Ultrasonic Welding Energy Director Location Algorithm
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ultrasonic welding of polymetric composites, energy directors are difficult to locate accurately, leading to increased time and energy requirements, which are cost-prohibitive in manufacturing environments due to their invisibility during the welding process.
Innovation Solution
An algorithm is used to automatically locate energy directors by controlling the welding horn's movement based on displacement and threshold return force feedback, ensuring precise positioning for efficient energy transfer during the welding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If energy directors are located manually by eye and hand, then welding precision can be achieved, but time consumption and labor cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and physical positioning with an automated optical sensing system. The sensor array captures images of the workpiece surface, and image processing algorithms automatically detect energy director locations, replacing the mechanical human eye-hand system with an automated vision-based system that operates faster and more consistently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the workpiece surface through imaging to identify energy director locations. By capturing an optical image and processing it to extract location information, the system creates a virtual representation that can be analyzed without physically touching or manually inspecting the workpiece, enabling rapid automated detection.
2Manufacturing precision
If energy directors are located with high precision, then welding quality improves, but additional work and energy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive manual inspection methods with an automated optical sensing system that consumes minimal energy. The sensor array and image processing require far less energy than human operators performing manual visual inspection and physical positioning, while delivering consistent high-precision results.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the workpiece itself to provide location information through its visual characteristics. The energy directors' geometric features (such as protrusions or specific patterns) naturally reflect or absorb light in detectable ways, allowing the workpiece to 'self-identify' its features without requiring external active probing or additional energy input.
3Ease of operation
If manual location methods are used, then flexibility in handling invisible energy directors is maintained, but productivity decreases due to repeated iterations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual adaptive inspection with an automated vision system that can rapidly process images and identify energy director locations without human intervention. This automated system eliminates the need for repeated manual iterations while maintaining the ability to handle invisible or hard-to-see energy directors through optical detection of their geometric features.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs location detection before the welding operation begins, using pre-captured images to identify all energy director positions in advance. This preliminary identification allows the welding process to proceed directly to execution without interruptions for manual location verification, thereby eliminating repeated iterations and improving productivity.
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 reduces energy and time consumption by accurately identifying energy director locations, resulting in more efficient and robust welds with less cycle time and energy usage compared to traditional techniques.
Implementation Method 1
a welding horn configured to apply welding energy to a proximate workpiece
Implementation Method 2
applying welding energy... so that it channels through, and melts, the energy director
Implementation Method 3
a welding horn configured to apply welding energy... The system also includes a controller configured to control the welding horn
Data Source
AI summary
A process, for locating a welding energy director, for effective welding together of multiple workpieces at an area of the director. The director includes positioning a workpiece arrangement in preparation to make approaches, for locating the director, wherein the workpiece arrangement includes a proximate workpiece of the multiple workpieces, a distal workpiece, and the welding director positioned therebetween. The process also includes performing a sub-routine comprising moving a locating implement toward the proximate workpiece. The routine also includes determining whether a push-back force, being received at the locating implement from the workpiece, indicates that the locating implement has been lowered to a local terminal point. The routine includes relocating, in response to a negative result, the implement for repeating until a positive result, and determining, in response to the positive results in the location determination, that the director is located directly beneath an area corresponding to the positive result.