Tailor Friction Stir Welded Blanks With Machined Edge Stretch Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Obtaining acceptable weld quality between aluminum or aluminum alloy blanks using traditional welding methods is challenging, particularly in forming tailor welded aluminum blanks for stamped parts, due to issues like weld defects and residual plastic deformation.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming tailor welded blanks by friction stir welding, removing the start and stop spots of the weld using machining processes like milling or shearing, and then stamping the blanks to plastic deform the welds, ensuring deformation-free edges and enhanced ductility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional welding methods are used to join aluminum blanks, then welding process is simple and fast, but weld quality is poor with defects and residual plastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional thermal welding methods (arc welding, resistance welding) with friction stir welding, which uses mechanical friction and stirring action to join aluminum blanks. This mechanical approach eliminates thermal cycles and associated defects, producing high-quality welds without residual plastic deformation or hot cracks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental welding parameters from thermal-based to mechanical-based processes. By controlling mechanical parameters such as stir speed, traverse speed, and plunge depth in friction stir welding, the process achieves superior weld quality while avoiding the defects inherent in traditional thermal welding methods.
2Manufacturing precision
If FSW start spot and stop spot are retained in the blank, then material is preserved, but residual plastic deformation causes stamping failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the FSW start spot and stop spot from the welded blank before stamping. These removed regions contain concentrated residual plastic deformation that would otherwise cause stamping failure. By taking out these problematic zones, the remaining blank achieves enhanced formability and stamping precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary removal of the FSW start and stop spots before the stamping operation. This preliminary action eliminates the residual plastic deformation zones in advance, ensuring that subsequent stamping operations proceed without failure and achieve the desired manufacturing precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If machining is used to remove FSW start and stop spots, then residual plastic deformation is eliminated, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary removal of the FSW start and stop spots through machining operations before stamping. This preliminary machining action eliminates residual plastic deformation at the edges, ensuring high manufacturing precision in the final stamped parts while accepting the additional processing time as necessary for quality.
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 approach improves the formability and predictability of stamped parts by removing weld defects and residual plastic deformation, allowing for successful deformation without failure during the stamping process.
Implementation Method 1
friction stir welding (FSW) a first blank to a second blank
Implementation Method 2
friction stir welding (FSW) a first blank to a second blank
Implementation Method 3
removing a FSW start spot and a FSW stop spot from the tailor welded blank using a machining process
Implementation Method 4
removing the FSW start spot and the FSW stop spot from the tailor welded blank includes shearing the FSW start spot and the FSW stop spot from the tailor welded blank
Implementation Method 5
stamping the finished tailor welded blank into the stamped part such that the weld is plastically deformed during the stamping
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a stamped part includes forming a tailor welded blank by friction stir welding (FSW) a first blank to a second blank, removing a FSW start spot and a FSW stop spot from the tailor welded blank using a machining process such that a finished tailor welded blank is formed and stamping the finished tailor welded blank into the stamped part such that a weld formed by FSW the first blank to the second blank is plastically deformed. The first blank and the second blank can be aluminum alloy blanks and a predetermined amount of material is machined from the FSW start spot and the FSW stop spot, the predetermined amount of material being equal to or greater than a thickness of the first blank and the second blank.