Laser Wire Welding Termination Using Feed and Force Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser welding methods struggle to properly control the termination of the welding process, leading to potential damage to the base material and welding apparatus due to incomplete separation of the wire material from the weld pool.
Innovation Solution
A welding apparatus and method that includes a detector to monitor the feed amount and reaction force of the wire material, allowing for precise control of the wire feeder and laser applicator to stop feeding and applying the laser, followed by a cutting laser to separate the wire material from the base material, ensuring complete separation and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wire feeder continues feeding wire material after welding completion, then the wire material may be welded to the base material, but this causes damage to the base material and welding apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The controller stops the wire feeder before stopping the laser applicator, performing the wire stop action in advance. This preliminary action prevents the wire material from being welded to the base material at the termination area, eliminating the need for subsequent damage repair while maintaining efficient welding throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The detector monitors the feed amount of wire material or reaction force from the wire material, providing real-time feedback to the controller. This feedback mechanism enables the controller to accurately determine when welding is complete and coordinate the stopping of the wire feeder and laser applicator accordingly, preventing wire welding to base material while optimizing production efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If the laser applicator stops applying laser before wire feeder stops feeding, then the welding process ends, but the wire material remains unwelded and causes defects
Solution Approach 1:
The controller stops the wire feeder in advance before stopping the laser applicator. This preliminary wire stop action ensures that no additional wire material is fed into the welding area after laser cessation, preventing unwelded wire defects while maintaining a manageable control sequence through automated coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The detector provides real-time feedback on wire feed amount or reaction force, enabling the controller to precisely coordinate the stopping sequences of the wire feeder and laser applicator. This feedback-based control ensures correct welding termination quality while the automated control system handles the sequence complexity.
3Reliability
If the wire material is not completely separated from the welding area, then the welding process completes, but the welded wire material damages the base material and apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The controller stops the wire feeder before stopping the laser applicator, performing the wire stop action in advance. This preliminary action prevents wire material from being welded to the base material, eliminating the hazard of apparatus damage while the automated control maintains operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The detector monitors wire feed amount or reaction force, providing feedback to the controller to determine welding completion. This feedback mechanism enables the controller to coordinate the stopping of wire feeder and laser applicator to prevent wire welding to base material, ensuring apparatus safety while maintaining simple automated operation.
4Device complexity
If the welding process uses simple motor load voltage control, then the control system is simple, but it cannot properly process the termination of the welding area
Solution Approach 1:
The detector provides real-time feedback on wire feed amount or reaction force, enabling precise determination of welding termination. This feedback mechanism allows the controller to accurately coordinate the stopping of wire feeder and laser applicator, achieving high welding termination precision while the automated control system manages the complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces simple motor load voltage control with a feedback-based control system using the detector. This substitution provides precise welding termination control by monitoring actual wire feed conditions rather than relying solely on motor electrical parameters, significantly improving termination precision.
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
The solution enables efficient processing of the welding termination, reducing the risk of base material distortion and apparatus damage by promptly detecting and addressing incomplete welds, thereby enhancing the quality and efficiency of the welding process.
Implementation Method 1
a laser applicator configured to apply the welding laser to a welding area
Implementation Method 2
weld a base material through a wire material melted by a welding laser
Implementation Method 3
a detector provided on the wire feeder and configured to detect a feed amount of the wire material or a reaction force from the wire material
Implementation Method 4
controlling the laser applicator to apply a cutting laser
Data Source
AI summary
Welding-apparatus configured to weld base-material through wire-material melted by welding-laser, includes: laser-applicator configured to apply welding-laser to welding-area; wire-feeder configured to feed wire-material to welding-area; detector provided on wire-feeder and configured to detect feed-amount of wire-material or reaction-force from wire-material; moving-unit configured to move welding-area or wire-material; controller configured to respectively control laser-applicator, wire-feeder, and moving-unit. Controller is configured to perform: controlling wire-feeder to stop feeding wire-material to welding-area; then controlling laser-applicator to stop applying welding-laser to welding-area; then controlling moving-unit so that welding-area and wire-material are separated from each other; determining whether wire-material has been welded to base-material based on feed-amount of wire-material or reaction-force from wire-material detected by detector; and controlling laser-applicator to apply cutting-laser when it is determined that wire-material has been welded to base-material.