Friction stir welding method, clamping and welding device, and welding apparatus

Abstract

A friction stir welding method, comprising: obtaining a composite frame (1), a metal back plate (2) and a metal ring (3), wherein the composite frame (1) comprises a first metal layer (11) and a second metal layer (12); assembling the composite frame (1) and the metal back plate (2) into a whole, the metal back plate (2) being adjacent to the second metal layer (12); covering the composite frame (1) with the metal ring (3) to form a workpiece (30) to be welded; placing said workpiece (30) in a preset area; controlling multi-side simultaneous clamping of said workpiece (30); and performing friction stir welding on the metal ring (3), the second metal layer (12) and the metal back plate (2) by means of a welding tool (40), so as to form a composite plate. The method avoids wear on the welding tool and improves the strength of the composite plate. The present application further relates to a clamping and welding device (100), and a welding apparatus (1000).

Description

Friction stir welding method, clamping welding device and welding equipment

[0001] Priority information

[0002] This application claims priority and benefits to patent application No. 202411049831.8, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on August 1, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of friction stir welding technology, and in particular to a friction stir welding method, a clamping welding device, and welding equipment. Background Technology

[0004] Composite panels such as aluminum-titanium composite panels, aluminum-steel composite panels, and aluminum-copper composite panels are widely used due to their advantages such as corrosion resistance, lightweight and high strength, long service life, and economy. Due to manufacturing process limitations, the thickness of these composite panels is limited. To increase the thickness, aluminum plates can be welded to the aluminum alloy side of the composite panel. Typically, to reduce costs, the thickness of the aluminum alloy in the composite panel needs to be minimized. However, if the aluminum alloy thickness is too small, during the friction stir welding process between the aluminum alloy and the aluminum plate, the shoulder of the stirring head can easily come into contact with the hard metal in the composite panel (such as the titanium alloy in titanium-aluminum composite panels), causing damage to the welding tool. Conversely, if the welding tool uses a small shoulder to avoid contact with the hard metal, insufficient heat generation can easily occur, leading to welding defects and lower weld strength.

[0005] Furthermore, the composite panels require clamping to maintain stability during processing. The back plate must be clamped to the aluminum alloy frame and titanium alloy frame before welding. For clamping molds, the most commonly used method is the inclined guide post core-pulling structure, which typically clamps from both sides and has relatively fixed application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the problems in the related art. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a friction stir welding method, a clamping welding apparatus, and a welding device.

[0007] This application provides a friction stir welding method. The friction stir welding method includes: obtaining a composite frame, a metal back plate, and a metal ring, wherein the composite frame includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer; assembling the composite frame and the metal back plate into a single unit, wherein the metal back plate is adjacent to the second metal layer; covering the composite frame with the metal ring to form the workpiece to be welded; placing the workpiece to be welded in a preset area; controlling the multi-sided synchronous clamping of the workpiece to be welded; and performing friction stir welding on the metal ring, the second metal layer, and the metal back plate using a welding tool to form a composite plate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the metal ring comprises multiple pieces, and the step of covering the composite frame with the metal ring to form the workpiece to be welded includes: covering the multiple metal rings respectively on opposite sides of the composite frame.

[0009] In some embodiments, the step of forming a composite plate by friction stir welding of the metal ring, the second metal layer, and the metal back plate using the welding tool includes: performing friction stir welding of the metal ring, the second metal layer, and the metal back plate using a single-sided friction stir welding process using the welding tool to form the composite plate; or performing friction stir welding of the metal ring, the second metal layer, and the metal back plate using a double-sided friction stir welding process using the welding tool to form the composite plate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the step of performing friction stir welding on the metal ring, the second metal layer, and the metal back plate using the welding tool to form a composite plate includes: using at least one splicing interface as a primary welding interface, and using the splicing interface that is in contact with the primary welding interface and located on the side of the primary welding interface as a secondary welding interface; controlling the welding tool to weld along the primary welding interface and at least partially deviate from the primary welding interface to offset welding towards the secondary welding interface to form the composite plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, the portion of the welding tool welded along the main welding interface forms a stable path, and the portion of the welding tool offset from the main welding interface to the secondary welding interface forms an offset path. The offset path includes an arc path, a ring path, or a combination of one or more of the arc path, the ring path, and a straight path.

[0012] In some embodiments, the friction stir welding method further includes: when performing friction stir welding on the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate using a welding tool to form a composite plate, controlling a preset water flow to flow in a preset direction to cool the workpiece to be welded.

[0013] This application also provides a clamping welding device. The clamping welding device is applied in the above-described friction stir welding method. The clamping welding device includes a placement plate and multiple clamping components. The central area of ​​the placement plate is used to place the workpiece to be welded. The placement plate is fixedly mounted on the multiple clamping components, and the placement plate and the multiple clamping components surround to form the central area. The multiple clamping components can simultaneously clamp the workpiece to be welded from multiple sides.

[0014] In some embodiments, the plurality of clamping assemblies includes four, with each pair of clamping assemblies arranged opposite to each other, and the four clamping assemblies clamping the workpiece to be welded synchronously on multiple sides.

[0015] In some embodiments, the clamping welding apparatus further includes a drive mechanism, and the clamping assembly includes a clamping mechanism. The drive mechanism is used to drive the clamping mechanism to move toward the central region to simultaneously clamp the workpiece to be welded.

[0016] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism includes a movable plate, a wedge, a first guide post, and a slider. The movable plate is connected to the driving mechanism. The wedge is placed on the movable plate. The first guide post is inserted obliquely into the movable plate and is arranged obliquely outward from the central region. The wedge has a first inclined surface facing the central region. The slider has a second inclined surface opposite to the first inclined surface and includes a clamping surface opposite to the second inclined surface. The driving mechanism drives the wedge and the first guide post to move up and down together, so that when the first guide post moves up and down, it drives the slider to move horizontally. When the wedge moves up and down, the first inclined surface contacts the second inclined surface, and the clamping surface contacts the outer wall of the composite frame and the side wall of the metal ring to clamp the workpiece to be welded.

[0017] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism further includes a pressure bar and a hinge pin. The pressure bar is disposed above the wedge block, and the hinge pin is located at one end of the pressure bar near the central region. The hinge pin is rotatably connected to the pressure bar. When the wedge block rises, the wedge block applies a force to the tail of the pressure bar, causing the pressure bar to rotate around the hinge pin, thereby synchronously clamping the workpiece to be welded through the pressure bar.

[0018] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism further includes a second guide post and a base plate, wherein the placement plate is mounted on a plurality of second guide posts and the plurality of second guide posts are mounted on the base plate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the clamping welding device further includes a water-cooled plate disposed above the placement plate, wherein water can flow within the water-cooled plate to cool the workpiece to be welded.

[0020] This application also provides a welding device. The welding device is used to form a composite plate. The welding device includes the aforementioned clamping welding device, and further includes: an acquisition module, an installation module, a fixing module, a placement module, and a control module. The acquisition module is used to acquire a composite frame, a metal back plate, and a metal ring. The composite frame includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The installation module is used to assemble the composite frame and the metal back plate into a single unit, with the metal back plate adjacent to the second metal layer. The fixing module is used to cover the composite frame with the metal ring to form the workpiece to be welded. The placement module is used to place the workpiece to be welded in a preset area. The control module is used to control the synchronous clamping of the workpiece to be welded on multiple sides, and to perform friction stir welding on the metal ring, the second metal layer, and the metal back plate using a welding tool to form the composite plate.

