Laser Welding Path Control for Stationary-Head Component Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser welding methods for joining components in industries like electronic cigarettes and pharmaceuticals are inefficient due to cumbersome and complex welding heads that require large spaces and can only process one product at a time, especially when dealing with non-circular cross-section products.
Innovation Solution
A laser welding method where the welding head remains stationary, emitting a laser beam perpendicular to the welding surface, while the product is moved using a rototranslational movement to maintain the beam's orientation along the welding path, allowing for simultaneous processing of multiple products with reduced structural complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the welding head is moved around the product to keep the laser beam perpendicular to the welding surface, then the welding quality is maintained, but the equipment complexity and space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the welding head around the product, the patent inverts the approach by keeping the welding head stationary and moving the product through the laser beam. This reversal eliminates the complex supporting equipment needed to move the welding head while maintaining the perpendicular orientation of the laser beam to the welding surface throughout the process.
2Manufacturing precision
If the welding head is moved around the product, then the laser beam can remain perpendicular to the welding surface, but the processing speed and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reverses the motion relationship by keeping the welding head stationary and moving the product instead. This allows for faster processing speeds since the product can be conveyed through the stationary laser beam more quickly than a welding head could orbit around the product, while still maintaining proper laser beam orientation perpendicular to the welding surface.
3Manufacturing precision
If only one product is processed at a time, then the welding head can maintain proper orientation, but the production efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the welding process into multiple parallel stations, each with its own stationary welding head. Multiple products can be processed simultaneously at different stations along the conveyance path, increasing production efficiency while each individual welding head maintains proper orientation control for its respective product.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from processing one product at a time to processing multiple products simultaneously by adding the dimension of parallel processing through multiple welding stations arranged along the product conveyance path, thereby increasing production efficiency without compromising welding orientation control.
4Power
If the welding head is made larger to contain all laser generation parts, then the laser beam can be properly generated, but the equipment size and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the motion relationship and keeping the welding head stationary, the patent eliminates the need for complex supporting equipment and reduces the effective space requirements. The welding head can be optimally sized for laser generation without the additional space needed to support its movement around the product.
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 simplifies the welding process, reduces equipment size and complexity, and enables efficient welding of multiple products simultaneously, improving production efficiency and weld quality.
Implementation Method 1
a laser beam emittable by a welding head (2) Travelling along a welding path (S), in such a way that the latter remains at all times perpendicular to the surface to be welded
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3C
Figure 4A~5B
AI summary
A laser welding method for joining two components of a product (P) of the electronic cigarette industry or of the pharmaceutical industry is performed by disposing the first component (P1) and the second component (P2) to face a laser welding head (2) at an area for emitting a laser beam (R) in such a way that the laser beam (R) is perpendicular to the surface to be welded at a first point of the welding path (S). Next, the laser beam (R) is activated and the product (P) is moved while the laser head (2) is held still, so that the laser beam (R) remains at right angles to the surface to be welded and travels along the welding path (S) to weld the first component (P1) and the second component (P2) along the welding path (S).