Friction Stir Welding Shoulder Angle Control for Instant Direction Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Friction stir welding processes face challenges in quickly and precisely changing the welding shoulder angle to accommodate varying geometrical arrangements and material unevenness during the welding operation, requiring the entire machine to adjust, which is inefficient and limits the automation potential.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that relocate the local displacement of the welding shoulder angle to the welding head, featuring a gantry-type welding device with a friction welding head that can move horizontally and vertically, equipped with a cardanically movable welding shoulder mount controlled by push and pull rods with piezo fine regulation, and a camera for pattern recognition to adjust the welding shoulder angle dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire machine moves and controls the friction stir welding process to change the welding shoulder angle, then the welding direction can be changed, but the response time is slow and the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the welding system into a stationary machine body and a movable welding head assembly. The welding head, including the welding shoulder and pin, can be independently positioned and oriented without moving the entire machine. This segmentation enables rapid adjustment of the welding shoulder angle while keeping the main machine structure fixed, thereby reducing response time and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding head is designed with dynamic positioning capabilities through multiple degrees of freedom, allowing it to move horizontally and vertically and adjust its orientation independently. This dynamic design enables the welding shoulder to quickly adapt to different welding directions and angles without requiring the entire machine to reposition, thus improving response time while maintaining adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the entire machine moves to accommodate welding direction changes, then the welding process can adapt to different geometries, but the automation potential is limited and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the welding head from the main machine body, the system allows the welding head to be independently controlled and positioned. This segmentation enables automated control of the welding head's position and orientation, allowing the system to adapt to different geometrical arrangements without moving the entire machine, thereby improving production efficiency and automation potential.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical movement of the entire machine with a more sophisticated control system that independently positions and orients the welding head. This substitution of the mechanical system with a controlled subsystem enables faster, more precise adjustments and enhances automation, leading to improved productivity while maintaining the ability to adapt to various geometrical arrangements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the welding shoulder angle is changed by moving the entire machine, then the contact angle can be adjusted, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into a stationary machine body and a movable welding head assembly. This segmentation allows the welding shoulder angle to be adjusted by repositioning only the welding head, which has a compact and simplified structure compared to moving the entire machine. This reduces device complexity while maintaining the capability to adjust the welding shoulder angle for different welding directions.
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
Enables the virtual instantaneous change of the welding direction, improving the quality of welds by allowing precise adaptation to the parts being joined, enhancing automation and reducing production costs and material weight.
Implementation Method 1
on at least one of the push and pull rods (16), the main adjusting drive is provided with a piezo fine regulating device (22)
Implementation Method 2
the weld produced is observed by at least one camera (26) with means for pattern recognition
Implementation Method 3
friction stir welding process
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for changing the welding direction of the welding shoulder of a system for a friction stir welding process virtually without delay when required by the geometric arrangement of the joint partners to be welded or by a material unevenness, having the following method features: a) a main part (1) with a horizontally movable bridge support (5) has a friction welding head (12) which can be vertically adjusted together therewith and which has a pin receiving area (13) for mounting and driving a welding pin tip (14), wherein the welding shoulder (18) has a welding shoulder receiving area (17) which is supported at multiple points, and b) the welding shoulder receiving area (17) can be adjusted to any angle of attack relative to the joint partners by means of different push-pull rods (16) during the welding process.