[0021] Thus, in the friction stir welding method, clamping welding device, and welding equipment of this application, after the metal ring is fixed on the composite frame to form the workpiece to be welded, the workpiece to be welded can be clamped more precisely and synchronously from multiple sides. When the welding tool performs friction stir welding on the metal ring, the metal back plate, and the second metal layer of the composite frame, the metal ring can prevent the shoulder of the welding tool from directly contacting the first metal layer of the composite frame, thereby avoiding wear of the welding tool shoulder by the first metal layer. Furthermore, the thickness of the second metal layer can be reduced, achieving friction stir welding with a narrow edge distance and a large shoulder, thus saving costs. In addition, the setting of the metal ring allows the metal ring, the metal back plate, and the composite frame to overlap during friction stir welding, increasing the connection area and thereby achieving a high-strength connection and improving the strength of the composite plate.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of one of the embodiments of the friction stir welding method of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a welding device according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figures 3-5 are schematic diagrams of the welding process of the friction stir welding method according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a single-sided welding scenario according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figures 7-8 are schematic diagrams of double-sided welding scenarios in some embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 9 is a second schematic flowchart of a friction stir welding method according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 10 is a third schematic flowchart of a certain embodiment of the friction stir welding method of this application;

[0031] Figures 11-13 are schematic diagrams of welding scenarios of friction stir welding methods according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a clamping welding device according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 15 is a second structural schematic diagram of a clamping welding device according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 15;

[0035] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 15;

[0036] Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view along line CC in Figure 15;

[0037] Figure 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view along line DD in Figure 5.

[0038] Main Figure Descriptions

[0039] 1000 welding equipment;

[0040] Composite frame 1, first metal layer 11, second metal layer 12, metal back plate 2, metal ring 3;

[0041] Clamping welding device 100; Acquisition module 110, installation module 120, fixing module 130, placement module 140, control module 150, auxiliary module 160;

[0042] Placement plate 10, central area 101, clamping assembly 20, movable plate 211, limiting groove 2111, guide post stop 2112, wedge block 212, first inclined surface 2121, first guide post 213, slider 214, second inclined surface 2141, clamping surface 2142, pad block 2143, pressure rod 215, pressure rod tail 2151, hinge pin 216, pressure rod return spring 217, spring stop 218, second guide post 2191, base plate 2192, guide post mounting seat 2193, guide sleeve 2194; workpiece to be welded 30; welding tool 40, stirring needle 41, shoulder 42; drive mechanism 50; splicing interface 60, main welding interface 61, secondary welding interface 62; welding path 70, stable path 71, deviation path 72. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0044] In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0045] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, referring to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections, or connections that allow communication between components; direct connections or indirect connections via an intermediate medium; and connections within two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0046] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0047] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0048] Please refer to Figures 1 and 3-5. This application provides a friction stir welding method, which includes:

[0049] 01: Obtain the composite frame 1, the metal backplate 2, and the metal ring 3. The composite frame 1 includes a first metal layer 11 and a second metal layer 12.

[0050] 02: Assemble the composite frame 1 and the metal back plate 2 into one piece, with the metal back plate 2 adjacent to the second metal layer 12;

[0051] 03: Place the metal ring 3 on the composite frame 1 to form the workpiece 30 to be welded;

[0052] 04: Place the workpiece 30 to be welded in the preset area;

[0053] 05: Control the multi-sided synchronous clamping of the workpiece to be welded 30;

[0054] 06: The metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 are subjected to friction stir welding using welding tool 40 to form a composite plate.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 2. This embodiment also provides a welding device 1000 for forming a composite plate. The welding device 1000 includes an acquisition module 110, an installation module 120, a fixing module 130, a placement module 140, and a control module 150.

[0056] Step 01 can be implemented by the acquisition module 110, step 02 by the installation module 120, step 03 by the fixing module 130, step 04 by the placement module 140, and steps 05 and 06 by the control module 150. That is, the acquisition module 110 is used to acquire the composite frame 1, the metal back plate 2, and the metal ring 3. The composite frame 1 includes a first metal layer 11 and a second metal layer 12. The installation module 120 is used to assemble the composite frame 1 and the metal back plate 2 into a single unit, with the metal back plate 2 adjacent to the second metal layer 12. The fixing module 130 is used to cover the composite frame 1 with the metal ring 3 to form a workpiece 30 to be welded. The placement module 140 is used to place the workpiece 30 to be welded in a preset area. The control module 150 is used to control the multi-sided synchronous clamping of the workpiece 30 to be welded, and to perform friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2 using a welding tool 40 to form a composite plate.

[0057] Specifically, in the friction stir welding method and welding equipment 1000 of this application, after the metal ring 3 is fixed on the composite frame 1 to form the workpiece 30 to be welded, the workpiece 30 to be welded can be clamped more precisely and synchronously from multiple sides. When the welding tool 40 performs friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the metal back plate 2, and the second metal layer 12 of the composite frame 1, the metal ring 3 can prevent the shoulder 42 of the welding tool 40 from directly contacting the first metal layer 11 of the composite frame 1, thereby avoiding wear of the shoulder 42 of the welding tool 40 by the first metal layer 11. In addition, the thickness of the second metal layer 12 of the composite frame 1 can be reduced, achieving friction stir welding with a narrow side distance and a large shoulder, thus saving costs. Furthermore, the setting of the metal ring 3 makes the metal ring 3, the metal back plate 2, and the composite frame 1 overlap during friction stir welding, increasing the connection area and thus achieving a high-strength connection and improving the strength of the composite plate.

[0058] Referring to Figures 3-5, specifically, both the first metal layer 11 and the second metal layer 12 can be metal alloys, and the hardness of the first metal layer 11 is greater than that of the second metal layer 12. The second metal layer 12 is used to achieve welding with the metal backplate 2. The first metal layer 11 can be titanium alloy, copper alloy, stainless steel, etc., and the second metal layer 12 can be aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, etc. The specific materials of the first metal layer 11 and the second metal layer 12 are not limited. In this embodiment, the first metal layer 11 can be a titanium alloy and the second metal layer 12 can be an aluminum alloy as an example for explanation.

[0059] The composite frame 1 is square in shape. It can be formed by bending a metal composite plate containing a first metal layer 11 and a second metal layer 12, or it can be formed by splicing two or more metal composite plates containing a first metal layer 11 and a second metal layer 12. The first metal layer 11 of the composite frame 1 forms the outer wall of the composite frame 1, and the second metal layer 12 forms the inner wall of the composite frame 1.

[0060] The metal backing plate 2 and the metal ring 3 are made of the same or similar material as the second metal layer 12. For example, if the second metal layer 12 is an aluminum alloy, then the metal backing plate 2 can be an aluminum plate, and the metal ring 3 can be made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In this way, the second metal layer 12, the metal backing plate 2, and the metal ring 3 can be subjected to friction stir welding using the welding fixture 40, thereby forming a composite plate together.

[0061] The metal ring 3 has a shape that is basically the same as that of the composite frame 1. The metal ring 3 can be formed by bending a metal plate, or it can be formed by splicing two or more metal plates. The metal back plate 2 has the same shape as that formed by the second metal layer 12. The metal back plate 2 can be formed by a single metal back plate, or it can be formed by splicing two or more metal back plates.

[0062] Before performing friction stir welding, the composite frame 1 and the metal back plate 2 can be assembled into one piece, and then the metal ring 3 can be placed on the composite frame 1 to form the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0063] Then, the workpiece 30 to be welded is placed in the preset area, and the workpiece 30 is clamped synchronously on multiple sides.

