JP2022018992A - Production apparatus for brazing structure, production method therefor, controller, control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable realization of highly accurate heat input control for a joint site when brazing.SOLUTION: There is provided a production apparatus 1 for producing a brazing structure joined by brazing of the materials to be joined. The apparatus 1 comprises: a flame torch device 120 heating the joint site to be joined by brazing of the above materials by flame radiation; laser equipment 130 heating the joint site by laser irradiation; and a controller 150 controlling operations of the flame torch device 120 and the laser equipment 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure and a method for manufacturing the brazed structure. The present disclosure also relates to a control device, a control method, and a program for controlling the operation of the manufacturing device of the brazed structure.

In the metal joining process, brazing is widely used in which the materials to be joined are joined to each other by a heated and melted alloy (wax). In this disclosure, a structure produced by joining materials to be joined by brazing is also referred to as a brazed structure. Further, in the present disclosure, the "joining portion" means a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, and includes the vicinity of the portion where the two materials to be joined are joined to each other and the brazing material. Therefore, the description such as "heating the jointed portion" means heating the vicinity of the portion where the two materials to be joined are joined to each other, the brazing material, or both of them.

Various methods are known as heating methods for brazing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure (hereinafter, also referred to as a brazing apparatus) that heats using a flame torch. Further, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a brazing device that heats using a laser.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-124660 International Publication No. 2018/155492

Here, in the brazing heating step, it is necessary to melt only the brazing material so that the material to be joined does not melt. On the other hand, in order to achieve good bonding, it is necessary to improve the extensibility (wetting property) of the melted brazing material on the surface of the material to be bonded, and for that purpose, it is necessary to heat the material to be bonded as long as it does not melt. There is. That is, in the brazing heating step, the temperature of the brazed material is lower than the melting point of the material to be joined and the temperature of the brazed material is such that good wettability is ensured. It is necessary to heat both of them so that the temperature is equal to or higher than the melting point of the above, and high-precision heat input control to the joint portion is required.

Regarding this point, in the method using the flame torch as exemplified in Patent Document 1, the joint portion is directly heated by the flame, and therefore the temperatures of the material to be joined and the brazing material are desirable as described above. It is difficult to finely control the heat input, such as heating to a temperature. On the other hand, if the method uses a laser as exemplified in Patent Document 2, highly accurate heat input control is possible. However, in the method using a laser, since heat is locally applied at the irradiation position of the laser, it is difficult to heat the material to be bonded over a wide range, and there is a concern that the wettability cannot be sufficiently improved.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure and a method for manufacturing a brazed structure capable of realizing highly accurate heat input control for a joint portion. The purpose is to do. It is also an object of the present disclosure to provide a control device, a control method, and a program for controlling the operation of the manufacturing device of the brazed structure.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present disclosure, it is a brazing structure manufacturing apparatus for brazing and manufacturing a brazed structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, and emits a flame. A flame torch device that heats the joint site, which is the site where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, a laser device that heats the joint site by irradiating the laser, a flame torch device, and a laser device. A device for manufacturing a brazed structure is provided, which comprises a control device for controlling the operation of the brazed structure.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, according to the present disclosure, it is a method for manufacturing a brazed structure in which brazing is performed and brazed structures in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, and the flame is manufactured. A step of heating the joint part, which is a part where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame with a torch device, and a step of heating the joint part by irradiating a laser with a laser device. A method for manufacturing a brazed structure including the above is provided.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, according to the present disclosure, a flame torch device that heats a joining portion, which is a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame, and a laser are irradiated. It is a control device of a brazing structure manufacturing device that manufactures a brazing structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, and is provided with a laser device that heats the joining site. Based on the temperature information acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit and the temperature information acquisition unit, the temperature of the material to be bonded at the joint site is within the target temperature range of the material to be bonded, which is the target temperature range for the material to be bonded. The control amount of the laser device is determined so that the temperature of the brazing material at the joint is within the target temperature range of the brazing material, which is the target temperature range for the brazing material. A temperature control unit that controls the operation of the flame torch device so as to heat the material to be joined at the joint site based on the control amount of the flame torch device determined by the temperature control unit. A control device comprising a laser control unit that controls the operation of the laser device so as to heat the brazing filler metal at the joint portion based on the control amount of the laser device determined by the temperature control unit is provided.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, according to the present disclosure, a flame torch device that heats a joining portion, which is a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame, and a laser are irradiated. It is a control method of a brazing structure manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a brazing structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, and is provided with a laser device for heating the joining portion. A flame torch device that keeps the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint site within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the target temperature range for the material to be joined, based on the step of acquiring the laser and the acquired temperature information. The step is to determine the control amount of the laser device so that the temperature of the brazing material at the joint site is within the target temperature range of the brazing material, which is the target temperature range for the brazing material. A step of controlling the operation of the flame torch device so as to heat the material to be joined at the joint site based on the control amount of the flame torch device, and a brazing material at the joint site based on the determined control amount of the laser device. A control method is provided that comprises controlling the operation of the laser device to heat the laser device.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, according to the present disclosure, a computer is equipped with a flame torch device and a laser that heat a joining portion, which is a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame. A program for producing a waxed structure in which the materials to be joined are bonded by brazing, and a laser device for heating the bonded portion by irradiating the laser device. Therefore, the computer has a function of acquiring temperature information of the bonded portion, and the temperature of the material to be bonded at the bonded portion is the target temperature range for the material to be bonded based on the acquired temperature information. Determine the control amount of the flame torch device so that it falls within the target temperature range of the material, and the temperature of the brazing material at the joint site falls within the target temperature range of the brazing material, which is the target temperature range for the brazing material. The function of determining the control amount of the laser device and the function of controlling the operation of the flame torch device so as to heat the material to be joined at the joint site based on the determined control amount of the flame torch device, and the determined laser. A program for realizing a function of controlling the operation of the laser device so as to heat the brazing material at the joint site based on the control amount of the device is provided.

