Brazing device and process

Abstract

The invention relates to a soldering device for soldering components and includes a linear unit designed to move a component placed on it along a direction, an optical measuring unit with a detection area oriented towards a portion of the linear unit, for measuring a component placed on the linear unit, and a soldering unit designed to solder a first component of the component, preferably a ball, with a second component of the component, preferably a wire.

Description

Title of the invention: Brazing device and method

[0001] The present invention relates to a brazing method and device.

[0002] In modern manufacturing techniques, precision and reliability are of crucial importance, particularly in safety-critical applications such as aviation. Brazing processes play an important role in the manufacture of components, such as those used in electrohydraulic servovalves (EHSVs). These valves are typically used to control flight control surfaces in aircraft, where high precision and reliability are essential.

[0003] According to the prior art, the individual components of a soldering assembly are manually inserted into a soldering device. There is no monitoring of the correct position and accuracy of the components relative to each other, which can lead to a high error rate. Before the soldering process begins, an oxygen-deficient atmosphere must be created, resulting in high consumption of protective gases. The component is then heated to a predetermined temperature to perform the soldering process. Once the process is complete, the component must cool down, which also takes time. The entire soldering process is supervised by an employee who must then check the results of the soldering.

[0004] This approach has several drawbacks, such as unit production, long waiting times per component, high consumption of protective gas, and the lack of automated process and output control. This not only affects the efficiency of the production process but also leads to a high scrap rate, which increases production costs and negatively impacts the quality of the final products.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve these problems and to enable a reliable, efficient and fully automated brazing process, which maintains position and dimensional tolerances and minimizes the consumption of consumables.

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to provide a device and a brazing method that overcome, or at least mitigate, the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above. This is achieved with a device according to the invention and a method according to the invention.

[0007] The soldering device according to the invention for soldering components comprises a linear unit, designed to move a component placed on it back and forth along a direction, an optical measuring unit with a detection area oriented towards a portion of the linear unit, for measuring a component placed on the linear unit, and a brazing unit, designed to braze a first component, preferably a nozzle tube, with a second component, preferably a wire.

[0008] The new soldering process enables reliable and automated soldering of a component, in which a wide positional and dimensional tolerance is maintained using the optical measuring unit. The soldering device according to the invention allows for a fully automated process with integrated monitoring of the results.

[0009] Typically, the component to be brazed comprises a first component and a second component that must be assembled. Generally, the two components are metallic and are joined together using brazing alloy. This is done by heating the components to be joined to a temperature below their melting point. A brazing material, usually also a metal or a metal alloy, placed in the area where the two components will be joined, has a lower melting point. Therefore, when the components, which are also usually metallic, are heated, the brazing material liquefies and penetrates the spaces in the connection area, so that after cooling, a connection between the two components to be brazed is established.

[0010] It may be provided that the component, which consists of at least two elements, is already arranged in such a way that only heating the component is necessary to carry out the brazing process. In other words, the arrangement of the various components to be brazed, as well as the necessary brazing material, may already be in the correct position, so that the brazing process can be initiated by the supply of thermal energy to the component.

[0011] According to an optional modification of the present invention, the soldering unit may be provided to be a soldering inductor which heats the components of the component to be assembled using induction.

[0012] A soldering inductor is a tool that uses electromagnetic induction to heat the components of the component quickly and precisely, melting the solder and joining the components together. The soldering inductor generates a high-frequency electromagnetic field that induces eddy currents in the metallic components of the component and thus heats them without direct contact.

[0013] The non-contact application of thermal energy to the components being heated is also advantageous because once the arrangement of the various components is established, it cannot be moved by applying force with a conventional soldering iron. Therefore, the mounting of the components to be brazed can be designed to be less robust than would be the case with a brazing unit that requires physical contact for heat transfer.

[0014] According to another advantageous modification of the present invention, the soldering device may be provided to further comprise a detection unit for determining a temperature and / or atmospheric composition in the area of ​​the component to be brazed.

