Laser Butt Welding of Metal Sheets Without Edge Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for butt-welding metal sheets often result in deformation and poor quality welds due to changes in the stress state of the metal sheets during the welding process, leading to inefficiencies and the need for additional technical outlay.
Innovation Solution
A method involving laser cutting and welding where metal sheets are clamped to maintain preload, allowing edges to be cut and positioned to form a groove, ensuring precise alignment and using a remote laser for both cutting and welding to avoid deformation and produce high-quality, surface-flush welds with minimal apparatus requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If metal sheets are positioned and welded without maintaining preload, then the welding process is simpler, but deformation occurs and weld quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The metal sheets are clamped and preloaded before the welding process begins. This preliminary action maintains the stress state and prevents deformation during welding, ensuring high weld quality without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device serves multiple functions: it holds the metal sheets in position, applies preload to maintain stress state, and prevents deformation during welding. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices while maintaining weld quality.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate devices are used for cutting and welding, then each process can be optimized independently, but the technical outlay and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cutting device and welding device into a single integrated apparatus. The cutting device with movable arms performs both cutting and welding operations, reducing the number of separate devices required while maintaining process effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable arms are designed to perform multiple functions: cutting the metal sheets to shape and then welding them together. This multi-functional design reduces apparatus requirements while maintaining the ability to optimize each process step.
3Stability of the object's composition
If clamping force is applied during welding, then deformation is prevented, but the positioning precision for groove formation may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The metal sheets are positioned and grooves are formed while the sheets are still in their initial state, before the full clamping force is applied for welding. This preliminary positioning ensures precise groove formation, and then clamping is applied to maintain stability during the welding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping force is applied dynamically: initially allowing precise positioning and groove formation, then increased to maintain stability during welding. The system transitions from a less constrained state for positioning to a highly constrained state for welding.
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 high-quality welds with minimal technical outlay, preventing deformation and allowing for efficient production of tailored blanks with complex geometries, including ring-shaped and spatially curved components, while reducing the need for additional processing steps.
Implementation Method 1
a first edge to be welded is produced on the first metal sheet by means of laser cutting
Implementation Method 2
laser cutting
Implementation Method 3
the two metal sheets are joined along an abutting region, formed by the two edges, by means of laser welding
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for butt welding at least two metal sheets, namely a first metal sheet and a second metal sheet, wherein, in particular, a tailored blank is produced from the metal sheets.