According to the present disclosure, the junction is heated by both the flame torch device and the laser device during brazing. Here, the flame torch device is characterized in that a wide range can be heated by the flame. On the other hand, the laser device is characterized in that it can perform local heating and can easily perform highly accurate heat input control. According to the present disclosure, by using both heating methods having different characteristics as described above, it is possible to realize highly accurate heat input control for the joint portion by utilizing the respective characteristics.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the brazing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a figure which shows the state in the vicinity of the joint part of the pipe before being joined. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the joint part in FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows the functional structure of the control apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flow chart which shows the processing procedure of the manufacturing method of the brazed structure which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flow chart which shows the processing procedure of the manufacturing method of the brazed structure which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the brazing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device shown in FIG. 7. It is a flow chart which shows the processing procedure of the manufacturing method of the brazed structure which concerns on Embodiment 2. It is a flow chart which shows the processing procedure of the manufacturing method of the brazed structure which concerns on Embodiment 2.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following description, and may be appropriately modified without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Further, in the present specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, so that duplicate description will be omitted. In addition, in the drawing, the figure which shows the structure of a device and the shape of a member shows only the schematic structure and shape of a device and a member. The relative size and relative position of each member shown in each drawing do not necessarily accurately represent the magnitude relationship and the positional relationship between the actual members.

Further, in each embodiment described below, a case where the material to be joined is a pipe made of aluminum (pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy) will be described as an example. Further, a case where an Al—Si based alloy is used as the brazing material corresponding to the material to be joined will be described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples, and the material of the material to be joined may be various known materials that can be generally brazed, such as copper, steel, or alloys thereof. Further, as the brazing material, a material suitable for the material of the material to be joined is appropriately used. For example, when the material to be joined is copper or an alloy thereof, phosphor bronze brazing or silver brazing is preferably used as the brazing filler metal. Alternatively, for example, when the material to be joined is steel or an alloy thereof, silver brazing or copper brazing is preferably used as the brazing material.

Embodiment 1.
(Structure of brazed structure manufacturing equipment (brazing equipment))
The configuration of the brazing device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a brazing device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the brazing device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a work support table 110, a flame torch device 120, a laser device 130, a camera 140, and a control device 150.

The work support base 110 supports the material to be joined (work) when brazing. FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a state in which aluminum pipes 101 and 103 are joined by brazing using a brazing device 1. FIG. 2 shows the state of the vicinity of the joint portion of the pipes 101 and 103 before being joined. In the illustrated example, the inner diameter of the end portion of one pipe 101 on the joint portion side is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the end portion of the other pipe 103 on the joint portion side. With the end of the pipe 103 fitted into the end of the pipe 101, the molten brazing material is poured into the contact portion between the pipe 101 and the pipe 103, so that the two are joined.

In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, the work support table 110 has a lower work support portion 111 that supports one pipe 101 from below, and an upper work support portion 113 that supports the other pipe 103 from above. is doing. However, the configuration of the work support base 110 is not limited to this example. The work support base 110 may be appropriately configured so that the material to be brazed can be fixedly supported at the time of brazing, depending on the shape of the material to be brazed.

The flame torch device 120 heats the joint portion by radiating a flame under the control of the control device 150. In the illustrated example, the brazing device 1 is provided with two flame torch devices 120.

The flame torch device 120 includes a flame torch 121 that radiates a flame and a flame torch drive device 123 that drives the flame torch device 120. The flame torch drive device 123 includes a valve that controls the supply of flame gas and air, a drive circuit that drives various mechanisms necessary for operating the flame torch device 120 such as the valve, and the like. The flame torch drive device 123 drives a mechanism such as a valve so that the flame is radiated from the flame torch 121 at a desired timing and intensity according to an instruction from the control device 150.

Further, the flame torch 121 is supported by a support member (not shown) so that its position and posture can be changed, that is, the radiation position and direction of the flame can be changed. The flame torch drive device 123 also has a function of driving the support member and changing the position and posture of the flame torch 121.

The type of flame gas used in the flame torch device 120 is not limited. For example, acetylene, propane, or natural gas can be used as the flame gas.

The laser device 130 heats the joint portion by irradiating the laser under the control of the control device 150. The laser device 130 includes a laser head 131 that emits a laser and a laser drive device 133 that drives the laser device 130. The laser drive device 133 includes a laser oscillator, a drive circuit for driving various mechanisms necessary for operating the laser device 130 such as the laser oscillator, and the like. The laser drive device 133 drives a mechanism such as a laser oscillator so that the laser is irradiated from the laser head 131 at a desired timing and intensity according to an instruction from the control device 150.

Further, the laser head 131 is supported by a support member (not shown) so that its position and posture can be changed, that is, the laser irradiation position and irradiation direction can be changed. The laser drive device 133 also has a function of driving the support member and changing the position and orientation of the laser head 131.

As the laser device 130, various known types of laser devices such as a CO ₂ laser or a solid-state laser can be used. In the illustrated example, the laser device 130 is a fiber laser, and the laser emitted from the laser oscillator of the laser drive device 133 is guided to the laser head 131 by the optical fiber 135. As described above, since the laser can be transmitted by the optical fiber 135 and the irradiation position and irradiation direction of the laser can be changed relatively easily, it is preferable to use a fiber laser as the laser device 130.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of the joint portion in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the flame torch device 120 is installed so as to radiate a flame mainly to the material to be joined (pipe 101 in the illustrated example) at the joint portion. Further, the laser device 130 is installed so as to irradiate the brazing material 105 mainly at the joint portion with a laser. The target for radiating the flame by the flame torch device 120 does not have to be the pipe 101, but may be the pipe 103. Further, the flame torch device 120 may radiate a flame to both the pipes 101 and 103. The flame torch device 120 may be installed so that the material to be joined can be heated so that the material to be joined can be wetted, and a specific portion for radiating the flame may be appropriately set.

Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the configuration of the brazing device 1 will be continued. The camera 140 is installed so that the joint portion, the flame torch 121, and the laser head 131 can be photographed at least. The image data captured by the camera 140 is transmitted to the control device 150. As will be described later, in the control device 150, the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion is acquired based on the image taken by the camera 140. Further, the control device 150 acquires temperature information of the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 140. As described above, the camera 140 has a function as a position detection device for detecting the positions of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion, and a temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the joint portion.

In FIG. 1, only one camera 140 is shown in order to avoid complicated drawings, but a plurality of flame torch 121 and laser head 131 can be photographed from different angles. Camera 140 can be installed. The accuracy of the detection can be improved by performing the above-mentioned position detection process and temperature detection process based on the images taken from different angles.