[0015] The detection unit is therefore used to determine the temperature and / or the composition of the atmosphere in the area of ​​the component in order to perform a soldering process reproducibly. Thus, by determining the temperature, it is possible to prevent excessive heating of the components of the component to be assembled, which could lead to damage. Furthermore, it prevents heating the components below a predefined threshold, which would result in insufficient solder liquefaction and a degraded connection.

[0016] The same applies to determining the atmosphere surrounding the component to be brazed. Here too, with regard to reproducibility and consistently good results, deviations in the atmosphere during the brazing process should be avoided as much as possible, as this would lead to inconsistent and unrepeatable brazing processes. Detecting the prevailing atmosphere during brazing can also be used for a subsequent optimization step, which allows the best possible atmosphere for brazing the component to be deduced based on the brazing results obtained. Naturally, a corresponding evaluation with regard to temperature is also covered by the invention.

[0017] According to another advantageous modification of the present invention, it further comprises a shielding unit, which surrounds the component before brazing and serves to protect it from an ambient atmosphere rich in oxygen, more particularly where the shielding unit is a glass tube.

[0018] To create an optimal atmosphere for soldering, a shielding unit is provided, which surrounds the component to be soldered during the soldering process. In order to expel the normal ambient atmosphere, whose high oxygen content hinders optimal soldering results, from the area near the soldering process, a protective medium is generally injected inside the shielding unit to keep the normal ambient atmosphere away from the soldering point.

[0019] The shielding unit, which can for example be made of glass and is notably designed as a glass tube, therefore serves as a separating medium between the normal ambient atmosphere and an area in which the added protective medium prevails during a brazing process.

[0020] A positive effect of using the shielding unit is the reduction of the consumption of consumables, such as the protective medium, to a minimum.

[0021] According to another optional modification of the present invention, it may be provided that a dispensing unit for a protective medium, more particularly for a flux or for a protective gas, is intended to minimize the oxidation that occurs during brazing.

[0022] Oxygen present in normal ambient atmosphere affects the quality of brazed joints by causing oxidation of the metal surfaces. These oxide layers prevent effective wetting and flow of the brazing alloy, leading to poor-quality and unreliable connections. Furthermore, oxidation can cause porosity and other structural weaknesses in the brazed joint, impairing its mechanical and electrical integrity.

[0023] The protective medium may also be in gaseous form as a protective gas and, for example, comprise or consist of argon or nitrogen, in order to protect the brazing point from oxygen.

[0024] According to another optional modification of the present invention, the distribution unit can be provided to interact with the shielding unit in such a way that the component surrounded by the shielding unit is surrounded / swept by the protective medium, so that a brazing process can be carried out inside the protective medium in a protective atmosphere thus created. As explained above, this serves primarily to protect the brazing point from oxygen, which is detrimental to the brazed connection.

[0025] According to another advantageous improvement of the present invention, the brazing unit may be provided to have a U-shaped recess, in which the component to be brazed is to be disposed during a brazing process.

[0026] In particular, when the soldering unit is designed as a soldering inductor, it is advantageous to position the shielding unit close to the component's solder connection point, so that the soldering unit generates heat from the component through the shielding unit. In other words, the shielding unit is positioned between the component's solder connection point and the soldering unit, which has the advantage that the amount of protective medium required is significantly less than that of a larger protective atmosphere. Finally, only the interior of the shielding unit in the immediate vicinity of the component's solder connection point needs to be exposed to the protective atmosphere, resulting in considerable savings in protective medium consumption.

[0027] According to an advantageous development, it can further be provided that the shielding unit surrounding the component to be brazed is arranged inside the U-shaped recess of the brazing unit during a brazing process. The two arms of the brazing unit are arranged on an outer side of the shielding unit, while the brazing point of the component is located inside the shielding unit, so that a straight connection from the brazing point to an arm of the brazing unit passes through the shielding unit.

[0028] According to another advantageous modification of the present invention, it may be provided that the soldering unit is designed to perform the soldering of the component in the detection area of ​​the optical measuring unit.

