Localized Welding Pad Structure for Stable Laser Weld Mating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser welding processes are compromised by dimensional variations in non-welding areas of components, leading to gaps at the welding surface, which reduce weld quality and require costly reworking of dies and tooling or increased clamping forces, especially with advanced materials and mill-to-mill variations.
Innovation Solution
The formation of localized welding pads offset from non-welding areas creates a gap between components, acting as a buffer to maintain contact between welding surfaces, allowing for adjustments only in the welding pads, reducing the need for global reworking of tooling and minimizing clamping forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If tight mating conditions are required between substrates for laser welding, then weld quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to costly reworking of dies and tooling
Solution Approach 1:
The component surface is segmented into a welding area and a non-welding area, with the welding area offset from the non-welding area. This segmentation allows dimensional variations in the non-welding area to be isolated from the welding interface, maintaining tight mating conditions at the weld while permitting greater tolerance elsewhere, thereby reducing tooling complexity and reworking costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset welding area creates a localized region with strict dimensional control only where needed for welding, while the non-welding area can have relaxed tolerances. This local quality approach ensures high weld quality without requiring the entire component to meet tight mating specifications, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If dimensional variations in non-welding areas are tolerated, then manufacturing ease is improved, but gaps are created at the welding surface reducing weld quality
Solution Approach 1:
The welding area is offset in a direction towards the other component, creating a dimensional separation between the welding interface and the non-welding areas. This dimensional change allows the welding surface to maintain contact despite variations in non-welding areas, achieving both manufacturing ease and weld quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If clamping forces are increased to maintain mating surface contact, then weld quality is improved, but device complexity and force requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the component into welding and non-welding areas with the welding area offset, the design naturally maintains contact at the welding interface without requiring excessive clamping forces. The offset configuration allows the welding surfaces to mate properly even with moderate clamping, reducing force requirements while maintaining weld quality.
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 solution ensures consistent weld quality by isolating minor variations in non-welding areas, reducing the need for extensive reworking of tooling and clamping adjustments, and facilitating quicker and less costly adjustments to maintain proper mating surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
Laser welding, or laser beam welding (LBW), is a welding technique in which a laser is used to locally melt and fuse two or more components
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly and method of forming the assembly are disclosed. The assembly may include first and second components, the first component including a non-mating region and a mating region. The mating region may have an offset in a direction towards the second component and have a welding surface contacting the second component. A weld located within the welding surface may join the first and second components. The weld may be a laser weld. The method may include positioning a first component including a welding pad offset from a surrounding region of the first component such that the welding pad is in contact with a second component to form a gap between the surrounding region of the first component and the second component. The first component may then be welded to the second component in an area within the welding pad.