The control device 150 controls the operation of the brazing device 1. Specifically, the control device 150 acquires the temperature information of the joint portion and the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 140. Then, the control device 150 controls the operation of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 so that the joint portion has a desired temperature suitable for brazing based on the acquired information. The desired temperature is a temperature at which the temperature to be joined is lower than the melting point of the material to be joined and good wettability can be obtained. The temperature of the brazing filler metal is higher than the melting point of the brazing filler metal.

The function of the control device 150 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device 150 shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 4 also shows the camera 140, the flame torch drive device 123, and the laser drive device 133 shown in FIG. 1 in order to show the exchange of information with the control device 150.

Referring to FIG. 4, the control device 150 has functions such as a position information acquisition unit 151, a temperature information acquisition unit 152, an end determination unit 153, a temperature control unit 154, a flame torch control unit 155, and laser control. It has a portion 156 and.

Image data including at least the joint portion, the flame torch 121, and the laser head 131 taken by the camera 140 is transmitted from the camera 140 to the position information acquisition unit 151, the temperature information acquisition unit 152, and the end determination unit 153. Will be done.

The position information acquisition unit 151 acquires the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 140. Here, the position information includes information on the distance between the joint portion and each of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131, the attitude of the flame torch 121 with respect to the joint portion (that is, the radiation angle of the flame), and the laser with respect to the joint portion. Information about the attitude of the head 131 (ie, the laser irradiation angle) is included at least.

As a method for the position information acquisition unit 151 to acquire position information from an image, various known methods may be used. For example, the position information acquisition unit 151 sets the coordinates of the joint portion, the flame torch 121, and the laser head 131 in a three-dimensional coordinate system appropriately set in space based on a plurality of images taken from different angles. Calculate and acquire position information based on the coordinates.

The position information acquisition unit 151 outputs the acquired position information to the temperature control unit 154.

The temperature information acquisition unit 152 acquires temperature information of the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 140. The temperature information acquisition unit 152 acquires at least temperature information of the material to be joined and the brazing material at the joint portion.

As a method for the temperature information acquisition unit 152 to acquire temperature information from an image, various known methods may be used. For example, the temperature information acquisition unit 152 acquires temperature information based on the brightness of the joint portion in the image. In this case, it is preferable that the temperature information acquisition unit 152 acquires the temperature information of the jointed material at the portion where the flame does not directly hit. This is because it is difficult to accurately detect the brightness of the part hit by the flame due to the fluctuation of the flame, and the accuracy of the temperature information may be lowered. Further, it is preferable that the temperature information acquisition unit 152 acquires the temperature information of the laser irradiation position for the brazing material. This is because if the laser irradiation position is used, temperature information can be accurately acquired from the brightness of the molten metal pond by performing a process of cutting the laser beam with a bandpass filter or the like.

The temperature information acquisition unit 152 outputs the acquired temperature information to the temperature control unit 154.

The end determination unit 153 determines the end of brazing based on the image of the joint portion taken by the camera 140. For example, the end determination unit 153 uses various known image recognition techniques to extract the position and shape of the molten metal pond of the brazing material from the image, whereby the melted brazing material is the entire contact portion between the bonded materials. Detects whether or not it is extended. Then, when the end determination unit 153 detects that the melted brazing material extends over the entire contact portion between the bonded materials, it determines that the brazing has been completed. On the other hand, when the end determination unit 153 detects that the melted brazing material does not extend over the entire contact portion between the bonded materials, it determines that the brazing has not been completed. The timing at which the end determination unit 153 performs the determination process will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The end determination unit 153 outputs information about the determination result to the flame torch control unit 155 and the laser control unit 156.

The temperature control unit 154 sets the joint portion to a desired temperature suitable for brazing based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 151 and the temperature information acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit 152. The control amount of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 is determined. Specifically, a target temperature range is set for each of the material to be joined and the brazing material so as to realize the desired temperature described above, and the temperature control unit 154 sets the temperature of the material to be joined and the brazing material. The control amount of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 so as to fall within the target temperature range set for each is determined. Here, the controlled amount of the flame torch device 120 includes the output of the flame and the controlled amount of the position and posture of the flame torch 121 with respect to the joint portion. Further, the control amount of the laser device 130 includes the output of the laser and the control amount of the position and orientation of the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, as described above, the flame torch device 120 mainly heats the material to be joined, and the laser device 130 mainly heats the brazing material. Therefore, regarding the flame torch device 120, the temperature control unit 154 has the position information of the flame torch 121 with respect to the material to be joined of the joint portion acquired by the position information acquisition unit 151, and the joint portion acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit 152. The output of the flame so that the temperature of the torch is within the target temperature range set for the torch (hereinafter, also referred to as the target temperature range of the torch) based on the temperature information of the torch. In addition, the control amount of the position and posture of the flame torch 121 with respect to the material to be joined at the joint portion is determined. For example, if there is a part of the material to be joined that has a temperature lower than the target temperature range of the material to be joined, the temperature control unit 154 outputs a flame and joins the part to be joined so as to heat the part more. The amount of control of the position and posture of the flame torch 121 with respect to the material is determined. On the other hand, if there is a part of the material to be joined that has a temperature higher than the target temperature range of the material to be joined, the temperature control unit 154 outputs a flame and joins the part to be joined so as to refrain from heating the part. The amount of control of the position and posture of the flame torch 121 with respect to the material is determined.

Here, the target temperature range of the material to be joined is appropriately set according to the material of the material to be joined. The upper limit of the target temperature range of the material to be joined is set to a temperature substantially equal to the melting point of the material to be joined. Further, the lower limit of the target temperature range of the material to be joined is set to a temperature at which good wettability can be obtained. When the material to be joined is aluminum pipes 101 and 103, the target temperature range of the material to be joined is, for example, 500 ° C to 550 ° C. The temperature control unit 154 can appropriately determine a specific control amount for setting the temperature of the material to be joined to a desired temperature, for example, based on past actual values and the like.

On the other hand, regarding the laser device 130, the temperature control unit 154 is based on the position information of the laser head 131 with respect to the brazing material acquired by the position information acquisition unit 151 and the temperature information of the brazing material acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit 152. The amount of control of the laser output and the position and orientation of the laser head 131 with respect to the joint so that the temperature of the brazing material falls within the target temperature range set for the brazing material (hereinafter, also referred to as the brazing material target temperature range). To determine. For example, if there is a portion of the brazing filler metal whose temperature is lower than the target temperature range of the brazing filler metal, the temperature control unit 154 measures the laser output and the laser head 131 for the brazing filler metal at the joint portion so as to heat the portion more. Determine the amount of control of position and posture. On the other hand, if there is a portion of the brazing filler metal whose temperature is higher than the target temperature range of the brazing filler metal, the temperature control unit 154 determines the laser output and the laser head 131 for the brazing filler metal at the joint portion so as to refrain from heating the portion. Determine the amount of control of position and posture.

