Laser Butt Welding Sheet Metal Bead Thickness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for butt-welding sheet metals in continuous line processing installations face challenges such as excessive welding bead thickness, irregular bead quality, and high equipment costs due to complex alignment and positioning requirements, which can lead to deformation, brittleness, or unacceptable thickness variations.
Innovation Solution
A method using laser beam welding without filler material, where the clamping jaws are adjusted with a preset play to control the thickness of the welding bead by calculating the travel distance based on the thickness of the sheet metals and accounting for cutting accuracy and positioning tolerances, ensuring a precise final allowance between the edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the sheet metals are clamped with overhang beyond the jaw ends to enable cutting, then the ends can be cut to accurate size, but the massive jaws absorb heat and prevent welding too close to the jaw
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical clamping system with massive jaws that absorb heat with a system where the sheet metals are clamped within the jaw ends (no overhang), and the ends protrude slightly for cutting. This substitution eliminates the heat absorption problem of massive jaws while maintaining cutting accuracy through precise positioning during welding.
2Productivity
If flash butt-welding is used to connect reels, then the welding process can be performed, but the generated raw welding bead has an irregular pad that may damage backup rolls and break between rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the welding parameters by using laser beam welding instead of flash butt-welding, and by controlling the clamping force and jaw positioning to achieve a flat welding bead without excessive pad formation. This parameter change eliminates the irregular pad that causes damage to backup rolls and breaks between rollers.
3Manufacturing precision
If planning or grinding machines are used to reduce welding bead thickness, then the pad size is reduced to acceptable levels, but the welding bead becomes brittle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by controlling the welding parameters and clamping conditions during the welding process itself to produce a welding bead with appropriate thickness from the start, eliminating the need for subsequent planning or grinding operations that would make the bead brittle.
4Ease of manufacture
If castor-type welding with partial overlapping is used, then the welding process can be performed, but the welding bead thickness reaches approximately 10% of the sheet metal thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the castor-type mechanical welding system with laser beam welding, substituting a process that produces excessive bead thickness with one that provides precise thickness control. The laser beam welding, combined with proper clamping, achieves accurate welding bead thickness without the 10% excess associated with castor-type welding.
5Manufacturing precision
If complex alignment and positioning devices are used to control welding bead thickness, then the welding quality can be improved, but the equipment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a clamping system where the jaws clamp the sheet metals within their ends (no overhang), and the sheet metals themselves protrude for cutting. This self-positioning approach, combined with laser beam welding, achieves precise welding bead thickness control without requiring complex alignment and positioning devices.
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 effectively controls the welding bead thickness, preventing excessive thickness and brittleness, while reducing equipment costs and improving the quality of the weld by ensuring accurate alignment and positioning, thus enhancing the reliability of the welding process.
Implementation Method 1
welded by passing a laser beam
Implementation Method 2
the welding bead is made by passing the laser beam along a contact plane between the edges
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for adjusting the thickness of the welding bead of two bands obtained by butt welding by means of a laser beam without using filler material. The bands are clamped in jaws, both cut edges being spaced apart by a reference distance. Then the mobile jaw is moved along a travel. Said travel differs from said reference distance by an offset calculated in relation to the thickness of the bands, and while taking into account the degree of accuracy of the positioning and of the cut of said edges. The offset is counted as positive or negative, in order to obtain a final welding position such that it exists, between the edges, an actual allowance, positive or negative, adapted to the thickness of the bands.