[0029] Not only is it possible to place the component in the detection zone before the start of the soldering process, so that a measurement by the optical measuring unit can determine whether the individual components are correctly arranged relative to each other, but a measurement can also be taken after the soldering process to verify the correct result. It is advantageous for the soldering process to be carried out within the detection zone of the optical measuring unit, because after the soldering process is complete, the linear unit does not have to move to transfer the soldered component to a detection zone. Both the soldering process and the verification of the soldering result are therefore faster.

[0030] According to another optional improvement of the present invention, it may be provided that a fixing is provided, which fixes the components to be brazed from the component, preferably where a braze is also already disposed at a connection point of the components to be brazed.

[0031] Therefore, the individual components of the component are aligned with respect to each other in a fixture, the solder joint being advantageously pre-fixed at the connection point, and then placed on the linear unit. The linear unit is then able to transfer the fixed component into a detection zone to verify whether the individual components are indeed correctly aligned with respect to each other. If so, the component is soldered using the soldering unit, so that the two components are securely joined. Subsequently, the optical measuring unit can be used to verify whether the soldering process has produced the desired result.

[0032] According to another advantageous modification of the present invention, it may be provided that a parts support is provided for the placement of at least one component on the linear unit, which is removably coupled to the linear unit.

[0033] For the rapid brazing of several components, it is recommended to use a parts holder that supports at least one component, preferably multiple components to be brazed. Thus, in a preparation step, the individual components of the component can already be fixed, and the fixed component can be inserted into a specific parts holder so that, when a brazing process is to be carried out, the parts holder containing the several components can be placed on the linear unit. The linear unit then moves the parts holder or the components arranged in the parts holder as described above and ensures that the component(s) are brazed. In the presence of several components, the The brazing process is performed step by step for each of the components arranged in the parts holder.

[0034] The invention further relates to a method for brazing components, more particularly with a brazing device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: placing a component on a linear unit, preferably where the component has a first component, such as a nozzle tube, and a second component, such as a wire; measuring the component by an optical measuring unit and verifying the accuracy and / or dimensional conformity of the component with respect to predefined target values; providing a shielding unit to receive the component and to shield the component from an ambient atmosphere; positioning the brazing unit to perform a brazing process on the component in order to braze the first and second components of the component; distributing a protective medium inside the shielding unit, in which the component to be brazed is disposed.in order to create a protective atmosphere in the shielding unit, brazing the first component supported by the brazing unit with the second component placed on the linear unit using the brazing unit, and performing an optical dimension check of the brazed component by the optical measuring unit, and preferably, storing the measurement results obtained by the optical measuring unit after optical dimension control in a file for documentation purposes.

[0035] Thanks to the method according to the invention, a fully automated soldering process can be implemented, capable of processing a large number of components to be soldered in a short time. Furthermore, the system's internal controls, for example implemented using the optical measuring unit and the measurement steps performed with it, ensure reliable process execution, verifying the correct soldering of the component. In addition, the provision of the shielding unit, which is advantageously arranged between the arms of a soldering inductor, significantly reduces the space required for supplying a protective medium, thus decreasing the consumption of this medium.

[0036] According to an improvement of the process according to the invention, it may be provided that, based on the measurement of the component before and / or after the execution of the brazing process, the component is sorted or the following steps are carried out with the respective component.

[0037] The measurement of the component not yet brazed by the optical measuring unit or the measurement of the component brazed by the optical measuring unit serves on the one hand to ensure that the individual components of the component not yet brazed are correctly arranged with respect to each other, and on the other hand to verify whether the desired brazing result also corresponds to the target specifications.

[0038] According to another optional modification of the present invention, it may be provided that the protective atmosphere generated in the shielding unit is monitored using a detection unit, and / or that the temperature of the component used during a soldering process is monitored using a detection unit.