Here, the brazing filler metal target temperature range is appropriately set according to the brazing filler metal material. The lower limit of the brazing filler metal target temperature range is set to a temperature substantially equal to the melting point of the brazing filler metal. Further, the upper limit of the brazing filler metal target temperature range is set to a temperature at which the brazing filler metal is not excessively heated in consideration of safety. When the material to be joined is aluminum pipes 101 and 103, for example, an Al—Si alloy is preferably used as the brazing material. When a brazing material made of an Al—Si alloy is used, the target temperature range of the brazing material is, for example, 580 ° C to 630 ° C. The temperature control unit 154 can appropriately determine a specific control amount for bringing the brazing filler metal to a desired temperature, for example, based on past actual values and the like.

The temperature control unit 154 outputs information regarding the determined control amount of the flame torch device 120 to the flame torch control unit 155. Further, the temperature control unit 154 outputs information regarding the control amount of the laser device 130 to the laser control unit 156.

The flame torch control unit 155 operates the flame torch device 120 based on the controlled amount of the flame torch device 120 determined by the temperature control unit 154. Specifically, the flame torch control unit 155 operates the flame torch device 120 according to the control amount by transmitting a control signal based on the control amount to the flame torch drive device 123 of the flame torch device 120. .. As a result, the temperature of the material to be joined is kept within the target temperature range of the material to be joined (that is, the temperature of the material to be joined is lower than the melting point of the material to be joined, and good wettability can be obtained. The temperature is controlled), the output of the flame, and the position and orientation of the flame torch 121.

Further, the flame torch control unit 155 controls the operation of the flame torch device 120 so that the flame torch device 120 is in a standby state in which brazing is not performed. Specifically, the flame torch control unit 155 is set to the flame torch device so as to be in a standby state before starting brazing and when a determination result indicating that brazing should be completed is obtained from the end determination unit 153. Controls the operation of 120. For example, in the standby state, the flame torch control unit 155 positions the flame torch 121 in a standby position sufficiently away from the work support table 110 in a standby position and prevents the flame torch device 120 from radiating flames (that is, the flame torch device 120). The flame torch device 120 is operated (so that the output becomes zero).

Further, the flame torch control unit 155 controls the operation of the flame torch device 120 so that the flame torch device 120 is in the initial state of starting heating. Specifically, the flame torch control unit 155 sets the flame torch device 120 so that the flame torch 121 takes the initial posture at the initial position and the flame torch device 120 radiates the flame at the initial output in the initial state. Make it work. The initial position, initial posture, and initial output are appropriately set according to, for example, the processing conditions for brazing (for example, the shape and material of the brazing material, the shape and material of the brazing material, and the like).

It should be noted that how the flame torch control unit 155 specifically controls the flame torch device 120 in the standby state and the initial state (that is, the control amount of the flame torch device 120 in the standby state and the initial state) is determined by the user. It may be set as appropriate.

The laser control unit 156 operates the laser device 130 based on the control amount of the laser device 130 calculated by the temperature control unit 154. Specifically, the laser control unit 156 operates the laser device 130 according to the control amount by transmitting a control signal based on the control amount to the laser drive device 133 of the laser device 130. As a result, the laser output and the laser head 131 are set so that the temperature of the brazing filler metal at the joint is within the target temperature range of the brazing filler metal (that is, the temperature of the brazing filler metal is equal to or higher than the melting point of the brazing filler metal). The position and posture are controlled.

Further, the laser control unit 156 controls the operation of the laser device 130 so that the laser device 130 is in a standby state in which brazing is not performed. Specifically, before starting brazing, and when a determination result indicating that brazing should be completed is obtained from the end determination unit 153, the laser control unit 156 puts the laser device 130 into a standby state. Control the operation. For example, in the standby state, the laser control unit 156 is positioned so that the laser head 131 is positioned in the standby position sufficiently away from the work support table 110 in the standby position and does not irradiate the laser (that is, the output of the laser device 130 is output). The laser device 130 is operated (so that it becomes zero).

Further, the laser control unit 156 controls the operation of the laser device 130 so that the laser device 130 is in the initial state of starting heating. Specifically, the laser control unit 156 operates the laser device 130 so that the laser head 131 takes an initial posture at the initial position and the laser device 130 irradiates the laser with the initial output in the initial state. The initial position, initial posture, and initial output are appropriately set according to, for example, the processing conditions for brazing (for example, the shape and material of the brazing material, the shape and material of the brazing material, and the like).

It should be noted that how the laser control unit 156 specifically controls the laser device 130 in the standby state and the initial state (that is, the control amount of the laser device 130 in the standby state and the initial state) is appropriately set by the user. You can do it.

The configuration of the brazing device 1 according to the first embodiment has been described above.

(Control method of brazing device)
Next, a method of manufacturing a brazed structure using the brazing device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. 5 and 6 are flow charts showing a processing procedure of the method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to the first embodiment. The series of processes shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 correspond to the processes executed by the control device 150 described with reference to FIG. That is, the series of processes shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 correspond to the control method of the brazing device 1 by the control device 150. When the processor constituting the control device 150 executes arithmetic processing according to a predetermined program, a series of processing shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is executed. Since the details of each process have already been described with reference to FIG. 4, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

In the present embodiment, prior to the execution of the series of processes shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 by the brazing device 1, for example, the pipes 101 and 103 are manually installed on the work support table 110 by an operator. Further, a brazing material is installed at the joint portion of the pipes 101 and 103, for example, manually by an operator. The form of the brazing material is not limited, and may be, for example, a wire, a paste, a foil, a clad material, or the like. However, in consideration of the workability of the operator, it is appropriate to use a ring wax obtained by processing the wire into a ring shape or a paste as the brazing material. Further, before the start of construction, the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 are in a standby state.

