Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Patent
1994-10-19
1997-07-22
Evans, Geoffrey S.
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
21912163, B23K 2600
Patent
active
056500777
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a process and a device for laser welding.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Laser welding devices, which have a welding energy source and a movable damping device, have been known in practice. The welding energy is set as a function of the workpiece thickness. The value is entered based on the preset parameters. The operator knows the individual plate thickness from the specifications of the components. From this, he calculates the thickness of the plate stack and then sets the welding energy source manually on the basis of predetermined tables. This technique is unsuitable for automation. In addition, it is subject to tolerances and errors.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to show a possibility of better and more accurate setting of the laser welding device.
According to the present invention, the feed path is measured by means of a displacement transducer via the damping device, and the thickness of the plate stack is accurately calculated from this by means of a suitable control unit. The welding energy source can be accurately set with this thickness value. This setting can also be performed manually, in which case the operator receives the thickness of the plate stack reported to him by the control unit on a display unit. The advantage is the accurate determination of the plate thickness, which can, moreover, also be performed directly at the welding site by means of a suitable clamping device. The operator's miscalculations in adding up the plate thicknesses are ruled out. Any tolerances in the individual plate thicknesses are also accurately determined.
In the especially advantageous embodiment, the control unit is connected to the welding energy source. As a result, if the control unit is designed properly, the needed welding energy can be set automatically, taking into account other stored welding parameters.
The displacement transducer is arranged on a damping device, which can be done in various manners. Likewise, there are various possibilities for designing the displacement transducer. For an automatic welding device, it is recommended that the damping device be provided with a motor drive, and that the displacement transducer be arranged on the drive. It is advantageously an angle of rotation meter in the motor.
In another embodiment, the displacement transducer may also be associated with the clamping elements, especially clamping tongs, and measure their mutual approach. This is possible, on the one hand, directly at the arms of the tongs. However, it is also possible to provide a gear mechanism, especially a rack-and-pinion gear, or a spindle drive for the synchronous actuation of the tong arms, and to arrange the displacement transducer on the common pinion or on the spindle in this case.
Any type of measurement element, which measures a displacement directly or indirectly via other physical effects, may be used as the displacement transducer.
It is recommended for the welding device to guide the welding head, especially the laser focus of a laser welding device, on one of the tong arms, and to automatically feed it into the welding position on closure of the clamping device. After the damping device has been closed, the welding device is immediately ready to operate and is correctly adjusted. The setting and adjustment process can be repeated anew at each welding point, so that even irregularities in the weld metal are detected and, as a result, they always permit optimized welding to be performed.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
The present invention is represented in the drawings schematically and as an example. Specifically,
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a welding device,
FIG. 2 is a representation of the clamping tongs with the displacement transducer, and
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REFERENCES:
patent: 3049607 (1962-08-01), Stuben et al.
patent: 3131287 (1964-04-01), Goodrich et al.
patent: 3135853 (1964-06-01), Goodrich et al.
patent: 4296304 (1981-10-01), Defourny
patent: 4734555 (1988-03-01), Ferguson
patent: 4973817 (1990-11-01), Kanno et al.
Evans Geoffrey S.
Kuka Schweissanlagen & Roboter GmbH
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