Twist Beam Axle Welding Heat Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing motor vehicle axle components, such as twist beam axles, require high material allowances for machining, leading to increased costs and material consumption, as well as additional costs for machining and tool wear, due to stringent tolerance requirements for toe and camber angles.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing heat-induced deformation from welding operations to align and compensate for distortion in axle components, employing specifically positioned, additional, or blind welds, determined with computer assistance, to establish target geometries and meet tolerance requirements, thereby reducing material usage and production complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If material-removing machining is used to achieve target geometry and tolerances, then manufacturing precision is improved, but material consumption increases due to machining allowances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing welding operations before final assembly to pre-establish the target geometry of the axle component. The welding process is used to align axle parts and compensate for distortion in advance, eliminating the need for subsequent material-removing machining operations to achieve tolerance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the mechanical machining system with a thermal-welding system. Instead of using material-removing machining operations to achieve target geometry, the invention uses welding-induced heat and deformation to directly form the desired geometry, replacing mechanical cutting processes with thermal processing.
2Manufacturing precision
If material-removing machining is used to achieve target geometry, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production costs increase due to machining operations and tool wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical machining system with a thermal-welding system. Welding operations are used to achieve target geometry and tolerances directly, eliminating the need for expensive machining operations, specialized machining tools, and associated tool wear costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the machining operation from the production process. By using welding to directly establish target geometry, the invention removes the entire machining step including all associated costs for machining equipment, tools, and post-machining operations like deburring and cleaning.
3Loss of substance
If welding operations are used to establish target geometry, then material consumption is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases due to coordination of welding parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-planning and pre-positioning welding operations during the assembly process. The welding sequence, parameters, and positions are determined in advance to compensate for expected distortion and achieve target geometry, simplifying the overall process by eliminating the need for complex post-welding adjustments or machining operations.
4Ease of manufacture
If welding operations are used to establish target geometry, then production costs are reduced, but manufacturing precision must be maintained through careful control of welding parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the machining system with a welding system that is inherently capable of achieving required tolerances. By using welding to directly establish geometry rather than machining to remove material, the process achieves cost reduction while maintaining precision through proper welding parameter control and sequence planning.
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 the production of high-quality axle components that meet tolerance requirements with reduced material consumption and production costs, simplifying the manufacturing process and minimizing reworking, while saving on equipment and tooling expenses.
Implementation Method 1
the heat introduced into the part by a welding process is utilized to establish the target geometry
Implementation Method 2
The heat induced by a welding operation is utilized. The heat introduced into the part by a welding process is utilized to establish the target geometry, to compensate for any distortion
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method for producing an axle component for a motor vehicle, in which at least two metallic axle parts are joined integrally to one another. The axle component is a twist beam axle, in which lateral trailing arms are connected to each other via a transverse profile. In order to establish a target geometry of the axle component, the heat induced by a welding operation is utilized. The welding operation can be a specifically positioned weld, an additional weld or a blind weld. The heat of welding is utilized in order to achieve a compensation deformation and to compensate for distortion states and/or to align the axle component.