When brazing by the brazing device 1 is started in this state, the operation of the flame torch device 120 is first controlled so that the flame torch 121 is in the initial position at the initial position (step S101). Then, the operation of the flame torch device 120 is controlled so as to radiate the flame at the initial output (step S103). The processes shown in steps S101 and S103 correspond to the processes in which the operation of the flame torch device 120 is controlled so as to be in the initial state by the flame torch control unit 155 described with reference to FIG. Here, in the initial state, the position and posture of the flame torch 121 are controlled so as to radiate a flame to the material to be joined at the joint portion. As described above, in the present embodiment, the heat treatment of the brazing material is performed by the flame torch device 120 before the heat treatment of the brazing material is performed by the laser device 130. This is to improve the wettability by preheating the material to be joined before heating the brazing material.

Next, the position information and the temperature information are acquired (step S105). In step S105, at least the position information of the flame torch 121 with respect to the bonded portion and the temperature information of the bonded material are acquired. The process shown in step S105 is a process in which position information and temperature information are acquired by the position information acquisition unit 151 and the temperature information acquisition unit 152, respectively, based on the image taken by the camera 140 described with reference to FIG. It corresponds to.

Next, the operation of the flame torch device 120 so that the temperature of the joint portion falls within the target temperature range (specifically, the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined). Is controlled (step S107). The process shown in step S107 corresponds to the process of operating the flame torch device 120 by the flame torch control unit 155, which has been described with reference to FIG. 4, based on the control amount determined by the temperature control unit 154.

When the heat treatment is performed so that the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined by the treatment shown in step S107, then the laser head 131 is set to the initial posture at the initial position. The operation of the laser device 130 is controlled (step S109). Then, the operation of the laser device 130 is controlled so as to irradiate the laser with the initial output (step S111). The processes shown in steps S109 and S111 correspond to the processes in which the operation of the laser device 130 is controlled so as to be in the initial state by the laser control unit 156 described with reference to FIG. Here, in the initial state, the position and orientation of the laser head 131 are controlled so as to irradiate the brazing material at the joint portion with the laser. In this way, by heating the brazing material with the laser device 130, it is possible to perform local heat input control to the brazing material with high accuracy. By irradiating the laser, the brazing filler metal melts due to the heat input of the laser and becomes a liquid phase. At this time, the temperature of the material to be joined is raised by the flame and the wettability is ensured, so that the molten brazing material smoothly flows into the gap between the materials to be joined. In this way, good brazing is achieved by preheating the material to be joined with a flame and then heating the brazing material with a laser.

Next, the position information and the temperature information are acquired (step S113). In step S113, at least the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the bonded portion and the temperature information of the bonded material and the brazing material are acquired. The process shown in step S113 is a process in which the position information acquisition unit 151 and the temperature information acquisition unit 152 acquire the position information and the temperature information, respectively, based on the image taken by the camera 140 described with reference to FIG. It corresponds to.

Next, so that the temperature of the joint portion is within the target temperature range (specifically, the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion is within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, and the temperature of the brazing material at the joint portion is within the target temperature range. The operation of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 is controlled (step S115) so as to be within the brazing filler metal target temperature range. The process shown in step S115 corresponds to the process described with reference to FIG. 4 in which the laser control unit 156 operates the laser device 130 based on the control amount determined by the temperature control unit 154.

When the operations of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 are controlled so that the temperature of the joint portion falls within the target temperature range in step S115, it is next determined whether or not brazing is completed (step S117). ). The process shown in step S117 corresponds to the process of determining the end of brazing by the end determination unit 153 described with reference to FIG.

If it is determined in step S117 that the brazing has not been completed (that is, if it is determined to be No in step S117), the process returns to step S113, and the processes shown in steps S113 to S117 are repeatedly executed.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S117 that the brazing is completed (that is, when it is determined to be Yes in step S117), the operations of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 are controlled so as to be in a standby state. (Step S119), a series of processes is completed. In the process shown in step S119, the operation of the flame torch device 120 is controlled by the flame torch control unit 155 described with reference to FIG. 4, and the operation of the flame torch device 120 is controlled by the laser control unit 156. It corresponds to the process in which the operation of the laser device 130 is controlled so as to be.

The method for manufacturing the brazed structure (control method for the brazing device 1) according to the first embodiment has been described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The configuration of the brazing device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure and the method for manufacturing the brazing structure using the brazing device 1 have been described above. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the joint portion is heated by both the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 at the time of brazing. At that time, the operations of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 are controlled so that the joint portion has a desired temperature based on the image taken by the camera 140. That is, in the brazing device 1, the control device 150 automatically recognizes the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 140, and the flame torch device 120 and the laser so that the joint portion is heated to a desired temperature. It has a function of automatically feedback-controlling the operation of the device 130.

Here, in brazing, it is necessary to melt only the brazing material and join the materials to be joined together without melting the material to be joined. However, it is not enough to locally heat only the brazing material, and it is necessary to heat the material to be joined in order to secure the wettability. However, since the melting points of the material to be bonded and the brazing material are generally close to each other, high-precision heat input control is required to heat both materials so that only the brazing material melts. That is, in the brazing heating step, the temperature of the brazed material is lower than the melting point of the material to be joined and the temperature of the brazed material is such that good wettability is ensured. It is required to heat both of them with high accuracy so as to be equal to or higher than the melting point of.

On the other hand, as a heating method in brazing, for example, a method using a flame torch and a method using a laser are conventionally known (see Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above). For example, in the method using a flame torch, a wide range can be heated by the flame. In addition, the flame torch device has the advantage of low introduction cost because the equipment is simple. However, in the method using a flame torch, it is difficult to control the amount of heat input during heating, and when trying to heat to a temperature at which the brazing material melts, there is a risk that the material to be joined will also melt due to excessive heat input.

On the other hand, in the method using a laser, local heating can be performed, and high-precision heat input control can be easily performed. However, the method using a laser has a disadvantage that it is difficult to sufficiently heat the material to be joined over a wide range due to local heating, and the brazing material is less likely to get wet.

As described above, when only the flame torch or only the laser is used, it is considered difficult to realize desirable heat input control for both the bonded material and the brazing material as described above.