[0064] For example, the workpiece 30 to be welded can be clamped and pressed on the preset area of ​​the clamping welding device. The clamping welding device presents a clamping state in which it synchronously clamps the first metal layer 11 and the metal ring 3 of the composite frame 1 on multiple sides. Furthermore, it presents a clamping state in which it clamps multiple outer walls of the composite frame 1 and multiple outer peripheral walls of the metal ring 3. The metal back plate 2 is located inside the composite frame 1 and is adjacent to the second metal layer 12.

[0065] The height of the metal backplate 2 is greater than or equal to the height of the composite frame 1. The height difference between the metal backplate 2 and the composite frame 1 can be 0-120 mm. For example, the height difference between the metal backplate 2 and the composite frame 1 can be 0 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm, 80 mm, 100 mm or 120 mm, etc.

[0066] In other embodiments of this application, after the composite frame 1 is clamped synchronously on multiple sides, the metal ring 3 can be placed on the composite frame 1 to cover the first metal layer 11 and the second metal layer 12.

[0067] Furthermore, the height of the metal ring 3 can range from 0.1 to 80 mm. For example, the height of the metal ring 3 can be 0.1 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm, 65 mm, 80 mm, etc. The first distance between the inner wall of the metal ring 3 and the inner wall of the composite frame 1 ranges from 0 to 100 mm. For example, the distance between the inner wall of the metal ring 3 and the inner wall of the composite frame 1 can be 0 mm, 1 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, or 100 mm, etc. The second distance between the outer wall of the metal ring 3 and the outer wall of the composite frame 1 ranges from 0 to 90 mm. For example, the distance between the outer wall of the metal ring 3 and the outer wall of the composite frame 1 can be 0 mm, 1 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 70 mm, or 90 mm, etc. Understandably, it is only necessary to ensure that the shoulder 42 of the welding tool 40 is prevented from rubbing against the first metal layer 11 during friction stir welding, as shown in Figure 6. The specific distance between the outer wall of the metal ring 3 and the outer wall of the composite frame 1 is not limited.

[0068] In some embodiments, when the metal back plate 2 is located inside the composite frame 1, the metal back plate 2 can partially protrude from the composite frame 1. Thus, when the metal ring 3 is placed on the composite frame 1, the metal ring 3 can be flush with the metal back plate 2. In this way, when friction stir welding is performed by the welding tool 40, the welding position is not suspended, which improves the welding quality.

[0069] Referring to Figure 6, the welding fixture 40 may include a stirring pin 41 and a shoulder 42. The stirring pin 41 extends from the shoulder 42. During the friction stir welding process of the welding fixture 40 on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2, the welding fixture 40 rotates and extends into the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2 through the stirring pin 41 to stir and rub them, so that the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2 reach a thermoplastic state, thereby enabling the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2 to be welded together. Furthermore, the metal ring 3 can be partially removed by a milling process to form a composite plate containing only the composite frame 1 and the metal back plate 2.

[0070] In some embodiments, the welding tool 40 can be a stationary shoulder. That is, during friction stir welding, the main heat generation comes from the friction between the internal stirring pin 41 and the material, and the stationary shoulder 42 does not rotate during welding, but only travels along the welding direction. The setting of the stationary shoulder 42 reduces the surface heat input of the welding tool 40, and the heat is more uniform in the thickness direction of the workpiece, resulting in more stable welding quality. Secondly, the uniform distribution of frictional heat, the uniform joint structure, the smooth weld surface, and the small amount of flash can effectively suppress the extrusion of weld material, reduce weld thinning, and reduce the probability of the formation of defects such as holes and tunnels.

[0071] In some embodiments, the welding tool 40 can be a moving shoulder. During friction stir welding, both the shoulder 42 and the stirring pin 41 rotate and travel along the welding direction. The rotating shoulder 42 contacts the metal backing plate 2 and the metal ring 3 to participate in friction stir, while the stirring pin 41, under the cover of the shoulder 42, inserts into the weld to stir and compress the plastic material, thereby achieving material bonding. Understandably, the rotation of the moving shoulder helps to transfer heat and pressure more evenly, improving welding quality and efficiency. Furthermore, the welding tool 40 using a moving shoulder has a wide range of applications and can adapt to welds with narrow welding spaces.

[0072] In some embodiments, when the shoulder 42 is a movable shoulder, the radius of the shoulder 42 is greater than the thickness of the second metal layer 12. That is, the coverage area of ​​the shoulder 42 can be greater than that of the second metal layer 12. In this way, the shoulder 42 is more conducive to the more uniform transfer of heat and pressure, thereby further improving the welding quality of the composite plate.

[0073] In some embodiments, the metal ring 3 comprises multiple pieces, and step 03 includes:

[0074] 031: Place multiple metal rings 3 on opposite sides of the composite frame 1.

[0075] Please refer further to Figure 2. In some embodiments, step 031 can be implemented by the fixing module 130. In other words, the fixing module 130 can be used to cover the two opposite sides of the composite frame 1 with multiple metal rings 3 respectively.

[0076] Please refer to Figures 6-8. Specifically, during the welding process, the metal ring 3 can be applied to only one side of the composite frame 1, or it can be applied to both opposite sides of the composite frame 1. Understandably, because the metal ring 3 allows the metal ring 3, the metal back plate 2, and the composite frame 1 to overlap during friction stir welding, the connection area is increased, thereby achieving a high-strength connection. Therefore, applying the metal ring 3 to both sides of the composite frame 1, compared to applying it to only one side, can further improve the welding quality of the composite plate.

[0077] Please refer to Figures 6-8 and 9. In some embodiments, step 06 includes:

[0078] 061: The metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2 are subjected to single-sided friction stir welding using welding tool 40 to form a composite plate; or

[0079] 062: The metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 are subjected to friction stir welding using a welding tool 40 to form a composite plate.

[0080] In some embodiments, steps 061 and 062 can be implemented by the control module 150. In other words, the control module 150 can use the welding tool 40 to perform friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 to form a composite plate, or use the welding tool 40 to perform friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 to form a composite plate.

[0081] It should be noted that single-sided friction stir welding refers to welding on only one side. Compared to double-sided welding, this improves welding efficiency and reduces welding costs.

[0082] Double-sided friction stir welding is a technique that involves performing friction stir welding on both the top and bottom surfaces of the plate to be welded. The double-sided friction stir welding process can effectively solve problems such as uneven weld joint performance and easy defects in thick plate welding.

[0083] Double-sided friction stir welding can be performed using either single-axis driven step-by-step welding or bidirectional driven welding. Single-axis driven step-by-step welding involves first welding one side of the workpiece, then flipping the workpiece to perform a second pass on the other side. Bidirectional driven welding, on the other hand, allows welding to be performed simultaneously on both sides of the workpiece. In this embodiment, bidirectional driven welding is used. It is understood that because welding is performed simultaneously on both sides of the workpiece, the weld joint is more uniform in the thickness direction, thereby improving the overall performance of the weld joint.

[0084] Please refer to Figures 10-13. In some embodiments, step 06 further includes:

[0085] 063: At least one splicing interface 60 is the main welding interface 61, and the splicing interface 60 located on the side of the main welding interface 61 is the secondary welding interface 62.

[0086] 064: Control the welding tool 40 to weld along the main welding interface 61 and at least partially deviate from the main welding interface 61 to offset welding towards the secondary welding interface 62 to form a composite plate.