[0039] According to another advantageous modification of the present invention, it may be provided that the movements made by the linear unit for the placement of the component, a result of a measurement of the component before the soldering process, the composition of the protective atmosphere during the execution of the soldering process, the temperature of the component during the soldering process and / or a result of a measurement of the component after the soldering process are stored, so that based on this, the soldering process can be optimized using an optimization algorithm, which is preferably based on artificial intelligence.

[0040] Thus, based on the data collected, the soldering process can be optimized using an optimization algorithm by examining the individual data collected against the desired soldering result and by analyzing and recognizing the deviations in the data that led to an improvement or deterioration of the soldering result.

[0041] Other features, details and advantages of the invention are presented below with reference to the descriptions in the figures which show: [Fig.1]: a schematic representation of a brazing device according to the invention in perspective view, and [Fig.2a]- and 2b: a schematic representation of an implementation of the process according to the invention. [Fig.2a], [Fig.2b]: a schematic representation of an implementation of the process according to the invention.

[0042] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a soldering device 10 according to the present invention.

[0043] The linear unit 1 is recognized, on which several components 6 are placed in a parts holder 4. The components 6 have several components to be brazed which can already be fixed in their brazing orientation and arranged in the parts holder 4. The required brazing material can also already be arranged at the connection point of the components.

[0044] The linear unit 1 is able to move the several components back and forth in a direction, the path of movement of the linear unit 1 intersecting a Optical measuring unit 2 has a detection zone. This unit can now accurately measure component 6, located within its detection zone, with respect to its dimensions and positioning relative to the soldering unit. The measurement of component 6, which consists of several parts to be assembled, can also be used to verify that the individual components are correctly positioned relative to one another, thus increasing the probability of a successful soldering result.

[0045] Furthermore, the soldering device 10 according to the invention has a soldering unit 3, which is designed to solder a component disposed on the linear unit 1. Typically, the soldering unit 3 is able to perform a movement along a single axis of movement, so that the correct positioning of the component 6 to be soldered is of great importance with the help of the linear unit 1.

[0046] According to an advantageous embodiment of the soldering device 10, the soldering process also takes place within the detection zone of the optical measuring unit 2, for example, to perform a measurement of the soldered component after soldering, in which the assembled components have been soldered, in order to determine whether the assembled component meets predefined dimensional specifications or exceeds acceptable tolerances. Thus, after a soldering process, the optical measuring unit 2 can verify relatively quickly whether a desired result in terms of the accuracy of the arrangement of the individual components has been achieved or not.

[0047] Furthermore, a shielding unit 5 is recognized, which serves to protect the brazing area of ​​the two components of component 6 from the ambient atmosphere. For example, this shielding unit 5 may be made of glass, for example a glass tube or similar, and constitutes a barrier between an artificially created protective atmosphere, in which brazing gives better results, and the ambient atmosphere, which is typically rich in oxygen.

[0048] Reference number 7 designates a distribution unit for a protective medium, in which the brazing process is improved compared to the ambient atmosphere. Typically, the protective medium can also be designed as a protective gas, which may contain argon and / or nitrogen or be composed of these components, so that its introduction into the shielding unit to replace the ambient atmosphere is easily implemented.

[0049] The soldering unit 3 shown is designed as a soldering inductor, in which the tip of the inductor consists of a flat element which has a U-shaped recess.

[0050] If the component to be brazed with its two components to be fixed to each other is brought into the U-shaped recess of the tip of the inductor, an electromagnetic field induces heat in the components to be brazed of component 6. After reaching a temperature threshold, the solder material melts, so that the two components are fixed to each other.

[0051] The advantage of this design is that the shielding unit, for example a glass tube or similar, can also be inserted into the recess in the tip of the inductor, so that only a very small area around the point of connection of the two components needs to be exposed to the protective medium. This considerably reduces the consumption of the protective medium, so that significant cost savings are achievable.

