Oscillating Welding Tool for Joining Dissimilar Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing methods for joining different materials, such as metals, are complex and expensive due to the need for fasteners or complementary geometries, which can add weight and complexity to the joint.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing system that uses a welding tool with a mechanical oscillation system to deposit metallic anchoring material droplets between workpieces, allowing for precise joining of materials with different properties using energy sources like electric power or photonic energy, and a controller to manage the composition and application of these droplets for optimal bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional joining methods (fasteners, welding) are used to join different materials, then the joint strength and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple joining functions into a single additive manufacturing process. The system deposits material that simultaneously bonds multiple workpieces together, eliminating the need for separate fasteners, welds, or mechanical joints. This merging of functions reduces joint complexity while maintaining reliability through direct material bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing system performs multiple functions: it deposits material, forms joints, and bonds different materials simultaneously. The deposited material serves multiple purposes - it acts as the joint itself, provides structural connection, and enables bonding of dissimilar materials, replacing multiple specialized joining operations with a single universal process.
2Strength
If traditional joining methods are used to join different materials, then the joint durability is improved, but the weight of the joint increases due to fasteners and complementary geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary joint components such as fasteners, brackets, and complementary geometries from the traditional joining process. Only the essential bonding material is deposited, removing excess weight while maintaining joint durability through direct material-to-material bonding that creates strong, integrated connections.
3Manufacturing precision
If additive manufacturing with metals is used to create durable components, then the manufacturing precision and control are improved, but the process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary material that is deposited through the additive manufacturing process to join workpieces. This intermediary material serves as the bonding agent that transfers the precision and control capabilities of the additive manufacturing system to the joint, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring the entire process to be as complex as traditional metal additive manufacturing.
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 additive manufacturing process, reduces costs, and enables strong, precise bonding between materials with different properties while minimizing the heat-affected zone, thus improving the efficiency and quality of the joint.
Implementation Method 1
a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate a structural component of the welding tool toward and away from the workpiece
Implementation Method 2
an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a metallic anchoring material and to supply the welding wire to a workpiece
Data Source
AI summary
Present embodiments include an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a metallic anchoring material and to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, wherein each droplet of the plurality of droplets comprises the metallic anchoring material and a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate a structural component of the additive manufacturing tool toward and away from the part, wherein the mechanical oscillation system comprises a motor, a cam coupled to the motor, and a piston coupled to the cam, wherein the piston is fixedly attached to the structural component.