Movable backing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9381597-B2
Application number	US-201514643595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2014
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

Thus relates to a movable backing system for clamping plate-shaped backing work pieces for friction agitation welding and friction stir welding and to a friction agitation or stir welding system. The movable backing system comprises an upper unit to be arranged above the backing work pieces to support the backing work pieces, a lower unit to be arranged below the backing work pieces to support the backing work pieces, and a connecting means connecting the upper and the lower unit to be arranged in a gap between the backing work pieces to be welded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A movable backing system for clamping plate-shaped backing work pieces for friction agitation welding, the system comprising:
an upper unit to be arranged above the backing work pieces to support the backing work pieces;
a lower unit to be arranged below the backing work pieces to support the backing work pieces, and
a connecting means connecting the upper and the lower unit to be arranged in a gap between the backing work pieces to be welded,
wherein the upper unit comprises at least an upper roller and the lower unit comprises at least a lower roller to define the position of the plate-shaped backing work pieces to be welded.

2. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the upper unit comprises at least two upper rollers and/or the lower unit comprises at least two lower rollers.

3. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means is strip- or fiber-shaped.

4. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means is arranged between the rollers.

5. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means is arranged outside the rollers.

6. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper and the lower unit comprises coupling means for coupling the upper and the lower unit.

7. The movable backing system of claim 6 , wherein the coupling means comprises at least one of a pressure spring, a tension spring, a hydraulic and/or pneumatic cylinder and/or a magnetic system.

8. The movable backing system of claim 6 , wherein the coupling means is arranged in the upper unit to pull the lower rollers in the direction of the upper rollers.

9. The movable backing system of claim 6 , wherein the coupling means is a housing of the backing system acting as a leaf spring.

10. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper and the lower units comprises a sensor to monitor the movement of the movable backing system.

11. The movable backing system of claim 3 , wherein the strip has a width or diameter between about 1 and 0.01 mm.

12. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means has a tensile strength between about 500 and 2000 N/mm 2 .

13. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means is made of at least one of a ceramic, stainless steel, or a high alloy steel, in particular a CrNi alloy.

14. A friction agitation welding system comprising:
a movable backing system for clamping plate-shaped backing work pieces, the backing system comprising:
an upper unit to be arranged above the backing work pieces to support the backing work pieces;
a lower unit to be arranged below the backing work pieces to support the backing work pieces, and
a connecting means connecting the upper and the lower unit to be arranged in a gap between the backing work pieces to be welded,
and a welding tool to weld plate-shaped backing work pieces, wherein the upper unit comprises at least an upper roller and the lower unit comprises at least a lower roller to define the position of the plate-shaped backing work pieces to be welded.

15. The movable backing system according to claim 3 wherein the strip has a width between about 0.5 and 0.09 mm.

16. The movable backing system according to claim 3 wherein the strip has a width between about 0.2 and 0.1 mm.

17. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means has a tensile strength between about 1000 and 1500 N/mm 2 .

18. The movable backing system of claim 1 , wherein the connecting means has a tensile strength between about 1200 and 1400 N/mm 2 .

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Stermann Dirk

Classifications

• B23K37/0435 Primary

  Clamps · CPC title

• B23K20/12

  the heat being generated by friction; Friction welding · CPC title

• B23K20/126 Primary

  Workpiece support, i.e. backing or clamping · CPC title

• B23K20/26

  Auxiliary equipment · CPC title