TIG welding filler rod supply assist jig

Abstract

To solve a problem with a conventional filler rod supply device for supplying a filler rod used in TIG welding to a welding part that the two hands usually need to be moved separately so that workability is deteriorated.SOLUTION: A TIG welding filler rod supply assist jig of the present invention enables a filler rod to be supplied automatically without needing a human operation by using fluid such as compressed air as driving force for supplying a filler rod. A filler rod is arranged in a tube using a light-weight thin rod such as bamboo and light metal for a pillar. The TIG welding filler rod supply assist jig includes a filler rod supply brake for controlling the supply speed, a supply roller for bringing the filler rod to a welding point, and a heating device. Thereby, the filler rod is supplied to the welding point automatically and the supply work can be performed easily.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary jig for automatic feeding of a filler rod used in TIG welding. [Background technology]

[0002] There are various methods for joining metal materials, such as arc welding, brazing, and friction welding, as well as mechanical joining methods using bolts, but TIG welding, one of the metallurgical joining methods, can weld many metal materials, including ferrous materials as well as non-ferrous metals such as stainless steel and aluminum alloys.It is also widely used in manufacturing sites because it can achieve excellent strength while keeping the product weight down.

[0003] TIG welding is a method in which a TIG welding torch with a non-consumable electrode rod attached is held in one hand, and a metal wire called a filler rod is held in the other hand and fed to the weld, where it is melted and welded with the torch.

[0004] Semi-automatic welding methods such as MAG welding and MIG welding, including CO2 welding, use a consumable electrode where the electrode itself melts, so welding can be done with one hand, whereas TIG welding requires the use of both hands, and each hand must make separate movements, so it is generally considered to be a more difficult welding method.

[0005] Therefore, several proposals have been made so far to improve workability regarding filler rod feeders for feeding filler rods used in TIG welding.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-107331, entitled "Filler Rod Feeder," proposes a jig with an elastic rotor and guides on both sides to feed the filler rod easily and accurately. A similar commercially available product is a pen-type feeder that feeds the filler rod by manually rotating the rotor.

[0007] In the "TIG welding device" of JP 10-249530, a method is proposed in which the height of the welding electrode and the base metal is detected by a laser sensor attached to the welding machine body in order to properly maintain and control the feed position of the filler rod, and the height of the welding electrode and the base metal is automatically adjusted based on the detected information to feed the filler rod.

[0008] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-196270, "Automatic Filler Rod Position Control Method," proposes a method in which an arc light detector that monitors and detects the maximum light intensity point of the arc light is attached to the tip used to feed the filler rod, and the deviation of the arc light is automatically corrected by a moving device equipped with a motor. [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-107331 "Welding rod feeding tool" [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 10-249530 "TIG welding device" [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication 60-196270 "Automatic welding rod position control method"

[0009] However, in Patent Document 1, welding is performed while holding a welding torch in one hand and a tool with a filler rod attached in the other, so it is difficult to rotate the rotating body smoothly with hands wearing protective gloves during welding, and as the rotation action occurs, the tip of the filler rod does not hit the intended weld part but shifts, so the work remains difficult.

[0010] Furthermore, since Patent Documents 2 and 3 are intended for automatic welding using robotic welding machines, they cannot be used in places where robotic welding machines cannot be installed or where manual welding is essential, such as when welding objects with complex shapes. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] Therefore, the present invention solves the problem of the workability of the welding worker when feeding the filler rod used in TIG welding to the welded part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] This invention uses a fluid such as compressed air as the driving force for feeding the filler rod, allowing it to be fed automatically without the need for human power. The filler rod is placed in a tube supported by thin, lightweight rods such as bamboo or light metal, and is equipped with a filler rod feed brake to control the feed speed, a feed roller to bring the filler rod to the welding point, and a heating device. These features make it easier for the welding operator to feed the filler rod.

[0013] Claim 1 describes the main configuration of the jig of the present invention, which is a tube supported by thin rods arranged at equal intervals, equipped with an inlet for supplying and exhausting fluids such as compressed air, and a feed roller for guiding the filler rod to the welding point.

[0014] Claim 2 provides a filler rod feed brake in the jig so that the speed of the filler rod, which is naturally pushed out by the fluid, can be manually adjusted. By connecting the jig to a welding torch and electrically connecting an ON / OFF switch for the brake to the welding torch, the filler rod feed speed can be controlled with the simple action of pressing and releasing the switch with one hand. This makes TIG welding possible with one hand. Furthermore, even when holding a welding torch in one hand and a filler rod in the other, as in the past, the filler rod can be fed almost automatically, dramatically improving workability.

[0015] Claim 3 is intended to soften the filler rod by installing a small heating device such as a high-frequency induction heater inside the cylinder, as a hard filler rod would not be able to bend with the feed roller described in claim 1, making it easier to guide with the feed roller.

