Laser Butt Welding for Length and Angle Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser welding methods struggle with compensating for length and welding angle tolerances in components, leading to material losses and suboptimal weld quality, particularly in applications like scaffolding where precise connections are critical.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that simultaneously heat and plastically soften all contact surfaces of components using a laser device, allowing for precise adjustment and correction of length and welding angle by pressing the components together, ensuring sufficient material for a reliable weld seam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional laser welding is used without filler materials, then welding speed and productivity are improved, but material losses occur due to insufficient material availability from component tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The method applies preliminary heating to the component surfaces before welding to plastically soften them. This preliminary action prepares the material in advance to compensate for tolerance-related material deficiencies, allowing the welding process to proceed without filler materials while avoiding material losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the component surfaces by heating them to plastic softening temperatures. This parameter change (temperature increase) modifies the material properties temporarily, enabling the material to flow and compensate for dimensional tolerances, thus preventing material loss while maintaining high welding speed.
2Productivity
If conventional laser welding is used without compensating for tolerances, then the welding process is simple and fast, but length and welding angle tolerances cannot be compensated leading to suboptimal weld quality
Solution Approach 1:
By heating the component surfaces to plastic softening temperatures, the invention changes the material parameters temporarily. This allows the material to become more compliant and adaptable, enabling compensation for length and welding angle tolerances during the pressing and welding process, thereby improving manufacturing precision without sacrificing welding efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If component surfaces are heated and plastically softened before welding, then tolerance compensation and weld quality are improved, but additional processing time and energy are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the heating/softening process with the welding process into a single integrated operation. The laser beam that will perform welding is used first to heat and plastically soften the surfaces, then the components are pressed together and welding occurs. This combination eliminates separate processing steps, reducing total processing time while maintaining improved weld quality through plastic softening.
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 effectively compensates for tolerances, ensuring accurate length and welding angle alignment, resulting in a strong and reliable welded connection with sufficient material for the weld seam, improving the overall welding process.
Implementation Method 1
all contact surfaces of the first component and/or the second component between the first component and the second component are simultaneously heated and plastically softened by means of the laser device
Implementation Method 2
all contact surfaces of the first component and/or the second component between the first component and the second component are simultaneously heated and plastically softened
Implementation Method 3
a butt joint circumferential to the contact surfaces between the first component and the second component is welded by means of the laser device, forming a weld seam
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for welding a first component (1) to a second component (2) using a laser device (4). The first component (1) and the second component (2) are brought into contact with each other for welding. All contact surfaces (10) of the first component (1) and/or the second component (2) between the first component (1) and the second component (2) are simultaneously heated and plastically softened by means of the laser device (4). The first component (1) and the second component (2) are pressed together. A butt edge (11) surrounding the contact surfaces (10) between the first component (1) and the second component (2) is welded by means of the laser device (4), forming a weld seam (13), at least along a section.