Fluid Coupling Laser Welding Slimming Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing methods for fluid couplings, such as torque converters, face challenges in precision processing and welding of large-diameter components using high-energy beams, leading to issues like warping and dynamic balance adjustments due to heat effects and non-uniform welding.
Innovation Solution
A method involving slimming of outer peripheral surfaces of the front cover and pump shell to equal diameters, allowing for precise welding with a high-energy beam focused on abutment surfaces, reducing the need for precise angle management and equipment complexity, and forming recessed portions to prevent molten metal leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If arc welding is used to weld the front cover and pump shell, then the welding process is simple and fast, but the housing becomes warped and dynamic balance adjustment becomes troublesome due to heat effects and non-uniform welding metal distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional arc welding with laser beam welding, substituting a mechanical/thermal process with a more precise energy-based process. The laser beam provides concentrated, controllable heat input that eliminates the non-uniform welding metal distribution and excessive heat effects of arc welding, thereby preventing housing warping while maintaining welding efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the welding parameters by using laser beam welding instead of arc welding, which provides more precise control over heat input, welding speed, and penetration depth. This parameter change enables uniform welding without the harmful effects of arc welding on housing integrity and dynamic balance.
2Manufacturing precision
If the outer peripheral surfaces are scraped to create a gap for laser beam welding, then welding without additional metal is achieved, but the corner clearance reduces housing rigidity and the thin second sheet risks molten metal penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing slimming of the outer peripheral surfaces before welding to create precise abutment surfaces with equal outside diameters. This pre-processing step eliminates the need for corner clearances and prevents molten metal penetration, while maintaining housing rigidity through proper surface preparation rather than material removal that compromises structural integrity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the outer peripheral surfaces are made flush with equal outside diameters, then precise welding is achieved, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the slimming and welding preparation steps into a unified process where the outer peripheral surfaces are slimmed to equal diameters and made flush during the same processing operation. This integration reduces the number of separate steps while achieving the precision required for successful laser beam welding, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
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 enables high-precision welding with reduced heat effects, uniform coverage, and simplified dynamic balance adjustments, resulting in a high-quality fluid coupling with improved rigidity and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
a welding step of radiating a high-energy beam (R) toward abutment surfaces (30) (31) from a radially outer side to weld the abutment surfaces (30) (31) to each other
Implementation Method 2
radiating a high-energy beam (R) toward abutment surfaces (30) (31) from a radially outer side to weld the abutment surfaces (30) (31) to each other
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Respective outer peripheral surfaces (33, 35) of opening-side end portions (30, 31) of a front cover (12) and a pump shell (7), which have been shaped by pressing, are formed by slimming such that the outside diameters of the slimmed outer peripheral surfaces are equal to each other. With the opening-side end portions abutting against each other, a high-energy beam such as a laser beam (R) is radiated toward the abutment surfaces (30, 31) from the radially outer side to weld the abutment surfaces to each other. Consequently, it is possible to perform welding accurately through easy processing in order to easily manufacture a fluid coupling with high precision that facilitates post-processing.