[0016] Claim 4 relates to bending the filler rod with a feed roller and directing the filler rod toward the welding point, so the tube itself must be flexible and bendable. Therefore, the tube itself is bent by using a bellows structure at the end of the tube or by heating and bending the support. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] By using this invention, it is possible to use existing TIG welding filler rods as they are, and further improve the previously troublesome workability of welding. By attaching the jig of this invention to a welding torch, TIG welding can be done with one hand, or even with both hands, as the work of manually feeding the filler rod becomes significantly easier, improving workability. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention will be described in detail below. The TIG welding filler rod feed auxiliary jig of the present invention feeds the filler rod used in TIG welding using a fluid such as compressed air, and the feed speed can be controlled simply by pressing and releasing a feed brake switch, thereby improving workability during welding.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows the structure of the jig of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows its cross section, FIG. 3 shows the state where it is fixed to the torch when welding with one hand, and FIG. 4 shows the filler rod feed auxiliary jig when welding with both hands.

[0020] This jig 1 consists of lightweight, thin rods 7 made of bamboo, plastic, light metal, etc. arranged at equal intervals in an arc, with a body 2 covered with paper, thin plastic shoji paper, metal foil, etc., surrounding the supports. One end of the tube has an opening 8 through which compressed air or other fluid can be supplied, and for exhaust purposes the middle of the tube (the area 10 between 3 and 4 where there is no body) is left empty of the paper or other material from the body, and one end 5 of the tube is open.

[0021] Furthermore, to adjust the feed speed of the filler rod 6, a feed brake 11 was attached to the cylindrical body 3 using resin or other materials to clamp the filler rod 6. Because strength was required for this portion of the body 3, it was made of metal foil, such as stainless steel or aluminum. An ON / OFF switch 14 was connected to the welding torch 17 via a switch cable 15 so that the feed brake 11, which clamps the filler rod 6, could be opened and closed electrically. Alternatively, it could be driven by a thin wire, like a bicycle brake. As shown in Figure 3, by connecting the jig 1 (Figure 1) to a jig 16 for securing the welding torch 17, one-handed operation is possible. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, if a switch 14 is provided on the jig 1 (Figure 1) itself, the filler rod 6 can be automatically fed, although this requires two-handed operation.

[0022] When pushing the filler rod 6 with a fluid such as compressed air, a rod with a larger cross-sectional area is more susceptible to air resistance and can be pushed out with less air, so a small flat plate can be attached to the tip of the rod to make it more susceptible to air resistance.The fluid does not have to be compressed air either; it can be argon gas used in TIG welding, or any gas used in factories, such as nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, carbon dioxide gas, or helium gas.

[0023] In addition, the material of the feed brake 11 can be other than resin, such as metal, wood, rubber, or a combination of these, with the hardness and slippage adjusted, and by adjusting the clamping force of the filler rod 6, it is possible to weld while sliding the filler rod 6, which will feel closer to current TIG welding.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, if a heating device 12 is installed between the feed brake 11 and the feed roller 13 to soften the filler rod 6 before bending it with the feed roller 13, even hard filler rods can be used. When compressed air is fed into this jig via the fluid supply hose 9 from the fluid supply port 8, the air is exhausted from the middle of the tube, but some air is sent to one end of the tube, so the heated filler rod 6 is cooled and can be handled safely. The heating device 12 can be any type of heating, such as high-frequency induction heating, direct current heating, or heating using electrical resistance, but the body of the surrounding tube 4 is wrapped in stainless steel foil to make it heat-resistant.

[0025] The end 5 of the jig from which the fluid is discharged needs to be bent flexibly so that the filler rod 6 can be directed toward the welding point, so the thin rod 7 serving as the support is heated to create a bend, which bends the tube 5 itself and allows it to maintain its shape. A metal bellows would also work, although it would be heavier.

[0026] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0027] The filler rod feed auxiliary jig 1 for TIG welding of the present invention was fixed to the TIG welding torch 17 to automatically feed the filler rod, and TIG welding was performed with one hand in a downward position. The jig 1 is a cylinder consisting of four 1-meter-long, approximately 2-mm-diameter bamboo poles arranged at equal intervals in a 50-mm-diameter circle to serve as supports 7. The fluid supply port side of the jig 1 is wrapped in plastic shoji paper, the filler rod feed brake is located in the body 3, which is wrapped in 0.1-mm-thick aluminum foil, and the heater is located in the body 4, which is wrapped in 0.1-mm-thick annealed SUS304 stainless steel foil. A feed roller 13 is attached to the end of the body 5, which is where the filler rod feed roller is located on the fluid discharge side. The bamboo was heated over a flame to bend the desired location, ensuring that the filler rod 6 would not come into contact with the bamboo and would be directed toward the welding point. A fluid supply hose 9 was connected to the supply port 8 to supply compressed air at 0.6 MPa. A YS308 filler rod 6 was inserted into the jig 1, and the temperature was adjusted so that the filler rod 6 was heated to approximately 800°C as it passed through the high-frequency induction coil 12. This was because the temperature was set approximately 500°C lower than the melting point of the filler rod to prevent the filler rod 6 from melting. The filler rod 6 was inserted through a filler rod insertion port 18 with a diameter of 5 mm opened in the fluid feed port 8. A bicycle brake pad 11 was attached to the gripper actuator inside the cylinder, and an ON / OFF switch 14 was attached to the welding torch, which opened and closed the gripper with an electrical signal, causing the pad to clamp and release the filler rod 6, thereby adjusting the feed speed of the filler rod 6 while sliding it. Two pieces of stainless steel SUS304, measuring 150 mm x 100 mm and 3 mm thick, were butted together and TIG welding was performed with a root face of 1 mm and a root spacing of 1 mm. The groove angle was 30 o The welding current was 90 A, the shielding gas was argon, and no backing metal was used.