[0087] In some implementations, steps 063 and 064 can be implemented by the control module 150. Alternatively, the control module 150 can also be used to form a composite plate by using at least one splicing interface 60 as the main welding interface 61, a splicing interface 60 located on the side of the main welding interface 61 as the secondary welding interface 62, and controlling the welding tool 40 to weld along the main welding interface 61 and at least partially deviate from the main welding interface 61 to offset welding towards the secondary welding interface 62.

[0088] It should be noted that the splicing interface 60 can be the splicing interface 60 formed between the metal back plate 2 and the metal ring 3, the splicing interface 60 formed between the metal frame and the metal ring 3, the splicing interface 60 formed between the metal back plates 2 (i.e., multiple metal back plates 2 are spliced ​​together to form a large metal back plate 2), or the splicing interface 60 in the metal ring 3 (for example, if the metal ring 3 is spliced ​​together from multiple metal plates, then a splicing interface 60 is formed between every two adjacent metal plates).

[0089] The splicing interface 60 can be divided into a butt joint interface and an overlap joint interface. The overlap joint interface extends along the horizontal plane, while the butt joint interface extends along the vertical plane. For example, the splicing interface 60 formed between the metal back plate 2 and the metal ring 3 is a butt joint interface, and the splicing interface 60 formed between the metal frame and the metal ring 3 is an overlap joint interface. In this embodiment, at least one butt joint interface is used as the main welding interface 61, while the overlap joint interface and butt joint interface that are connected to the main welding interface 61 and located on one or both sides of the main welding interface 61 are used as secondary welding interfaces 62.

[0090] In related technologies, when multiple splicing interfaces 60 are lap interfaces and butt interfaces, during the welding process, due to the stirring action of the stirring pin 41, the material at the lap interface will migrate upward along the axis of the stirring pin 41 under the stirring and squeezing action of the stirring pin 41, forming a hook-shaped defect. The generation of this defect will reduce the effective plate thickness of the material around the weld. Usually, the hook-shaped defect is formed on the advancing side of the weld. At the same time, the effective connection width of the lap interface is small, forming a cold lap defect.

[0091] When multiple splicing interfaces 60 are three-way or multi-way interfaces, under the action of the stirring pin 41 during the welding process, in the horizontal direction, the secondary welding interface 62 will migrate along the rotation direction of the stirring pin 41, forming weak connection defects such as cracks inside the weld. In the axial direction of the stirring pin 41, the material flows along the side of the stirring pin 41, and the material in the area near the overlapping interface will flow upward or downward, forming weak connections or hook-shaped defects.

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, the welding tool 40 is controlled to weld along the main welding interface 61 and at least partially deviate from the main welding interface 61 to the secondary welding interface 62. This increases the volume of material stirred by the stirring pin 41 of the welding tool 40 at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62. Compared with the welding effect of a straight weld, after the welding path 70 of the welding tool 40 is deviated, the stirring of the material at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62 is more intense and the stirring area is larger. This is beneficial to increase the effective connection width of the secondary welding interface 62, thereby reducing weak connection and cold lap defects at the junction, improving the connection effect between multiple splicing interfaces 60, and thus ensuring the microstructure and mechanical properties of the formed weld, and improving the connection strength of the composite plate.

[0093] In some embodiments, the portion of the welding tool 40 welded along the main welding interface 61 forms a stable path 71, and the portion of the welding tool 40 offset from the main welding interface 61 to the secondary welding interface 62 forms an offset path 72. The offset path 72 includes an arc path, a ring path, or a combination of one or more of the following: an arc path, a ring path, and a straight path.

[0094] Please refer further to Figures 11 or 13. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the deviation path 72 can be an arc-shaped path to increase the volume of material stirred by the stirring pin 41 of the welding tool 40 at the part where the secondary welding interface 62 is connected to the main welding interface 61, thereby helping to increase the effective welding connection width of the secondary welding interface 62.

[0095] Referring further to Figure 12, in some embodiments, the deviation path 72 can be a combination of multiple connected paths, including arc paths, loop paths, and straight paths. For example, the deviation path 72 includes a loop path and two arc paths, one end of which is connected to the start and end of the loop path, respectively. The other ends of both arc paths are connected to a stable path 71. The two arc paths and a portion of the loop path are located on one side of the stable path 71, while the remaining portion of the loop path is located on the other side of the stable path 71.

[0096] Referring further to Figure 13, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the deviation path 72 can be a loop path, with its starting and ending points coinciding, and both its starting and ending points connected to the stable path 71. The loop path can be a circular loop, a rectangular path, or a rounded rectangular path. In the case of a rounded rectangular loop path, the loop path is located on one side of the stable path 71, and its starting and ending points are respectively connected to the stable path 71.

[0097] In this embodiment of the invention, the deviation path 72 includes a circular path, or a combination of multiple connected paths such as an arc path, a circular path and a straight path. In this way, the material of the part where the secondary welding interface 62 is connected to the main welding interface 61 will be stirred multiple times during the movement of the welding tool 40 along the deviation path 72, and the stirring directions may be the same or different.

[0098] The stirring pin 41 of the welding tool 40 rotates clockwise. When the stirring pin 41 moves along the main welding interface 61, the direction of movement is from top to bottom as shown in the figure. Since the direction of movement of the welding tool 40 when it moves along the annular path is opposite when it moves in the part of the annular path that coincides with the stable path 71 and when it moves in the part of the annular path that is far from the stable path 71, the stirring direction of the welding tool 40 for the material located at the secondary welding interface 62 in the annular path is also opposite, that is, the material flow direction is also opposite. For example, the material first rotates along the first direction to form a hook-shaped defect, and then the material rotates along the second direction. The first direction and the second direction are opposite. At this time, the material of the hook-shaped defect part can be re-spun into the interior of the workpiece to be welded, which is beneficial to eliminating the hook-shaped defect.

[0099] Meanwhile, the material can flow in the same direction multiple times, increasing the degree of mixing at the junction of the secondary welding interface 62 and the main welding interface 61, and increasing the effective connection width of the secondary welding interface 62; and the cracks formed by the migration of the secondary welding interface 62 during the first mixing can also be broken under the multiple mixing action of the welding tool 40, increasing the degree of material mixing at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62, thereby improving the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld area.

[0100] In some embodiments, the rotational speed of the welding fixture 40 as it moves along the main welding interface 61 ranges from 50 to 50,000 rpm, the moving speed ranges from 5 to 100,000 mm / min, and the dwell time ranges from 0 to 50 seconds. It is understood that the rotational speed, moving speed, and dwell time of the welding fixture 40 can be adjusted according to actual conditions; therefore, the specific values ​​are not limited.

[0101] In some embodiments, the speed at which the welding tool 40 moves along the main welding interface 61 is a first speed, and the speed at which the welding tool 40 moves away from the main welding interface 61 is a second speed, the second speed being less than the first speed.

[0102] The welding path 70 of the welding tool 40 includes a stable path 71 and an off-path 72. The portion of the welding path 70 along the main welding interface 61 forms the stable path 71, and the portion of the welding path 70 that deviates from the main welding interface 61 forms the off-path 72. In other words, the welding tool 40 moves at a slower speed along the off-path 72, which increases the number of times the material at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62 is stirred, making the stirring of the material at that point more intense. This helps to increase the uniformity of the material at that point, thereby improving the welding connection effect, reducing the generation of defects, and ensuring the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld.

[0103] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the second speed to the first speed is α, where 0.2 < α < 1. For example, the ratio of the second speed to the first speed is 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, or any value between any adjacent values ​​therein, etc.