Further, due to the circumstances described above, there is also a problem that it becomes difficult to automate the brazing device when only the flame torch or only the laser is used. Specifically, when automating the brazing device, a temperature that detects the temperature of the joint site and controls the operation of the flame torch device or the laser device so as to reach a desired temperature based on the detection result. A feedback control mechanism is required. However, when a flame torch is used, it is difficult to detect the temperature of the joint portion during heating with high accuracy due to the influence of the fluctuation of the flame and the like. Therefore, when only the flame torch is used, although it is originally difficult to finely control the heat input, it is also difficult to perform the temperature feedback control with high accuracy. Therefore, the automation of the brazing device is not possible. It seems difficult. Therefore, when using a flame torch, the actual situation is that the worker adjusts the distance between the flame torch and the material to be joined, the heating time, etc. by visual inspection or experience to braze. Further, when only a laser is used, it is possible to perform temperature feedback control with high accuracy, but as described above, it is difficult to heat a wide range with a laser, so that the wettability of the material to be joined is sufficient. It is difficult to secure it. Therefore, even if it is automated, it is difficult to apply it when it is necessary to secure a wide range of wettability such as brazing in a joint.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by using both the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130, the portion requiring heating in a wide range is heated by using the flame torch device 120, and the accuracy is locally high. The portion that requires heating can be heated by using the laser device 130. Therefore, it is possible to perform highly accurate heat input control so that each of the material to be bonded and the brazing material has a desired temperature, and the bonding between the materials to be bonded by brazing can be performed more efficiently and more reliably. Will be possible.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the flame torch device 120 heats the material to be joined at the joint portion, and the laser device 130 heats the brazing material at the joint portion. Thereby, the brazing material can be locally heated and melted by the laser device 130 while the material to be joined is heated in a wide range by the flame torch device 120 and the wettability thereof is ensured. At this time, since it is not necessary to heat the brazing material in the flame torch device 120, it is not necessary to heat the brazing material to the melting point of the brazing material, that is, near the melting point of the material to be joined. Therefore, the heat input by the flame can be performed with a relatively small amount of heat that can secure the wettability, so that precise temperature control becomes unnecessary. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the flame torch device 120 heats the material to be joined so that the wettability is ensured, and the laser device 130 heats the brazing material so as to melt it. By sharing the above, it becomes possible to realize desirable heat input control for both the material to be joined and the brazing material.

Further, by such division of roles, the brazing device 1 realizes automation of brazing. Specifically, according to this division of roles, high-precision heat input control is not required for the flame torch device 120, there is no risk of melting of the material to be joined, and the laser device 130 has a wide range of lasers. Will not be required to heat. Therefore, the heat treatment can be performed in such a manner that the disadvantages of the flame torch device 120 and the disadvantages of the laser device 130, which have been difficult to automate the brazing device, are not exposed. Therefore, automation of the brazing device 1 can also be realized.

Further, according to the flame torch device 120, a wide range of the material to be joined can be efficiently heated. Then, according to the laser apparatus 130, the brazing filler metal can be melted in a short time due to the high energy density of the laser. That is, since the brazing material can be melted in a short time while ensuring the wettability over a wide range of the material to be joined, it is possible to complete the brazing more efficiently and manufacture the brazed structure. can.

In the heating of the joint portion by the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the material to be joined is first heated by the flame torch device 120, and then the laser device 130. It is preferable to heat the brazing material by heating. In this way, by preheating the material to be joined by the flame torch device 120, when the brazing material is melted by the laser device 130, the melted brazing material is more reliably extended to the joint portion (that is, the wettability is ensured). Will be).

As a heating method capable of heating a relatively wide range in combination with a laser, high frequency heating can be considered in addition to the flame torch. However, in the case of high frequency heating, it is necessary to manufacture a coil for each shape of the material to be joined, and it is difficult to apply it to various materials to be joined. Therefore, as a heating method combined with a laser, it is preferable to use a flame torch as in the present embodiment.

Embodiment 2.
The brazing device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure and a method for manufacturing a brazing structure using the brazing device will be described. The brazing device according to the second embodiment corresponds to the brazing device 1 according to the first embodiment to which a brazing material supply device described later is added. Further, the method for manufacturing the brazed structure according to the second embodiment corresponds to the method for manufacturing the brazed structure according to the first embodiment in which a process related to control of the brazed material supply device is added. do. That is, in the first embodiment, the brazing material was installed in the joint portion in advance before the heat treatment was started, but in the second embodiment, the brazing material supply device performs the heat treatment on the joint portion. The brazing material is sequentially supplied to the joint site during the process. In the second embodiment, the matters other than the differences are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following description of the second embodiment, the details of the matters overlapping with the first embodiment will be described. It will be omitted, and the matters different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described.

(Structure of brazed structure manufacturing equipment (brazing equipment))
The configuration of the brazing device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a brazing device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, the brazing device 2 according to the second embodiment includes a work support 110, a flame torch device 120, a laser device 130, a camera 240, a control device 250, and a brazing material supply device 260. , Equipped with. Since the configurations and functions of the work support base 110, the flame torch device 120, and the laser device 130 are the same as the configurations and functions of these devices in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The brazing material supply device 260 supplies the brazing material to the joint portion during brazing under the control of the control device 250. The brazing filler metal supply device 260 drives a brazing filler metal supply head 261 having a delivery mechanism for continuously delivering a wire-shaped brazing filler metal 205, and various mechanisms constituting the brazing filler metal supply device 260 including the delivery mechanism. It has a material supply drive device 263. The brazing filler metal supply drive device 263 is composed of a drive circuit or the like for driving the various mechanisms, and the brazing filler metal supply device 260 is configured to supply the brazing filler metal 205 at a desired timing and speed according to an instruction from the control device 250. To operate.

Further, the brazing filler head 261 is supported by a support member (not shown) so that its position and posture can be changed. The brazing filler metal supply driving device 263 also has a function of driving the support member and changing the position and posture of the brazing filler metal supply head 261.

In the illustrated configuration example, the brazing filler metal supply device 260 is configured to supply the wire-shaped brazing filler metal 205, but the present embodiment is not limited to this example. The form of the brazing material used for brazing may be arbitrarily determined, and the brazing material supply device 260 may be appropriately configured so that the brazing material of the form can be supplied. However, the wire-shaped brazing material can be easily delivered, and the required amount of the brazing material can be accurately fed by abutting the tip of the wire against the joint portion. Therefore, as the brazing material, it is preferable to use the wire-shaped brazing material 205 as in the configuration example.

