Chained Terminal Laser Welding Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for crimp terminals in wire harnesses involves costly resin sealing and requires winding and unwinding of press-molded terminals, leading to deformation and reduced welding quality during the laser welding process, which increases manufacturing time and costs.
Innovation Solution
A terminal manufacturing apparatus that includes a pressing device for forming a chained terminal, a welding device for laser welding without winding, and a conveying/positioning mechanism to synchronize pressing and welding times, ensuring high precision and speed by calculating and adjusting conveying/positioning times based on sag detection and machining performance inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the press-molded chained terminal is wound up for transport to the laser welding process, then the terminal can be conveyed to the subsequent process, but the terminal deforms and becomes non-horizontal/non-vertical relative to the carrier, affecting welding quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the winding operation from the manufacturing process. By removing this intermediate step, the terminal is conveyed directly from press molding to laser welding without deformation, thus preserving welding quality while maintaining conveyance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary positioning and fixing of the terminal on the carrier before conveyance. This preliminary action ensures the terminal maintains its correct orientation (horizontal/vertical) during transport, preventing deformation and ensuring welding quality without requiring winding.
2Reliability
If resin sealing is applied to the wire connection portion, then the connection is sealed to prevent corrosion, but the manufacturing cost increases due to expensive resin and additional processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive resin sealing material with a more economical alternative - the laser-welded tubular structure itself serves as the sealing mechanism. This eliminates the need for additional resin materials and reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sealing function with the structural formation process. The tubular structure created by laser welding simultaneously provides both mechanical strength and corrosion protection, eliminating the separate resin sealing step and reducing manufacturing time.
3Productivity
If the conveying/positioning mechanism synchronizes pressing and welding times, then the manufacturing speed and precision are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the conveying/positioning mechanism monitors and adjusts the timing of terminal conveyance based on the pressing cycle. This feedback loop ensures precise synchronization between pressing and welding operations, improving manufacturing speed and precision while managing system complexity through intelligent control.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveying/positioning mechanism is designed to perform multiple functions: it conveys the terminal, positions it precisely, and synchronizes the timing with pressing and welding operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated mechanisms, thereby managing system complexity while achieving high productivity.
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 solution allows for high-quality laser welding without terminal deformation, reduces manufacturing time, and synchronizes pressing and welding processes, enhancing both quality and speed while eliminating the need for resin sealing, thus lowering costs.
Implementation Method 1
a welding device adapted to bring two edge portions of the crimp portion in proximity to each other and join the two edge portions by laser welding
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal manufacturing apparatus includes a pressing device adapted to form a chained terminal including a crimp portion by bending a continuously supplied plate-shaped workpiece into a hollow shape, the crimp portion being crimpable with a conductor part of a coated conductor accommodated therein, a welding device adapted to bring two edge portions of the crimp portion in proximity to each other and join the two edge portions by welding, a conveying/positioning time calculating unit adapted to determine a conveying/positioning time of the welding device on the basis of a machining time required by the pressing device and the welding device, and a conveying/positioning mechanism adapted to position the chained terminal in a welding machining position within the welding device in accordance with the conveying/positioning time.