Link Unit Friction Welding Upset Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing link units for commercial vehicles face challenges with high weight, complex manufacturing, and reduced strength due to complex geometries and welding seams, particularly in cast or welded metal sheet configurations.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a carrier with a cylindrical configuration that is reshaped to form an upset section with increased wall thickness, allowing for rotary friction welding with a node element, which enhances connection strength and reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining lightweight design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If longitudinal links are configured as cast parts, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but weight increases and welding capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The link unit is divided into separate components (carrier and node element) that can be manufactured independently and then joined through friction welding. This allows each component to be optimized separately - the carrier can be made lightweight while the node element provides the necessary connection points, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier and node element are merged through friction welding to create an integrated link unit that combines the advantages of both separate manufacturing (weight reduction, simplified production) and integrated structure (strength, reduced complexity). The welding process fuses the components into a unified structure without requiring complex casting.
2Weight of moving object
If longitudinal links are constructed from individual metal sheets welded together, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases and strength is weakened due to welded seams
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is prepared in advance with a specifically designed geometry and surface preparation before friction welding. The node element is also pre-configured with matching dimensions and tolerances. This preliminary preparation ensures that the friction welding process can be performed efficiently with minimal additional complexity, while maintaining the lightweight advantage of separate components.
3Ease of manufacture
If components with different wall thicknesses are welded directly, then manufacturing is simplified, but notch effects occur reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The node element is designed with locally varied wall thickness that matches the carrier's wall thickness at the connection point. This local adaptation ensures uniform material properties and stress distribution in the welded joint, eliminating notch effects while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity. The rest of the node element can maintain thinner walls for weight reduction.
4Strength
If a large contact area is provided for friction welding, then connection strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact area for friction welding is optimized by adjusting geometric parameters of the carrier and node element (such as diameter, length, and surface configuration) rather than adding complex manufacturing processes. The parameters are selected to provide sufficient contact area for strong welding while keeping the overall design simple and manufacturable.
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 method results in a link unit with improved strength, reduced weight, and extended service life by creating a uniform and large-area melting zone during welding, minimizing notch effects and allowing for optimized installation space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
connecting of the joint section to the first connecting section by means of a rotary friction welding method
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing a link unit, comprising the steps of provision of a carrier, reshaping of the carrier in the region of a first connecting section in such a way that an upset section is formed, the wall thickness of the carrier being increased in the region of the upset section, and provision of a node element with a joint section, and connecting of the joint section to the first connecting section by means of a rotary friction welding method. Furthermore, the invention relates to a link unit, in which a carrier which is configured in the manner of a hollow body is connected to a node element by means of a rotary friction welding method.