The camera 240 is installed so that the joint portion, the flame torch 121, the laser head 131, and the brazing material supply head 261 can be photographed at least. The image data captured by the camera 240 is transmitted to the control device 250. In the control device 250, similarly to the control device 150 according to the first embodiment, the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion and the temperature information of the joint portion are obtained based on the image taken by the camera 240. To be acquired. Further, the control device 250 acquires the position information of the brazing material supply head 261 with respect to the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 240. As described above, the camera 240 has a function as a position detection device for detecting the positions of the flame torch 121, the laser head 131, and the brazing material supply head 261 with respect to the joint portion, and a temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the joint portion. ..

The control device 250 controls the operation of the brazing device 2. The control device 250 has a function of controlling the operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260 in addition to the same functions as the control device 150 according to the first embodiment.

The function of the control device 250 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device 250 shown in FIG. 7. Note that FIG. 8 also shows the camera 240, the flame torch drive device 123, the laser drive device 133, and the brazing material supply drive device 263 shown in FIG. 7 in order to show the exchange of information with the control device 250. ..

Referring to FIG. 8, the control device 250 has functions such as a position information acquisition unit 251, a temperature information acquisition unit 152, an end determination unit 153, a temperature control unit 154, a flame torch control unit 155, and laser control. It has a section 156 and a brazing filler metal supply control section 257. The functions of the temperature information acquisition unit 152, the end determination unit 153, the temperature control unit 154, the flame torch control unit 155, and the laser control unit 156 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus are detailed here. Explanation is omitted. However, in the present embodiment, the end determination unit 153 determines whether or not the brazing is completed in the brazing material supply control unit 257 in addition to the flame torch control unit 155 and the laser control unit 156. Output information.

Similar to the position information acquisition unit 151 of the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 251 acquires the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 240. Further, the position information acquisition unit 251 acquires the position information of the brazing material supply head 261 with respect to the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 240. The position information includes at least information about the distance between the joint portion and the brazing filler metal supply head 261 and information about the posture of the brazing filler metal supply head 261 with respect to the joint portion. As a method for the position information acquisition unit 251 to acquire position information from an image, various known methods may be used as in the first embodiment.

As described in the first embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 251 outputs the position information of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the acquired joint portion to the temperature control unit 154. Further, the position information acquisition unit 251 outputs the position information of the brazing material supply head 261 with respect to the acquired joint portion to the brazing material supply control unit 257.

The brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 controls the operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260. Specifically, the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 is so that the tip of the wire-shaped brazing filler metal 205 is positioned at the joint portion based on the position information of the brazing filler metal supply head 261 acquired from the position information acquisition unit 251. The position and attitude of the brazing material supply head 261 are controlled. Further, the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 continuously supplies the brazing filler metal 205 while the laser apparatus 130 is irradiating the joint portion with the laser (that is, the brazing filler metal from the brazing filler metal supply head 261). The operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260 is controlled so that 205 is sequentially delivered). The amount of the brazing material 205 supplied may be appropriately set according to the area of the target range to be brazed and the like. Further, the brazing material supply control unit 257 supplies the brazing material so as to stop the supply of the brazing material 205 when the information about the determination result indicating that the brazing is completed is input from the end determination unit 153. Controls the operation of device 260.

In this embodiment, the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 and the laser control unit 156 cooperate with each other so that the tip of the wire-shaped brazing filler metal 205 to be supplied is positioned at the laser irradiation position at the joint portion. The operations of the laser device 130 and the brazing material supply device 260 may be coordinated and controlled. By performing such cooperative control, the newly supplied brazing filler metal 205 can be sequentially heated by the laser, so that the brazing filler metal 205 can be efficiently heated.

The configuration of the brazing device 2 according to the second embodiment has been described above. As described above, in the second embodiment, the control device 250 automatically recognizes the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 240, and automatically supplies the brazing material 205 to the joint portion during brazing. The operation of the brazing material supply device 260 is controlled so as to do so.

(Control method of brazing device)
Next, a method of manufacturing a brazed structure using the brazing device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 9 and 10 are flow charts showing a processing procedure of the method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to the second embodiment. The series of processes shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 correspond to the processes executed by the control device 250 described with reference to FIG. That is, the series of processes shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 correspond to the control method of the brazing device 2 by the control device 250. When the processor constituting the control device 250 executes arithmetic processing according to a predetermined program, a series of processing shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is executed. Since the details of each process have already been described with reference to FIG. 8, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

In the present embodiment, prior to the execution of the series of processes shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 by the brazing device 2, for example, the pipes 101 and 103 are manually installed on the work support table 110 by an operator. Further, before the start of construction, the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 are assumed to be in a standby state.

When brazing by the brazing device 2 is started in this state, the operation of the flame torch device 120 is first controlled so that the flame torch 121 is in the initial position at the initial position (step S201). Next, the operation of the flame torch device 120 is controlled so as to radiate the flame at the initial output (step S203). Next, the position information and the temperature information are acquired (step S205). Next, the operation of the flame torch device 120 so that the temperature of the joint portion falls within the target temperature range (specifically, the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined). Is controlled (step S207). Then, when the heat treatment is performed so that the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined by the treatment shown in step S207, then the laser head 131 is brought into the initial posture at the initial position. In addition, the operation of the laser device 130 is controlled (step S209). Since the process shown in steps S201 to S209 is the same as the process shown in steps S101 to S109 of the method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. , Detailed description is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the position and posture of the brazing filler metal supply head 261 are then controlled so that the tip of the brazing filler metal 205 is located at the joint portion (step S210). The process shown in step S210 corresponds to the process in which the position and attitude of the brazing filler metal supply head 261 are controlled by the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 described with reference to FIG. Although it is described in FIG. 9 that the process shown in step S210 is performed after the process shown in step S209 for convenience, these processes may be performed at the same time. That is, the position and orientation of the brazing filler metal supply head 261 may be controlled in synchronization with the control of the position and orientation of the laser head 131.

Next, the operation of the laser device 130 is controlled so as to irradiate the laser with the initial output (step S211). Since the process is the same as the process shown in step S111 of the method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260 is controlled so as to continuously supply the brazing filler metal 205 (step S212). The process shown in step S212 corresponds to the process in which the operation of the brazing material supply device 260 is controlled so as to continuously supply the brazing filler metal 205 by the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 described with reference to FIG. .. Note that, for convenience, FIG. 9 describes that the process shown in step S212 is performed after the process shown in step S111, but these processes may be performed at the same time. That is, the brazing filler metal 205 may be continuously supplied by the brazing filler metal supply head 261 in synchronization with the control of irradiating the laser with the laser head 131.

