the other.

[0068] Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the clamping array 10 with seven hold-down systems 12, which is intended to illustrate in particular the arrangement and connection of the hold-down systems 12 in the clamping array 10. The components of the hold-down system 12 shown are a support element 18, an actuator 22, a guide system 26 in the illustrated guide direction 27, and a clamping element 20, which is connected to the actuator 22 and the (optional) guide and on which the hold-down mask 24 and the suction channel 30 for suction 28 in the suction direction 29 are also located.

[0069] Due to the significantly smaller design of the hold-down systems 12 in spatial direction X 14 than along the two other spatial directions YZ 15, namely with an extension in spatial direction X 14 that is a maximum of half the largest extension in spatial direction YZ 15, a close arrangement of the hold-down systems 12 along the direction of movement 11 of the clamping array 10 is possible. In this way, the clamping array 10 can hold down many, even closely spaced, hold-down positions 13 or joining points simultaneously for a joining process. For an optimal joining result, the hold-down systems 12 of the clamping array 10 can be individually controlled and their force and / or displacement can be individually adjusted. This allows a specific response to irregularities in the workpiece 36, for example tolerances in the height profile or unoccupied joining points.Furthermore, the clamping array 10 is characterized by its modular design, both for the clamping array 10 itself, consisting of virtually any arrangement of hold-down systems 12, and for the individual hold-down systems 12, which are composed of various, individually combinable and interchangeable components. Finally, several clamping arrays 10 according to the invention can be used in a system for joining processes in order to process a large number of joining points in a short cycle time.

[0070] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described here and the aspects highlighted therein. Rather, numerous modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, which are within the scope of one skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims 1. A clamping array (10) comprising hold-down systems (12) for joining pairs (32) of a workpiece (36) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, the hold-down systems (12) each comprising at least one clamping element (20), at least one actuator (22) for controllably holding down the joining pair (32) by means of the at least one clamping element (20), at least one individual hold-down mask (24) or one hold-down mask connected to the at least one clamping element (20), wherein the hold-down systems (12) are designed to be smaller in one spatial direction X (14) than along the two other spatial directions YZ (15), namely with an extension in the spatial direction X (14) that is at most half of the largest extension in the spatial direction YZ (15), preferably at most one third; the hold-down systems (12) are individually controllable and individually adjustable in terms of force or displacement; and the clamping array (10) itself as a whole or within each of the hold-down systems (12) has a suction device (28).

2. Clamping array (10) comprising hold-down systems (12) according to claim 1, wherein the hold-down systems (12) are positioned arbitrarily relative to one another along the spatial direction X (14).

3. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, using one or more clamping arrays (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, comprising positioning the clamping array (10) and the joining pairs (32), holding them down and the material-to-material joining.

4. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to claim 3, wherein at least two clamping arrays (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2 are used.

5. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the workpiece (36) is stationary and the clamping array(s) (10) and one or more joining modules (42) are moved over the workpiece (36) for processing.

6. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the clamping arrays (10) are moved individually.

7. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the clamping array(s) (10) and one or more joining modules (42) are stationary and the workpiece (36) is moved for processing.

8. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the workpiece (36) and clamping array(s) (10) are moved together during the joining process and are then moved individually into new positions.

9. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the hold-down systems (12) of the clamping arrays (10) either all clamp or relax simultaneously in groups, array-wise or individually.

10. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to one of claims 3 to 9, wherein parallelization is carried out by at least one clamping array (10) being clamped. another clamping array (10) or a workpiece (36) is moved to a new position.

11. Method for holding down joining pairs (32) during material-to-material joining processes, in particular welding processes, according to one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the sequence of the hold-down positions (13) is freely designed.

12. Use of the clamping array (10) from hold-down systems (12) according to one of claims 1 or 2 for producing at least five material-locking connections, preferably at least 10 material-locking connections, in particular at least 100 material-locking connections between joining pairs (32) within a workpiece (36).

13. Use of the clamping array (10) from hold-down systems (12) according to one of claims 1 or 2 for producing material-locking connections between flexible joining partners (33) with wall thicknesses of less than 3 mm, preferably less than 2 mm, particularly preferably 0.1 mm - 2 mm.

14. Use of the clamping array (10) from hold-down systems (12) according to one of claims 1 or 2 for producing material-locking connections between joining partners (33), wherein material-locking joining is carried out by means of laser welding and laser optics (46), preferably a galvo scanner system.

15. Use of the clamping array (10) from hold-down systems (12) according to one of claims 1 or 2 for the material-to-material joining, in particular welding, in particular laser welding, of connectors (38), in particular cell connectors (39) for battery cells (37) or battery modules.

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