[0104] The ratio of the second speed to the first speed is within this range. On the one hand, the second speed will not be too small, which will not increase the welding time excessively or cause plastic deformation of the material around the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62. On the other hand, it can increase the number of times the material at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62 is stirred, making the stirring of the material at this point more intense. This is beneficial to increase the uniformity of the material at this point, thereby improving the welding connection effect, reducing the generation of defects, and thus ensuring the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld.

[0105] The rotational speed of the welding tool 40 when it moves along the main welding interface 61 is the first rotational speed, and the rotational speed of the welding tool 40 when it moves away from the main welding interface 61 is the second rotational speed. The second rotational speed is greater than the first rotational speed.

[0106] The welding path 70 of the welding tool 40 includes a stable path 71 and an off-path 72. The portion of the welding path 70 along the main welding interface 61 forms the stable path 71, and the portion of the welding path 70 that deviates from the main welding interface 61 forms the off-path 72. In other words, the welding tool 40 rotates faster when moving along the off-path 72, which increases the number of times the material at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62 is stirred, making the stirring of the material at that point more intense. This helps to increase the uniformity of the material at that point, thereby improving the welding connection effect between multiple splicing interfaces 60, reducing the generation of defects, and thus ensuring the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld.

[0107] In one implementation, the ratio of the second rotational speed to the first rotational speed is β, where 1 < β < 3.

[0108] For example, the ratio of the second rotational speed to the first rotational speed can be 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8 or any value between any two of these values, etc.

[0109] When the ratio of the second rotational speed to the first rotational speed is within this range, on the one hand, the second rotational speed will not be too large, thus increasing the cost of the welding fixture 40, and at the same time, it can reduce the possibility of plastic deformation of the material around the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62 due to the excessive rotational speed of the welding fixture 40; on the other hand, it can increase the number of times the material at the junction of the main welding interface 61 and the secondary welding interface 62 is stirred, making the stirring of the material at this point more intense, which is beneficial to increasing the uniformity of the material at this point.

[0110] In some embodiments, for the deviation path 72 to be a circular path, the maximum distance between the center of the welding tool 40 and the main welding interface 61 is 1 to 2 times the diameter of the root of the stirring pin 41. Alternatively, the maximum distance between the deviation path 72 and the main welding interface 61 in the direction perpendicular to the main welding interface 61 is 1 to 2 times the diameter of the root of the stirring pin 41.

[0111] For example, the maximum distance between the center of the welding tool 40 and the main welding interface 61 can be 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2 times the diameter of the root of the stirring pin 41, or any value between any two of these values.

[0112] The maximum distance between the center of the welding tool 40 and the main welding interface 61 is not less than the root diameter of the stirring pin 41. This allows the stirring pin 41 to be completely offset from its position at the main welding interface 61 along the direction of the secondary welding interface 62. This ensures that the material connected to the secondary welding interface 62 and the main welding interface 61 can be stirred multiple times in opposite directions. This is beneficial for the spliced ​​interface 60 after the fragmentation and migration, increasing the mixing degree between the spliced ​​interface 60 and the surrounding material, thereby improving the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld area and reducing the generation of hook-shaped defects. The maximum distance between the center of the welding tool 40 and the main welding interface 61 is not greater than twice the root diameter of the stirring pin 41. This prevents the welding tool 40 from being too far off the main welding interface 61, thus avoiding excessively increasing the length of the welding path 70 and reducing welding production efficiency.

[0113] In some embodiments, for the off-path 72 to be an arc-shaped path, the maximum distance between the center of the welding tool 40 and the main welding interface 61 does not exceed the radius of the root of the stirring pin 41, so as to reduce the impact on the effective welding width of the main welding interface 61.

[0114] In some embodiments, the friction stir welding method further includes:

[0115] 07: When the welding fixture 40 performs friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2, the friction stir welding area is heated and / or ultrasonic waves are emitted.

[0116] Please refer to Figure 2. In some embodiments, the welding equipment 1000 may also include an auxiliary module 160. Step 07 may be implemented by the auxiliary module 160. In other words, the auxiliary module 160 may be used to heat the friction stir welding area and / or emit ultrasonic waves when the welding tool 40 performs friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2.

[0117] Specifically, the auxiliary module 160 can heat only the friction stir welding area, emit ultrasonic waves only in the friction stir welding area, or simultaneously heat the friction stir welding area and emit ultrasonic waves. Understandably, heating the friction stir welding area ensures the thermoplasticity of the welding material, allowing it to migrate with the stirring pin 41 of the welding tool 40, thus guaranteeing weld strength. Emitting ultrasonic waves into the friction stir welding area increases the weld temperature, softening the welding material and reducing residual stress and weld deformation. Furthermore, ultrasonic vibration improves weld surface formation and reduces or even eliminates porosity defects caused by insufficient material flow.

[0118] The ultrasonic power range is 500-10000 watts. For example, the power of the ultrasonic wave can be 500 watts, 1000 watts, 2000 watts, 3000 watts, 5000 watts, 8000 watts, or 10000 watts. The specific power of the ultrasonic wave is not limited and can be adjusted according to the welding requirements. The heating temperature range is 30-10000°C. For example, the heating temperature can be 30°C, 100°C, 200°C, 500°C, 1000°C, 2000°C, 5000°C, or 10000°C. The heating temperature can be adjusted according to the welding requirements and is not limited.

[0119] Thus, when the stirring pin 41 performs friction stir welding on the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2, heating and / or emitting ultrasonic waves in the friction stir welding area improves the welding quality and reduces the defect rate of the composite plate.

[0120] In some embodiments, the friction stir welding method further includes:

[0121] 08: When the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 are subjected to friction stir welding by the welding tool 40 to form a composite plate, the preset water flow is controlled to flow in a preset direction to cool the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0122] Please refer to Figure 2. Step 08 can be implemented by the control module 150. That is to say, the control module 150 is also used to control the preset water flow in a preset direction to cool the workpiece 30 to be welded when the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 are subjected to friction stir welding by the welding tool 40 to form a composite plate.

[0123] Specifically, the preset water flow can be from the clamping tool that clamps the workpiece 30 to be welded from multiple sides, and the preset direction can be from the left side of the workpiece 30 to the right side of the workpiece 30 to be welded, or other directions, which are not limited here.

[0124] Thus, the friction stir welding method of this application can also cool the workpiece 30 to be welded by a preset water flow when the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12 and the metal back plate 2 are friction stir welded by the welding tool 40 to form a composite plate, thereby avoiding burns to the equipment operator.

[0125] After welding is completed, the friction stir welding method also includes:

[0126] 09: After welding is completed, control the welding tool 40 to move away from the welding surface of the workpiece 30 to be welded, and control the stopping of clamping the workpiece 30 to be welded to release the formed composite plate.

[0127] Please refer to Figure 2. Step 09 can be implemented by the control module 150. That is to say, the control module 150 is also used to control the welding tool 40 to move away from the welding surface of the workpiece 30 after welding is completed, and to control the stopping of clamping the workpiece 30 to release the formed composite plate.

[0128] Specifically, after welding is completed, the welding tool 40 can be set to automatically control the removal of the welding surface of the workpiece 30 to be welded, and to automatically control the stopping of clamping the workpiece 30 to be welded in order to release the formed composite plate. This makes it convenient to pick up the formed composite plate and to place the next workpiece 30 to be welded for welding, which is convenient, fast and has higher welding efficiency.

[0129] Thus, after welding is completed, the friction stir welding method and welding equipment 1000 of this application can automatically control the welding tool 40 to move away and automatically control the clamping of the workpiece 30 to be welded to release the formed composite plate, which facilitates the removal of the formed composite plate and the placement of the next workpiece 30 to be welded for welding, thereby improving welding efficiency.