[0028] TIG welding was compared between [1], performed with one hand using the above-mentioned jig 1, and [2], performed without the jig of the present invention, with a TIG welding torch in the right hand and a filler rod in the left hand. The welding worker was a beginner with six months of welding experience. The results showed that the welded material in [1] had a good appearance, with a front bend score of 95 out of 100 and a back bend score of 70 out of 100. On the other hand, in [2], the weld was unstable due to the beginner's condition, and the appearance was poor, with a front bend score of 20 out of 100 and a back bend score of 15 out of 100. Therefore, the effectiveness of the present invention when performed with one hand was demonstrated. [Example]

[0029] The same jig 1 as in Example 1 was used, but welding was performed with both hands, using a TIG welding torch in the right hand and the jig 1 in the left hand. While this appears to be the same as regular TIG welding, the jig 1 held in the left hand is significantly different in that the filler rod 6 is automatically fed. The only difference from Example 1 is that a brake ON / OFF switch 14 was attached to the jig 1 as shown in Figure 4. In Example 1, the switch 14 was attached to the torch 17, so it was turned ON / OFF with the right hand. In Example 2, however, the switch 14 can be turned ON / OFF with the left hand while holding the jig in the left hand, or by holding the jig around the body with a belt or the like, like holding a guitar. This time, the jig was held around the body with a belt.

[0030] TIG welding was compared between two cases [1] performed with both hands using the above-mentioned jig 1 and [2] performed without using the jig of the present invention, with a TIG welding torch in the right hand and a filler rod in the left hand. The welding worker was a beginner with six months of experience. The results showed that the welded material in [1] had a good appearance, with a front bend score of 92 out of 100 and a back bend score of 74 out of 100. On the other hand, in [2], the weld was unstable due to the beginner's condition and had a poor appearance, with a front bend score of 15 out of 100 and a back bend score of 0 out of 100. Therefore, the effectiveness of the present invention was demonstrated even when using both hands. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] The present invention uses a fluid such as compressed air as the driving force for feeding the filler rod, thereby enabling the filler rod to be fed automatically without the need for human power, thereby greatly improving the welding workability of the welding worker and therefore having high industrial applicability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a filler rod feeding auxiliary jig for TIG welding according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a filler rod feed auxiliary jig for TIG welding according to the present invention, which is divided into two equal parts along the filler rod feed shaft. [Figure 3] 1 is a view showing a state in which the filler rod feed auxiliary jig for TIG welding of the present invention is fixed to a welding torch when welding with one hand. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing the state in which a brake ON / OFF switch is attached to the TIG welding filler rod feed auxiliary jig of the present invention when welding with both hands. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 TIG welding filler rod feed auxiliary jig 2. Torso 3 Body section with filler rod feed brake 4. Body part where the heating device is located 5 Body part where filler rod feed roller is placed 6 Filler rod 7 Rod-shaped support 8 Fluid supply port 9 Fluid Supply Hose 10. The area between 3 and 4 where there is no barrel 11 Filler rod feed brake 12 Device for heating filler rods 13 Filler rod feed roller 14 Brake switch 15 Cable 16 Jig for attaching a filler rod feed auxiliary jig for TIG welding 17 TIG welding torch 18 Filler rod insertion port

Claims

1. A filler rod feeding auxiliary jig for TIG welding, characterized in that for automatically feeding a filler rod during TIG welding, the filler rod is placed in a tube supported by a number of thin rods arranged at equal intervals, the tube has a fluid supply port at one end, and fluid exhaust ports at the middle of the length of the tube and at the other end, and a feed roller for guiding the filler rod is attached inside the tube.

2. 2. The TIG welding filler rod feed auxiliary jig according to claim 1, further comprising a filler rod feed brake for controlling the feed speed of the automatically fed filler rod.

3. 3. The TIG welding filler rod feed auxiliary jig according to claim 1, further comprising a filler rod heating device between the feed roller for guiding the filler rod and the feed brake.

4. 4. The TIG welding filler rod feed auxiliary jig according to claim 1, wherein the tube in the vicinity of the outlet for the fluid is bent.

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