Adjustable Friction Stir Welding Pin Structure for Variable Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing friction stir welding tools have fixed pin lengths, leading to material waste and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for frequent replacements when welding components with varying wall thicknesses, and fail to adapt to different thicknesses effectively, affecting welding efficiency and quality.
Innovation Solution
A split-type friction stir welding tool with an adjustable stirring pin length, utilizing a threaded drive connection between a clamping handle and adjusting plate, and a pore-diameter-adjustable aperture shoulder, allowing for precise length adjustment and gap compensation between the stirring pin and shoulder, enabling the tool to adapt to different panel thicknesses and ensuring high-quality welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-length stirring pin is used, then the tool structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different wall thicknesses and requires frequent replacement, affecting welding efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The stirring pin length is made adjustable through a threaded connection mechanism between the clamping handle and adjusting plate, allowing the pin length to be dynamically changed according to different wall thicknesses, thus resolving the contradiction between fixed structure and adaptability requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The tool is divided into separable components including the detachable stirring pin, adjusting plate, and clamping handle, enabling independent adjustment and replacement of the stirring pin length without replacing the entire tool, which maintains structural simplicity while improving adaptability
2Ease of repair
If an integrated stirring pin design is used, then the tool structure is simple, but the stirring pin cannot be repaired and must be replaced integrally after wear or damage, increasing material waste and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The stirring pin is designed as a detachable component that can be separated from the tool body through the clamping handle mechanism, allowing only the worn stirring pin to be replaced while retaining the rest of the tool structure, thus reducing material waste and manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the worn stirring pin to be discarded and replaced while recovering and reusing the clamping handle, adjusting plate, and other tool components, thereby reducing overall material consumption and manufacturing costs
3Adaptability or versatility
If a tapered stirring pin with adjustable length is used, then adaptability to different thicknesses is improved, but a gap appears between the stirring pin and shoulder, affecting welding quality
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture shoulder is designed with adjustable pore diameter that can be changed according to the stirring pin length, allowing the gap between the tapered stirring pin and shoulder to be compensated and eliminated, thus maintaining welding quality while preserving adaptability to different thicknesses
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tool allows for quick replacement of worn parts, reduces welding costs, and ensures high precision and quality by accommodating various panel thicknesses through adjustable pin length and aperture diameter, enhancing operational efficiency and welding quality.
Implementation Method 1
the clamping handle is provided with external threads on a periphery thereof and in drive connection with an adjusting plate through threads
Implementation Method 2
a pore-diameter-adjustable aperture shoulder is mounted between a bottom of the stirring tool housing and the detachable stirring pin in order to compensate for an outside gap between a stirring pin channel of the stirring tool housing and the detachable stirring pin
Data Source
AI summary
A split-type friction stir welding head with an adjustable stirring pin length includes a stirring head housing, where a clamping handle and a detachable stirring pin are successively mounted in the stirring head housing towards a welding direction, the clamping handle is provided with external threads on a periphery thereof and in drive connection with an adjusting plate through threads, the adjusting plate is limited, fixed and mounted in the stirring head housing, and a pore-diameter-adjustable aperture shoulder is mounted between a bottom of the stirring head housing and the detachable stirring pin in order to compensate for an outside gap between a stirring pin channel of the stirring head housing and the detachable stirring pin.