[0130] Referring to Figure 14, this application also provides a clamping welding device 100. The clamping welding device 100 is applied in the friction stir welding method described above, and the welding equipment 1000 may include the clamping welding device 100. The clamping welding device 100 includes a placement plate 10 and a plurality of clamping components 20. The central region 101 of the placement plate 10 constitutes the aforementioned preset region for placing the workpiece 30 to be welded. The placement plate 10 is fixedly mounted on the plurality of clamping components 20, and the placement plate 10 and the plurality of clamping components 20 surround to form the central region 101. The plurality of clamping components 20 can simultaneously clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded from multiple sides.

[0131] In the clamping welding device 100 of this application, the placement plate 10 has through holes at corresponding positions to the clamping components 20. The placement plate 10 can be fixedly mounted on multiple clamping components 20 by screws passing through the through holes, or fixedly mounted on multiple clamping components 20 by other means, without limitation. It should be noted that the clamping welding device 100 of this application can be electrically connected to the placement module 140, so that the workpiece 30 to be welded can be automatically placed on the clamping welding device 100 by the placement module 140, without the need for manual placement by the user, which is convenient, fast, and improves the user experience. For example, the placement module 140 can be equipped with a gripper, which can automatically grip the workpiece 30 to be welded and place it on the clamping welding device 100, which is convenient and fast.

[0132] The number of clamping components 20 can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11, and is not limited here. That is to say, this application sets the number of clamping components 20 to clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded by different numbers of clamping surfaces, thereby making it suitable for different assembly and welding scenarios. Alternatively, the number of clamping components 20 in this application can be increased or decreased according to different assembly or welding scenarios, making it suitable for the assembly and welding of multiple scattered workpieces, and applicable to a variety of assembly and welding scenarios.

[0133] When controlling multiple clamping components 20 to simultaneously clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded, this application can also set a control button component A on the clamping and welding device 100, as shown in Figure 14. The user can realize the automatic clamping control of the workpiece 30 to be welded by pressing the corresponding button on the control button component A area of ​​the clamping and welding device 100.

[0134] Please refer to Figures 14 and 15. The multiple clamping components 20 may include four, with each pair of clamping components 20 arranged opposite to each other, and the four clamping components 20 simultaneously clamping the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0135] Specifically, the four clamping components 20 can simultaneously clamp the four outer peripheral walls of the workpiece 30 to be welded, thereby achieving simultaneous clamping around the workpiece 30 to be welded. This allows the workpiece 30 to be welded to be assembled and fixed more securely on the placement plate 10 of the clamping welding device 100, which is beneficial for the next welding operation.

[0136] For details, please refer to Figure 16. The clamping welding device 100 also includes a drive mechanism 50. The clamping assembly 20 includes a clamping mechanism 21. The drive mechanism 50 is used to drive the clamping mechanism 21 to move toward the central region 101 to simultaneously clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0137] Specifically, each clamping assembly 20 of this application is provided with a corresponding clamping mechanism 21. Multiple clamping mechanisms 21 can be synchronously controlled by a drive mechanism 50 to move towards the central region 11 to clamp the workpiece. Correspondingly, this application can also synchronously control multiple clamping mechanisms 21 to move away from the central region 11 to release the workpiece by a drive mechanism 50.

[0138] The drive mechanism 50 can be a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. Understandably, in the mold industry, to prevent sticking during core pulling of slides, a spring-loaded pin structure is often added to the mold during production. However, the core pulling method in the inclined guide pillar core pulling structure has certain limitations. For example, when the slide's stroke is large, this method cannot be used because a larger stroke means a longer inclined guide pillar, whose strength decreases with increasing length, potentially leading to breakage. When the inclined guide pillar cannot meet the strength requirements, a hydraulic cylinder must be used to drive the slide forward and backward. However, in traditional structures, using a hydraulic cylinder as the power source makes the aforementioned spring-loaded pin structure impossible. In other words, the drive structure in the current inclined guide pillar core pulling structure is limited by the strength of the inclined guide pillar.

[0139] As shown in Figures 14 and 16, in one embodiment, the drive mechanism 50 of this application can be a cylinder 51 and a pneumatic-hydraulic booster cylinder 52, with the pneumatic-hydraulic booster cylinder 52 increasing the power of the cylinder 51. Understandably, the pneumatic-hydraulic booster cylinder 52 is a highly efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly power source device that achieves increased power output through the combination of pneumatic and hydraulic pressure.

[0140] In other words, the clamping welding device 100 of this application is driven by a hydraulic cylinder, but it does not use the traditional hydraulic station mode. Instead, it uses a pneumatic-hydraulic booster cylinder instead of the traditional hydraulic station, which is simpler and lower in cost.

[0141] In other embodiments of this application, the cylinder 51 may also be used alone as the drive mechanism 50, and there is no limitation on this.

[0142] In other words, the drive mechanism 50 of this application can be applied to different power drive methods. It can be driven by a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, without being limited by the clamping mechanism 21, and the drive method is more diverse and flexible.

[0143] Thus, this application can drive multiple clamping mechanisms 21 to simultaneously clamp or release workpieces through one drive mechanism 50, making the drive control relatively simple and quick.

[0144] Please refer to Figures 16 to 19 together. The clamping mechanism 21 includes a movable plate 211, a wedge 212, a first guide post 213, and a slider 214. The movable plate 211 is connected to the drive mechanism 50. The wedge 212 is placed on the movable plate 211. The first guide post 213 is inserted into the movable plate 211 at an angle. The first guide post 213 is inclined outward with the central region as the center. The wedge 212 has a first inclined surface 2121 facing the central region 101. The slider 214 has a second inclined surface 2141 opposite to the first inclined surface 2121. The slider 214 includes a clamping surface 2142 on the side opposite to the second inclined surface 2141. The drive mechanism 50 drives the wedge block 212 and the first guide post 213 to move up and down together. When the first guide post 213 moves up and down, it drives the slider 214 to move horizontally. When the wedge block 212 moves up and down, the first inclined surface 2121 contacts the second inclined surface 2141, and the clamping surface 2142 contacts the outer wall of the composite frame 1 and the side wall of the metal ring 3 to clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0145] Specifically, the control module 150 of the welding equipment 1000 can control the drive mechanism 50 to drive the wedge block 212 and the first guide post 213 to move up and down together in an electric or manual manner. When the first guide post 213 moves up and down, it drives the slider 214 to move horizontally. When the wedge block 212 moves up and down, the first inclined surface 2121 contacts the second inclined surface 2141, and the clamping surface 2142 contacts the outer wall of the composite frame 1 and the side wall of the metal ring 3 to clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0146] In other words, the embodiments of this application can clamp and fix the workpiece 30 to be welded by contacting the clamping surface 2142 of the clamping welding device 100 with the outer wall of the composite frame 1 and the side wall of the metal ring 3.

[0147] The width h of the clamping surface 2142 corresponding to the slider 214 can be varied according to the different thicknesses of different workpieces. For example, if the workpiece 30 to be welded is thin, a slider 214 with a smaller width of the clamping surface 2142 can be used; if the workpiece 30 to be welded is thick, a slider 214 with a larger width of the clamping surface 2142 can be used. That is, the slider 214 of this application can clamp the workpiece 30 to be welded, which corresponds to the width of the clamping surface 2142, through the clamping surface 2142.