[0052] A higher control unit, not shown, is connected to both the linear unit 1, the optical measuring unit 2, and the soldering unit 3, and stores the respective parameters of the various settings and actions of the soldering device 10 during a soldering operation. This information can then be used to perform an optimization algorithm aimed at improving the soldering process. The optimization algorithm can operate using artificial intelligence and autonomously optimize the settings and actions of the soldering device 10.In addition to the positioning of component 6 performed by linear unit 1, the temperature of individual components during the soldering process, the results of the optical measuring unit obtained before and after a soldering process and / or the composition of the protective medium during the soldering process can also be stored and used for optimization or archived in a file for documentation purposes.

[0053] Figures 2a and 2b show a flow diagram of the brazing process according to the invention, the flow diagram being divided into two pages of different figures 2a and 2b because of its size.

[0054] First, a specific program for brazing two components of a component is selected, and a parts holder 4 is equipped according to the installation specifications. The parts holder can interact with the linear unit during the process, so that the linear unit is able to move the components arranged in the parts holder 4. Once the parts holder 4 is filled and inserted into the installation, the machine operating according to the process begins the brazing process.

[0055] First, the first component is moved to a predetermined position, in which the optical measuring unit has its detection zone.

[0056] In a first step, the linear unit 1 is actuated and moves a component disposed therein into the detection zone of the optical measuring unit 2.

[0057] Next, using the optical measuring unit, the component, for example a nozzle tube and a solder wire, is checked for accuracy and dimensional conformity, so that it can be determined whether or not the component is within the predefined tolerance limits. If it is not, this leads to sorting or verification. of the component, so that a change and manual verification of the sorted component can take place subsequently. If, on the other hand, the dimensional conformity of the first component is correct, which also includes the positioning of the components relative to each other, the shielding unit is positioned so that it essentially receives the component to be brazed.

[0058] Once the shielding unit, for example a glass tube, is put in position, the soldering unit 3 is moved into position so that, when the soldering unit is activated, the temperature of the components to be soldered increases.

[0059] However, before the soldering unit is activated, a protective medium is introduced using the distribution unit into the area defined by the shielding unit, in order to create a protective atmosphere in the area of ​​the connection point to be soldered of the two components of the component, in which a particularly efficient soldering process can be carried out.

[0060] Subsequently, the brazing process is carried out by activating the brazing unit and causing an increase in temperature in the components of the component, so that the brazing material disposed in the connection area melts.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will understand that the solder material can be pre-fixed in the connection area of ​​the two components, but the invention also covers the existence of a device for dispensing the solder material that supplies it to the connection point during the soldering process. Furthermore, during assembly, a solder ring can be provided in the connection area, for example, threaded onto a wire, so that the solder material is already in place before the soldering process.

[0062] After the two components of the component have been brazed, the component cools under the protective atmosphere. After cooling, the brazing unit retracts, the brazing unit being able to retract during cooling or also afterward, so that movement of the brazed component by the linear unit is then possible again.

[0063] Then, after cooling, the brazed component is optically checked by the optical measuring unit 2 for dimensional conformity and correction of the brazing result, the measurement being able, in case of deviation from acceptable tolerances, to lead to the emission of a signal, after which the component is for example checked manually or sorted.

[0064] If, on the other hand, the measurement was satisfactory, that is, if all the parameters are within acceptable tolerance values, the results are documented and stored. The results include various pieces of information and may, for example, include the timing of the soldering process, the temperature of the individual components during soldering, the composition of the protective medium, the duration of the soldering process, the exact position of the soldering unit and the component to be soldered, and the result. measurement of the optical measuring unit before soldering and / or the measurement result of the optical measuring unit after soldering.

[0065] The results or information thus obtained can then be used to optimize the soldering process. This can be done by adjusting the parameters during the operation of the soldering device 10 using machine learning and / or artificial intelligence algorithms.

[0066] Furthermore, after documenting the measurement results, the process checks whether there are other components in the part holder that have not yet been brazed. If so, the linear unit is moved so that the next component is moved into the detection zone of the optical measuring unit 2, so that the brazing process can begin again.

[0067] If, on the other hand, it is found that there are no other components arranged in the parts support 4, the process is complete.

