Bumper Bracket Welding with Capacitor Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bumper brackets for motor vehicle bodies face challenges in achieving uniform and continuous force absorption while optimizing the production process, particularly in ensuring effective energy absorption and structural reinforcement during crashes while maintaining lightweight construction and acceptable manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of impulse capacitor discharge welding method to join profiled steel strip sections, creating a continuous weld seam that covers at least half the length of the bumper bracket, with weld grooves to enhance the joint's effectiveness and employing a double hat structure for increased rigidity, allowing for efficient energy absorption and reduced production time and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional welding methods (laser weld, MAG weld, spot weld) are used to join profiled sections, then manufacturing precision and joint strength are achieved, but production time and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical welding systems (laser welders, MAG welders, spot welders) with a friction stir welding process that uses mechanical friction and stirring action to join aluminum profiled sections. This substitution enables continuous welding at higher speeds with lower equipment costs and operational expenses, directly addressing the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the welding parameters by using friction stir welding instead of thermal or arc-based methods. This parameter change allows for continuous welding of long profiled sections without the time-consuming interruptions and higher costs associated with traditional methods, while maintaining joint strength through controlled plastic deformation and metallurgical bonding
2Strength
If profiled sections are joined using traditional welding methods, then structural integrity is maintained, but heat affected zone increases causing material property changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal and arc-based welding systems with a mechanically-driven friction stir welding process. This substitution eliminates the large heat affected zone characteristic of traditional welding methods while maintaining joint strength through controlled plastic deformation, metallurgical bonding, and friction-induced material flow that creates a strong stir zone without excessive thermal input
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controlled phase transitions in the material during friction stir welding. The friction heat and mechanical stirring induce localized phase changes in the aluminum material, creating a refined microstructure in the stir zone that enhances joint strength while limiting the heat affected zone to a minimal region around the weld path
3Reliability
If continuous weld seams covering at least half the length of the bumper bracket are created, then force absorption uniformity improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex multi-step traditional welding systems with a simplified friction stir welding process that can create continuous weld seams in a single pass. This mechanical substitution reduces manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need for multiple welding operations, joint preparations, and interruptions, while ensuring uniform force absorption through consistent continuous welding along the profiled sections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous welding action along the profiled sections, with the friction stir welding tool moving continuously to create uninterrupted weld seams covering at least half the length of the bumper bracket. This continuity ensures uniform force absorption characteristics while simplifying the manufacturing process by eliminating stop-start operations and multiple welding passes required by traditional methods
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
This method ensures robust and efficient force absorption, reduces production time and costs, and maintains structural integrity by providing a strong, uniform weld with minimal heat affected zone, suitable for high-strength steels, thus addressing the need for improved energy absorption and manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The use of impulse capacitor discharge welding method to join profiled steel strip sections
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a bumper bracket for a motor vehicle body, comprising a first profiled section having a three-dimensional structure and a second component, which spatially closes the first profiled section. The two components have overlapping surfaces used for welding, wherein the welding is carried out by way of impulse capacitor discharge welding.