[0148] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the slider 214 has a clamping portion protruding towards the central region 11, and the clamping portion has a clamping surface 2142 that contacts the workpiece 30 to be welded. Since the clamping portion of the slider 214 protrudes towards the central region 11, a relatively stable bending and fixing region can be formed. A pad 2143 can be placed in this bending and fixing region, that is, the pad 2143 can be located above the placement plate 10, so that the workpiece 30 to be welded can be placed on the pad 2143 and clamped.

[0149] It should be noted that in other embodiments of this application, it is not necessary to provide a pad 2143, and the slider 214 does not need to be provided with a clamping part protruding towards the central region 11. The side of the slider 214 facing the central region 11 can be used as the clamping surface 2142 to clamp the workpiece directly.

[0150] The drive mechanism 30 can drive the wedge block 213 and the first guide post 213 to move up and down together. When the first guide post 213 moves up and down, it drives the slider 214 to move horizontally. When the wedge block 212 moves up and down, the first inclined surface 2121 contacts the second inclined surface 2141. That is, the clamping and welding device 100 of this application is a mechanical mechanism that can convert vertical motion into horizontal motion or inclined motion by using the wedge block 213 and the inclined first guide post 213 in conjunction with the slider 214.

[0151] Specifically, when the drive mechanism 30 is a cylinder, the cylinder can drive the movable plate 211 to rise or fall, and the movable plate 211 drives the wedge block 212 and the inclined first guide post 213 to rise or fall. The first guide post 213 is inserted into the movable plate 211. When the first guide post 213 rises or falls, it drives the slider 214 to move horizontally, which can adjust the distance between the clamping surface 2142 of the slider 214 and the contact surface of the workpiece 30 to be welded, thereby clamping or releasing the workpiece 30 to be welded through the slider 214. That is, the clamping welding device 100 of this application is driven by a cylinder and can drive multiple sliders 214 to move through a movable plate 211.

[0152] At this time, during the process of the cylinder driving the movable plate 211 to rise and drive the wedge block 212 to rise or fall, the first inclined surface 2121 of the wedge block 212 contacts the second inclined surface 2141 of the slider 214, which can prevent the slider 214 from being pushed back by the reverse force of the workpiece.

[0153] In addition, due to the self-locking effect of the wedge 212, it can continuously provide a large clamping force on the workpiece, thereby solving the welding defects caused by the opening effect of the welding tool 40 on the splice weld during the friction stir welding process.

[0154] In other words, the clamping and welding device 100 of this application uses the self-locking function of the wedge block 212 and the driving function of the inclined first guide post 213 to realize the synchronous self-centering clamping of multiple scattered workpieces.

[0155] In some embodiments, the movable plate 211 is provided with a limiting groove 2111, and the wedge 212 is placed in the limiting groove 2111. Thus, by providing the limiting groove 2111 on the movable plate 211, this application can further and effectively fix the position of the wedge 212, so that the wedge 212 can resist the force of the slider 214, which is beneficial to the stability of the clamping welding device 100.

[0156] Additionally, a guide post stop 2112 may be provided on the side of the movable plate 211 that contacts the first guide post 213. When the first guide post 213 is inserted into the movable plate 211, the guide post stop 2112 provided on the movable plate 211 can block the first guide post 213, so that the first guide post 213 has a support point on the movable plate 211 during the lifting and lowering movement, which can make the first guide post 213 more stably inclined on the movable plate 211. As shown in Figure 17, the tilt angle α of the first guide post 213 relative to the movable plate 211 can be 30°, 45° or other angles, which are not limited here.

[0157] Please refer to Figures 16 to 19. The clamping mechanism 21 also includes a pressure rod 215 and a hinge pin 216. The pressure rod 215 is positioned above the wedge block 212, and the hinge pin 216 is located at one end of the pressure rod 215 near the central region 101. The hinge pin 216 is rotatably connected to the pressure rod 215. When the wedge block 212 rises, it applies a force to the tail 2151 of the pressure rod 215, causing the pressure rod 215 to rotate around the hinge pin 216, thus simultaneously clamping the workpiece 30 to be welded through the pressure rod 215.

[0158] The pressure bar 215 can be a clamping element made of metal or other materials, and there is no limitation on it.

[0159] It should be noted that the clamping and resetting actions of the pressure rod 215 in this application have relatively small deflection angles. During the clamping action, the workpiece 30 to be welded is clamped by applying a downward pressure.

[0160] Thus, the clamping mechanism 21 of this application can apply an upward force to the tail 2151 of the pressure rod 215 when the wedge 212 rises, so that the head of the pressure rod 215 presses against the workpiece 30 to be welded, thereby ensuring that the workpiece 30 to be welded is stably fitted with the tooling of the clamping welding device 100.

[0161] In other words, the clamping and welding device 100 of this application can achieve synchronous self-centering clamping of multiple scattered workpieces through the self-locking function of the wedge block 212 and the driving function of the inclined first guide post 213, and can also drive the pressure rod 215 to press the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0162] Additionally, the clamping mechanism 21 of this application may also include a pressure rod return spring 217 and a spring stop 218. The pressure rod return spring 217 may be inserted at the top center of the pressure rod 215, and the pressure rod return spring 217 is used to restore the pressure rod 215 to its initial position. Specifically, when the wedge block 212 descends, the pressure rod return spring 217 drives the pressure rod 215 to return to its initial position.

[0163] The spring stop 218 is positioned above the pressure rod return spring 217. The spring stop 218 is used to block the specific structure of the pressure rod return spring 217, preventing the pressure rod return spring 217 from being exposed outside the clamping welding device 100. This makes it more aesthetically pleasing and protects the pressure rod return spring 217 from corrosion or damage.

[0164] Referring to Figure 19, the clamping mechanism 21 also includes second guide posts 2191 and a base plate 2192. The placement plate 10 is mounted on a plurality of second guide posts 2191, and the plurality of second guide posts 2191 are mounted on the base plate 2192.

[0165] Specifically, the base plate 2192 may also be provided with a guide post mounting seat 2193 corresponding to the second guide post 2191, and the second guide post 2191 is fixedly mounted on the base plate 2192 through the corresponding guide post mounting seat 2193.

[0166] A guide sleeve 2194 may also be provided at the connection point between the second guide post 2191 and the placement plate 10, which can make the connection between the second guide post 2191 and the placement plate 10 more secure. The second guide post 2191 and the placement plate 10 can be connected by bolts or other methods, which are not limited here.

[0167] Thus, the placement plate 10 of this application can be fixedly installed on the clamping welding device 100 by the support of multiple second guide posts 2191.

[0168] In some embodiments, the clamping welding device 100 further includes a water-cooled plate disposed above the placement plate 10, and water can flow within the water-cooled plate to cool the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0169] Specifically, the water-cooled plate is equipped with a water-cooling channel, which can cool the entire workpiece or the welding part by means of cold water in the water-cooling channel when the workpiece is clamped by multiple clamping components 20. This reduces the heating effect of the heat generated during the welding process on the clamping and welding device and prevents the equipment operator from being burned.

[0170] The water cooling channel can be composed of one or more "S"-shaped tracks, straight tracks, "X"-shaped tracks, loop tracks, or other types of tracks, without limitation. The water cooling channel can store coolant, such as water or other liquids, without limitation.

[0171] The water-cooling channel is a circulating water channel. That is to say, the water-cooling channel of this application can be connected to external water pipes, thus forming a water circulation route. This can more effectively reduce the heating effect of heat generated during the workpiece welding process on the clamping welding device, preventing burns to equipment operators. Therefore, in the friction stir welding method of this application, when the metal ring 3, the second metal layer 12, and the metal back plate 2 are friction stirred and welded using the welding tool 40 to form a composite plate, the water flow within the water-cooling plate can be controlled to cool the workpiece 30 to be welded.

