Method and device for quick and reliable tool changing in the process of friction stir welding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183357-B2
Application number	US-201515319624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Method and device for quick and reliable tool changing in the process of friction stir welding, comprising the following features: a) a robot (1) with a robot pivoting head (2) and a friction welding head (3) with a welding shoe (13), wherein the robot (1) can select a friction welding head (2) from a tool magazine (4), b) a device for sensing the mechanical forces at the welding pin tip (14) of each welding shoe (13) of a friction welding head (2), wherein a sensor (16) is attached to the frustoconical part of the tool (11), wherein a sensor (21) is provided, and wherein furthermore a sensor (25) is provided in the flared pin receptacle (26) and a piezoelectric force-measuring sensor (24) is provided in the longitudinal axis of the pin shaft (27) for measuring the axial force acting on the welding pin tip, c) an RFDI code provided on the pin shaft (27) of each welding shoe (13) for identification, d) a changing skid (28) provided on each welding shoe (13).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for tool changing in a friction stir welding process, comprising:
a) a robot ( 1 ) having a robotic pivoting head ( 2 ) and a friction-stir welding head ( 3 ) which is fastened to the robotic pivoting head ( 2 ), having a welding shoe ( 13 ), wherein the robot ( 1 ) is adapted to select an appropriate friction-stir welding head ( 2 ) from a tool magazine ( 4 );
b) a device for detecting mechanical forces on a welding-pin tip ( 14 ) of each welding shoe ( 13 ) of a friction-stir welding head ( 2 ), wherein a sensor ( 16 ) is attached to a side of a tool bell ( 11 ) that is opposite a flow direction of the welding process, wherein a sensor ( 21 ) for measuring a torque engaging on a pin receptacle cone ( 26 ) and of a bending torque arising here is provided, and wherein furthermore a sensor ( 25 ) in the pin receptacle cone ( 26 ), and a piezoelectric force-measuring sensor ( 24 ) in a longitudinal axis of a pin shaft ( 27 ), for measuring an axial force acting on the welding-pin tip, are provided;
c) an RFID-code for identification, attached to the pin shaft ( 27 ) of each welding shoe ( 13 );
d) a replacement runner ( 28 ) fastened to each welding shoe ( 13 ).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the sensor ( 16 ) has an associated measurement amplifier ( 15 ) having an antenna which relays measured signals.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the tool bell ( 11 ) has a sensor-signal amplifier having a rotary antenna ( 22 ) for receiving, for amplifying, and for relaying all detected measured values, wherein these measured values are routed onward from a static antenna ( 23 ) to a machine control unit.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the tool bell ( 11 ) has an inductive power supply system, for supplying power to a measuring system, that is composed of a moving secondary coil ( 20 ) and a stationary primary coil ( 19 ) and a respective power supply.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that a welding-shoe replacement runner ( 28 ) is fastened to the respective welding shoe ( 13 ), on one side by way of a cam-shaped latching step, and on an opposite side of the cam-shaped latching step by means of a releasable mechanical connection ( 31 ).

Assignees

• Grenzebach Maschb Gmbh

Inventors

• Weigl Markus

Classifications

• B23K20/122 Primary

  using a non-consumable tool, e.g. friction stir welding · CPC title

• B29C66/90

  Measuring or controlling the joining process · CPC title

• B23K20/1255 Primary

  Tools therefor, e.g. characterised by the shape of the probe · CPC title

• B23K20/123

  Controlling or monitoring the welding process · CPC title