Conductor End Welding Using Stored Positions and Blind Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for welding conductor ends in electrical components, particularly in hairpin stators, suffer from low detection rates, require frequent retraining due to surface property changes, and incur high maintenance and commissioning costs, with OCT methods being too time-consuming for high-volume production.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that combines camera-based detection with blind welding using stored average positions, incorporating an existence check to ensure 100% detection rate, reducing false positives and maintenance efforts, and maintaining cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If OCT method is used for position detection, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming detection process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs position detection only for a subset of conductor ends (e.g., every second or third conductor end) rather than all conductor ends. This partial detection approach achieves acceptable positioning accuracy for the welding process while significantly reducing detection time and maintaining high productivity in mass production.
2Productivity
If camera-based detection is used, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to surface property changes requiring frequent retraining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs position detection in advance during the positioning phase, storing detected positions for subsequent welding operations. This preliminary detection ensures accurate positioning is established before welding begins, and the detected positions are reused during welding to maintain precision without requiring real-time detection during the welding process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital model or stored representation of conductor end positions detected in advance. This copied position information is then used during the welding process to guide the welding device, eliminating the need for continuous real-time detection and avoiding the need for frequent retraining while maintaining positioning accuracy.
3Manufacturing precision
If position detection is performed for all conductor ends, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to extensive detection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent detects positions for only a partial set of conductor ends (e.g., reference conductor ends at known intervals) rather than all conductor ends. The welding device uses these partial detection results combined with predetermined spacing information to calculate positions for all conductor ends, achieving sufficient manufacturing precision while minimizing detection time for mass production.
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
Achieves a 100% detection rate for conductor end welding with reduced maintenance and commissioning costs, while maintaining efficient cycle times, by using stored average positions and existence checks to verify conductor end presence.
Implementation Method 1
The welding device (62) is designed to position a laser beam (5.1, 5.2) as a welding medium onto the conductor ends (24) to be welded, depending on the detected position
Implementation Method 2
step a) includes step: a1) Performing optical position detection
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method to be carried out in the course of series production of a component of an electrical machine for welding conductor ends (24) which are arranged on the component in a conductor end arrangement (42), comprising: A) determining a position of predetermined conductor ends (24) of the conductor end arrangement (42) to be welded and B) arranging a welding means depending on the position determined in step A) on the conductor ends (24) to be welded.To improve the welding process in terms of effort and accuracy, step A) is carried out with the following steps: a) performing non-contact position detection (62) with the aim of detecting the position of the conductor ends (24) of the conductor end assembly (42) to be welded; b) if the position has been detected in step a), determining the detected position (64) as the position for performing step B) and storing (68) the detected position for the predetermined conductor ends (24); and c) if the position has not been detected in step a), determining the position for performing step B) based on at least one previously stored position for the predetermined conductor ends (24) to be welded.