[0172] The water-cooled plate can be fixed to the mounting plate 10 by screws or other means, which are not limited here. The water-cooled plate can be fixed only at the center of the mounting plate 10, or it can be fixed to the entire surface of the mounting plate 10.

[0173] The area of ​​the water-cooled plate can be less than or equal to the area of ​​the placement plate 10. When the area of ​​the water-cooled plate is equal to the area of ​​the placement plate 10, the cooling area of ​​the water-cooled plate is maximized, which can further reduce the heating effect of the heat generated during the workpiece welding process on the clamping welding device and avoid burns to the equipment operators. When the area of ​​the water-cooled plate is less than the area of ​​the placement plate 10, it is beneficial to the lightweight design of the clamping welding device 100.

[0174] In addition, when the clamping welding device 100 is not equipped with a placement plate 10, the water-cooled plate can be directly installed on multiple second guide posts 2191 to further reduce the weight of the clamping welding device 100.

[0175] In addition, after the workpiece 30 is welded, it can be set to automatically control the welding tool 40 to move away from the welding surface of the workpiece 30, and automatically control the drive mechanism 50 to drive the clamping mechanism 21 to move synchronously away from the central area 101 to release the formed composite plate, which makes it convenient to pick up the formed composite plate and to place the next workpiece 30 to be welded, which is convenient, fast and has higher welding efficiency.

[0176] Alternatively, after welding is completed, the user can manually press the button on the clamping welding device 100 to automatically control the drive mechanism 50 to drive the clamping mechanism 21 to move synchronously away from the central region 101 to release the formed composite plate.

[0177] Thus, after welding is completed, the friction stir welding method and welding equipment 1000 of this application can automatically control the welding tool 40 to move away and automatically control the drive mechanism 50 to drive the clamping mechanism 21 to move synchronously away from the central area 101 to release the formed composite plate, which facilitates the removal of the formed composite plate and the placement of the next workpiece 30 to be welded, thereby improving welding efficiency.

[0178] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the described embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0179] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0180] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0181] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A friction stir welding method characterized by, The friction stir welding method comprises: obtaining a composite frame, a metal back plate and a metal ring, the composite frame comprising a first metal layer and a second metal layer; assembling the composite frame and the metal back plate into one body, the metal back plate being adjacent to the second metal layer; covering the metal ring on the composite frame to form a workpiece to be welded; placing the workpiece to be welded in a preset area; controlling a plurality of synchronous clamps to clamp the workpiece to be welded; friction stir welding the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate by a welding tool to form a composite plate.

2. The friction stir welding method according to claim 1, characterized by, The metal ring comprises a plurality of pieces, and covering the metal ring on the composite frame to form the workpiece to be welded comprises: covering the metal ring on the composite frame on two opposite sides of the composite frame respectively.

3. The friction stir welding method according to claim 1, characterized by, The friction stir welding of the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate by the welding tool to form a composite plate comprises: using a single-sided friction stir welding process by the welding tool to friction stir weld the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate to form the composite plate; or using a double-sided friction stir welding process by the welding tool to friction stir weld the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate to form the composite plate.

4. The friction stir welding method according to claim 1, characterized by, The friction stir welding of the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate by the welding tool to form a composite plate comprises: taking at least one splicing interface as a main welding interface, and taking the splicing interface which is connected with the main welding interface and located on the side of the main welding interface as a secondary welding interface; controlling the welding tool to weld along the main welding interface and offset to the secondary welding interface at least partially away from the main welding interface to form the composite plate.

5. The friction stir welding method according to claim 4, wherein The part of the welding tool welding along the main welding interface forms a stable path, and the part of the welding tool offset to the secondary welding interface at least partially away from the main welding interface forms an offset path, the offset path comprising an arc path, a ring path, or a combination of one or more of the arc path, the ring path and a straight path.

6. The friction stir welding method according to claim 1, characterized by, The friction stir welding method further comprises: controlling a preset water flow to flow in a preset direction to cool the workpiece to be welded when the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate are friction stir welded by the welding tool to form a composite plate.

7. A clamping and welding device, characterized in that The clamping and welding device is applied to the friction stir welding method in any one of claims 1-6, and the clamping and welding device comprises a placement plate and a plurality of clamping assemblies, a central area of the placement plate is used for placing the workpiece to be welded, the placement plate is fixedly arranged on the plurality of clamping assemblies, and the placement plate and the plurality of clamping assemblies surround the central area; the plurality of clamping assemblies can synchronously clamp the workpiece to be welded in multiple directions.

8. The pinch-weld device of claim 7, wherein, The plurality of clamping assemblies comprises four clamping assemblies, and each two clamping assemblies are arranged opposite to each other, and the four clamping assemblies synchronously clamp the workpiece to be welded in multiple directions.

9. The pinch-weld device of claim 7, wherein, The clamping welding device further comprises a driving mechanism, and the clamping assembly comprises a clamping mechanism, and the driving mechanism is configured to drive the clamping mechanism to move towards the central region to clamp the workpiece to be welded synchronously.

10. The pinch-weld device of claim 9, wherein, The clamping mechanism comprises a movable plate, a wedge, a first guide column and a sliding block, the movable plate is connected with the driving mechanism, the wedge is placed on the movable plate, the first guide column is obliquely inserted into the movable plate, the first guide column is obliquely arranged outwardly and centered on the central region, the wedge has a first inclined surface facing the central region, the sliding block has a second inclined surface opposite to the first inclined surface, and the sliding block comprises a clamping surface opposite to the second inclined surface; the driving mechanism drives the wedge and the first guide column to move up and down together, so that the first guide column drives the sliding block to move horizontally when the first guide column moves up and down, and the first inclined surface contacts the second inclined surface when the wedge moves up and down, and the clamping surface contacts the outer wall of the composite frame and the side wall of the metal ring to clamp the workpiece to be welded.

11. The pinch-weld device of claim 10, wherein, The clamping mechanism further comprises a pressing rod and a hinge pin, the pressing rod is arranged above the wedge, the hinge pin is located at one end of the pressing rod close to the central region, and the hinge pin is rotatably connected with the pressing rod; when the wedge rises, the wedge applies a force to the tail of the pressing rod, so that the pressing rod rotates around the hinge pin, and the workpiece to be welded is pressed synchronously by the pressing rod.

12. The pinch weld apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The clamping mechanism further comprises a second guide column and a bottom plate, and the placement plate is mounted on a plurality of second guide columns, and the plurality of second guide columns are mounted on the bottom plate.

13. The pinch weld apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The clamping welding device further comprises a water-cooled plate, and the water-cooled plate is arranged above the placement plate, and water in the water-cooled plate can flow to cool the workpiece to be welded.

14. A welding apparatus characterized by, The welding device is used for forming a composite plate, and the welding device comprises the clamping welding device according to any one of claims 7-13, and the welding device further comprises: an acquisition module configured to acquire a composite frame, a metal back plate and a metal ring, the composite frame comprising a first metal layer and a second metal layer; an installation module configured to assemble the composite frame and the metal back plate into one body, and the metal back plate is adjacent to the second metal layer; a fixing module configured to cover the metal ring on the composite frame to form the workpiece to be welded; a placement module configured to place the workpiece to be welded in a preset region; and a control module configured to control the workpiece to be welded to be clamped synchronously from multiple sides, and to perform friction stir welding on the metal ring, the second metal layer and the metal back plate by a welding tool to form the composite plate.