Thin-Walled Coaxial Cable Welding for Small-Diameter Outer Conductors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing coaxial cables with thin-walled nonferrous metal outer conductors face challenges in achieving reliable welds with wall thicknesses below 0.15 mm and diameters smaller than 4 mm, resulting in suboptimal electromagnetic properties and increased minimum bend radius due to the limitations of arc welding techniques.
Innovation Solution
A continuous production method using a laser with wavelengths shorter than 600 nm to weld nonferrous metal strips into thin-walled hollow profiles, allowing for precise control of energy input and absorption, enabling the production of high-quality welds without a weld bead on the inner side and allowing for diameters smaller than 4 mm, by focusing the laser beam to a diameter of at most 20% of the profile's cross-sectional dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If arc welding methods (TIG) are used to weld nonferrous metal strips, then welding can be performed on thicker walls, but wall thicknesses smaller than 0.15 mm cannot be welded reliably and weld beads project into the tube interior adversely affecting electromagnetic properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the welding parameter from arc welding to laser welding with wavelength smaller than 600 nm, which fundamentally alters the heating mechanism and allows precise control of energy input for thin-walled materials without producing harmful weld beads
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical arc welding system with a laser-based optical system, substituting the arc discharge mechanism with focused laser radiation that provides more precise and controllable heating for thin-walled nonferrous metals
2Manufacturing precision
If arc welding is used for tubes with small diameters, then welding can be performed on larger diameters, but tubes having a weld diameter smaller than Ø4.0 mm cannot be produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the welding method to laser welding with focused beam, allowing precise energy concentration on small diameter tubes (smaller than Ø4.0 mm) while maintaining weld quality and avoiding the limitations of arc welding methods
3Loss of substance
If wall thickness is reduced to save material and cost, then material usage and weight are reduced, but wall thicknesses smaller than 0.15 mm cannot be welded reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the welding process to laser welding with wavelength smaller than 600 nm and focused beam, enabling reliable welding of thin walls (0.10 mm) that were previously unweldable, thus allowing further material reduction while maintaining weld quality
4Productivity
If continuous production process is used to produce longer coaxial cable lengths, then productivity is improved, but the flat strip must already have the desired wall thickness before welding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by precisely controlling the wall thickness of the flat strip before welding through laser welding parameters, ensuring that the desired final wall thickness is achieved after welding without requiring subsequent drawing processes that would interrupt continuous production
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 method enables the production of coaxial cables with wall thicknesses as low as 0.10 mm and diameters smaller than 4 mm with improved flexibility and reduced material usage, achieving longer cable lengths with consistent weld quality and reduced material costs, while maintaining the electromagnetic properties and flexibility of the coaxial cables.
Implementation Method 1
light having a wavelength smaller than 600 nm, in particular in a range between 550 and 450 nm, is incident on a welding point of the nonferrous metal such that the light is absorbed at the welding point and converted into heat
Implementation Method 2
The laser beam has a diameter of at most 20% of cross-sectional dimensions of the hollow profile on the workpiece
Implementation Method 3
The energy introduced into the material to be heated is coordinated with the material, its thickness and the rate at which the hollow profile or the coaxial cable is guided past the welding point, such that, although the material is melted in a region lying directly at the edges that lie flush against one another
Data Source
AI summary
A method for the continuous production of coaxial cables (224) having a thin-walled, radially closed outer conductor of nonferrous metal comprises supplying a flat strip of the nonferrous metal to a shaping apparatus (212), wherein the thickness of the strip corresponds to the wall thickness of the coaxial cable. The shaping apparatus is configured to continuously shape the supplied flat strip into a form corresponding to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable and around a cable core supplied before the outer conductor is closed. After the shaping, two opposite edges of the flat strip lie flush against one another in a contact region and are continuously welded to one another by a welding apparatus (216) by means of a laser, which radiates light having a wavelength smaller than 600 nm. The laser heats a point in a welding region that has a diameter smaller than 20% of the cross-sectional dimension of the coaxial cable. The welded coaxial cable is drawn off from the welding region and, after introducing a parallel or helical corrugation, is received in a receiving device (226).