Laser Soldering Two-Step Seam Fixing and Volume Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In series production of vehicle body parts, there is a challenge in producing high-quality soldered or welded seams within limited time, requiring a method that ensures a tight, smooth seam without tubular pores while maintaining efficiency and quality.
Innovation Solution
A two-step process involving a geometry-forming fixing seam followed by a volume-forming layer, where the connecting material is melted and remelted to achieve a seamless, high-quality joint with reduced porosity and increased production speed, using laser beam soldering or welding with a thin soldering wire and energy beam tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single-step soldering or welding process is used, then the production speed can be maintained, but the seam quality deteriorates with tubular pores and insufficient tightness
Solution Approach 1:
The soldering process is divided into two distinct steps: first producing a fixing seam at high speed to join components, then applying a volume-forming layer to eliminate pores and ensure tightness. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently - the fixing seam prioritizes speed while the volume-forming layer prioritizes quality, resolving the contradiction between production speed and seam quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing seam is produced as a preliminary action that establishes the basic joint geometry and component positioning. This preliminary structure then serves as the foundation for the subsequent volume-forming layer application, allowing the final quality-critical step to focus solely on pore elimination and tightness rather than also performing geometry formation.
2Productivity
If the production speed is increased to meet series production requirements, then the productivity improves, but the seam quality deteriorates with increased porosity
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the soldering process into two steps with different quality requirements, the fixing seam can be produced at high speed without pore concerns, while the subsequent volume-forming layer application occurs at lower speed to ensure quality. This resolves the contradiction by allowing high productivity in the first step and high quality in the second step.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different quality standards to different regions and steps: the fixing seam requires only geometric fixation and can tolerate porosity, while the volume-forming layer requires high quality with no pores. This local differentiation of quality requirements allows the system to achieve both high overall productivity and high final seam quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional connecting material is supplied and melted in multiple steps, then the seam quality improves with reduced porosity, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The same energy beam tool and connecting material supply system are used for both the fixing seam production and the volume-forming layer application. This multi-functional approach allows the equipment to perform both operations without requiring separate specialized devices, thereby improving seam quality through multiple steps while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 the production of high-quality, seamless joints with reduced porosity and increased production speed, allowing for efficient assembly of vehicle body parts under time constraints while maintaining quality standards.
Implementation Method 1
a fixing seam that fixes the geometry of the desired component assembly is produced along a joint formed by the components to be connected by melting a connecting material
Implementation Method 2
by melting a connecting material
Implementation Method 3
the second process step only consists of remelting the fixing seam without additional material application
Implementation Method 4
heated to such an extent that it is compressed at least over its entire outer surface and a depth area close to the surface
Implementation Method 5
The connecting materials of the two process steps should at least have melting points that are close together and otherwise be metallurgically similar to the extent that they materially bond firmly to one another
Data Source
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Figure 7
AI summary
In a first stage process to assemble automotive body panels and join by soldering or welding on an assembly line, the two components are presented for assembly. The components form a narrow channel in which solder metal or welding wire is molten by a laser beam, forming a first seam line. In a second stage further solder or solder wire is presented and molten into the channel over the first solder or weld (11) layer. The soldering metal or weld wire employed in each stage has a melting point close to that of the other, e.g. copper or aluminum alloy.