[0068] List of reference points 1 Linear Unit 2 Optical unit of measurement 3 Soldering Unit 4 Parts Support 5 Armor Unit 6 Component 7 Protective medium dispensing unit 10 Soldering device

Claims

Demands

1. Soldering device (10) for soldering components (6), comprising: a linear unit (1), designed to move a component (6) placed on it back and forth along a direction, an optical measuring unit (2) with a detection area oriented towards a portion of the linear unit (1), for measuring a component (6) placed on the linear unit (1), and a soldering unit (3), designed to solder a first component of the component (6), preferably a nozzle tube, with a second component of the component (6), preferably a wire.

2. Soldering device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the soldering unit is a soldering inductor which heats the components of the component (6) to be assembled by induction.

3. Soldering device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a detection unit for determining a temperature and / or composition of the atmosphere in the area of ​​the component (6) to be soldered.

4. Brazing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a shielding unit (5), which surrounds the component (6) prior to brazing and serves to protect it from an oxygen-rich ambient atmosphere, more particularly where the shielding unit (5) is a glass tube.

5. Brazing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a distribution unit (7) for a protective medium, more particularly for a protective flux or gas, in order to minimize the oxidation which occurs during brazing.

6. Soldering device (10) according to claims 4 and 5, wherein the distribution unit (7) interacts with the shielding unit (5) in such a way that the component (6) surrounded by the shielding unit (5) is surrounded / swept by the protective medium, so that a soldering process can be carried out inside the protective medium in a protective atmosphere thus created.

7. A soldering device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the soldering unit has a recess in U-shape, in which the component (6) to be brazed must be arranged during a brazing process.

8. Soldering device (10) according to claim 7, improved with the features of claim 4, wherein the shielding unit (5) surrounding the component (6) to be soldered is disposed inside the U-shaped recess of the soldering unit during a soldering process.

9. Soldering device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the soldering unit (3) is designed to perform the soldering of the component (6) in the detection area of ​​the optical measuring unit (2).

10. Soldering device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a fixing is provided which fixes the components to be soldered to the component (6), preferably where a solder is also already disposed at a connection point of the components to be soldered.

11. Soldering device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a part support (4) is provided for the placement of at least one component (6) on the linear unit (1), which is removably coupled to the linear unit (1).

12. A method for brazing components (6), more particularly with a brazing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: placing a component (6) on a linear unit (1), preferably where the component (6) has a first component, such as a nozzle tube, and a second component, such as a wire; measuring the component (6) by an optical measuring unit (2) and verifying the accuracy and / or dimensional conformity of the component (6) with respect to predefined target values; arranging a shielding unit (5) to receive the component (6) and to shield the component (6) from an ambient atmosphere; positioning the brazing unit to perform a brazing process on the component (6) in order to braze the first component of the component (6) and the second component of the component (6); and distributing a protective medium inside the shielding unit (5).in which the component (6) to be brazed is arranged, in order to create a protective atmosphere in the shielding unit (5), brazing of the first component (6) supported by the brazing unit (3) with the second component (6) placed on the linear unit (1) using the brazing unit (3), and execution of an optical dimension check of the brazed component (6) by the optical measuring unit, and preferably storage of the measurement results obtained by the optical measuring unit (2) after the optical dimension check in a file in order to carry out documentation.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein, based on the measurement of component (6) before and / or after a brazing process, component (6) is sorted or the following steps are carried out with the respective component (6).

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the protective atmosphere generated in the shielding unit (5) is monitored using a detection unit, and / or the temperature of the component (6) increased during a brazing process is monitored using a detection unit.

15. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the movements made by the linear unit (1) for the placement of the component (6), the composition of the protective atmosphere during the execution of the brazing process, the temperature of the component (6) during the brazing process and / or a result of a measurement of the component (6) after the brazing process are stored, so that based on this, the brazing process can be optimized using an optimization algorithm, which is preferably based on artificial intelligence.

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