Preheated Strip-End Trimming for Accurate High-Strength Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for trimming and welding strip ends require high process forces and result in inaccurate cuts, especially with high-strength materials, due to the cutting conditions and unavoidable break structure of the cut surface, leading to suboptimal weld preparation.
Innovation Solution
A device and method where a heating device on a laser welding device is used to heat the cutting area of strip ends before trimming, allowing for improved cutting behavior and reducing the need for additional equipment, by utilizing existing preheating and post-heating units to temper the cutting edges, thus enabling more precise and efficient cutting of high-strength materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical cutting is used to trim strip ends, then the cutting process can be performed, but high process forces are required and cutting accuracy deteriorates, especially with high-strength materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies temperature parameter changes by heating the strip ends to a specific temperature range (800-1200°C) before cutting. This thermal parameter modification reduces the material strength temporarily, enabling accurate cutting with significantly lower mechanical forces. The heating transforms the material state from high-strength cold condition to more ductile hot condition, resolving the contradiction between cutting accuracy and required force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary heating action before the cutting operation. By pre-heating the strip ends in the cutting area before mechanical cutting, the material properties are modified in advance to facilitate more accurate and less force-intensive cutting. This preliminary thermal action prepares the material for subsequent mechanical cutting, improving the cutting process outcomes.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional mechanical cutting is used, then the cutting process is simple, but the cut surface quality deteriorates due to break structure, leading to suboptimal weld preparation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the heating device serve multiple functions: it is used both for pre-heating the strip ends before cutting and for post-heating after cutting. This multi-functionality allows the system to improve cut surface quality without adding separate dedicated heating equipment, thereby maintaining device simplicity while achieving better manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
By applying thermal parameter changes through heating, the patent improves the cut surface quality. The heated material exhibits reduced brittleness and more controlled fracture behavior, resulting in a smoother cut surface without break structure defects. This thermal parameter modification directly addresses the cut surface quality issue while using existing equipment.
3Manufacturing precision
If heating device is added to improve cutting, then cutting quality improves, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the contradiction by making the existing heating device perform additional cutting-related functions. The same heating装置 that was previously only for pre-heating before welding is now also used for heating before cutting and post-heating after cutting. This multi-functional use eliminates the need for separate cutting-heating equipment, improving cutting precision without increasing device complexity.
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 allows for more accurate and efficient trimming of high-strength materials with reduced equipment expenditure, enabling cost-effective welding and improving the quality of welds by decreasing cutting force and stress on cutting device components, while extending their service life.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heating device for heating the actual welding area on the laser welding device can be positioned relative to at least one of the cutting areas of the strip ends to be joined before trimming and can be actuated in such a way that the cutting area is heated
Implementation Method 2
high-energy laser radiation, for example from a fiber laser, is applied in a targeted manner, for example to workpieces or workpiece edges to be welded, where it locally melts and welds the material of the workpieces
Data Source
AI summary
A device for trimming and welding strip ends, in particular for use on laser welding devices or resistance welding machines, in which the strip ends to be joined are positioned at a distance from one another and are trimmed parallel to one another before welding by a mechanical cutting device, includes at least one heating device provided on the laser welding device for heating the actual welding region that can be positioned relative to at least one of the cutting regions of the strip ends to be joined before cutting and can be actuated in such a way that the cutting region is heated and at least one strip end can subsequently be cut in the heated state. A corresponding method is also described.