Next, the position information and the temperature information are acquired (step S213) so that the temperature of the joint portion is within the target temperature range (specifically, the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion is the target temperature range of the material to be joined). The operation of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 is controlled (step S215) so that the temperature of the brazing filler metal 205 at the joint portion falls within the brazing filler metal target temperature range). Further, it is determined whether or not the brazing is completed (step S217). If it is determined in step S217 that the brazing has not been completed (that is, if it is determined to be No in step S217), the process returns to step S213, and the processes shown in steps S213 to S217 are repeatedly executed. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S217 that brazing is completed (that is, when it is determined to be Yes in step S217), the operations of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 are controlled so as to be in a standby state. (Step S219). Since the process shown in steps S213 to S219 described above is the same as the process shown in steps S113 to S119 of the method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. , Detailed description is omitted.

Next, the operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260 is controlled so as to stop the supply of the brazing filler metal 205 (step S220). The process shown in step S220 corresponds to the process in which the operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260 is controlled so as to stop the supply of the brazing filler metal 205 by the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 described with reference to FIG. There is. In FIG. 9, for convenience, the process shown in step S220 is described as being performed after the process shown in step S219, but these processes may be performed at the same time. That is, in synchronization with the control of putting the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130 in the standby state, the control of stopping the supply of the brazing filler metal 205 in the brazing filler metal supply device 260 may be performed.

The method for manufacturing the brazed structure (control method for the brazing device 2) according to the second embodiment has been described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the brazing device 2 having a configuration in which the brazing material supply device 260 is further provided with respect to the brazing device 1 according to the first embodiment is provided. By providing the brazing material supply device 260, the joint portion can be automatically recognized based on the image taken by the camera 240, and the brazing material 205 can be automatically supplied to the joint portion during brazing. There is no need to install brazing material before the start of construction. As described above, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the same effect as that of the first embodiment, it is possible to obtain the effect that brazing can be performed more efficiently.

(Modification example, etc.)
Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the techniques according to the present disclosure are not limited to these examples. It is clear that anyone with ordinary knowledge in the field of technology to which this disclosure belongs can come up with various variants within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims. Is, of course, understood to belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the technique according to the present disclosure may take the following forms in addition to the embodiments described above.

For example, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the operation of these devices is such that the flame torch device 120 first heats the material to be joined at the joint site, and then the laser device 130 heats the brazing material at the joint site. Although controlled, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. In the present disclosure, in consideration of the characteristics of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130, the parts that need to be heated in a wide range are heated by the flame torch device 120, and the parts that require locally high-precision heat input are described. It is sufficient that the operation of these devices is controlled so that the laser device 130 heats the torch, and the specific parts to be heated by each device and the specific heating timing by each device are appropriately set. good. By heating the joint portion by utilizing the characteristics of each of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130, highly accurate heat input control to the joint portion becomes possible.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the end determination unit 153 of the control devices 150 and 250 determines the end of brazing based on the images of the joint portions taken by the cameras 140 and 240. The present disclosure is not limited to such examples. As a method for determining the end of brazing by the end determination unit 153, another method may be used. For example, the end determination unit 153 may determine that the brazing has been completed when a predetermined time has elapsed since the heating of the brazing material was started. The predetermined time may be appropriately set according to the processing conditions for brazing, the amount of heat input to the joint portion, and the like. Specifically, for example, when the joint portion is heated with the same heating capacity under the same processing conditions for brazing, it is considered that the time required for brazing is almost the same. Therefore, the processing conditions for brazing, the amount of heat input to the joint portion, and the time required for brazing may be stored in association with each other, and the predetermined time may be set based on these past achievements.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the brazing devices 1 and 2 are provided with two flame torch devices 120, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The number of flame torch devices 120 provided in the brazing devices 1 and 2 may be appropriately determined so that the joint portion can be heated to a desired temperature. For example, one flame torch device 120 may be used as long as sufficient heating capacity can be obtained. However, since it is possible to heat a wider area from a plurality of directions, it is preferable to provide a plurality of flame torch devices 120 in order to heat the joint portion more efficiently.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the flame torch control unit 155 may control the operation of the flame torch 121 so as to swing when the joint portion is heated by the flame torch device 120. By performing such control, it is possible to suppress an excessive rise in the local temperature at the joint portion, and it is possible to more reliably control the temperature of the joint portion to a desired temperature.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the cameras 140 and 240 provided in the brazing devices 1 and 2 function as the position detection device and the temperature detection device, but the position detection device and the temperature detection device are the cameras. It may be realized by a device other than 140 and 240. At this time, one device may also serve as a position detection device and a temperature detection device, such as the cameras 140 and 240, or the position detection device and the temperature detection device may be provided as separate devices. For example, the position detection device includes a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance between the joint portion and the flame torch 121, the laser head 131, and the brazing material supply head 261, and the flame torch 121, the laser head 131, and the brazing material supply head 261. A gyro sensor or the like that detects the posture of the gyro may be used. Further, as the temperature detection device, a thermocouple or various non-contact thermometers may be used. However, since it is necessary to detect the temperature of the portion heated by the flame or the laser, it is preferable to use a non-contact thermometer as the temperature detecting device.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the initial state (initial position and initial posture) at the time of starting heating is preset for the positions and postures of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131. Is not limited to such an example. For example, the brazing devices 1 and 2 may be provided with an input device for inputting an operator's instruction, and the initial position of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 and the initial position of the laser head 131 and the initial position of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 according to the instruction from the operator via the input device. The initial posture may be set. Such an input device may be, for example, a touch panel in which a display device and an input device are integrally configured. When the input device is a touch panel, for example, an image of the joint portion is displayed on the display screen, and the operator can display the initial position and initial posture of the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131 with respect to the joint portion in the image on the display screen. Can be set. According to such a mode, the operator can set the initial position and the initial posture while visually confirming the positional relationship between the joint portion and the flame torch 121 and the laser head 131, so that the initial position and the initial posture can be set more appropriately. It is possible to set the state.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the control devices 150 and 250 automatically recognize the joint portion based on the images taken by the cameras 140 and 240 so that the joint portion is heated to a desired temperature. In addition, it had a function of automatically controlling the operation of the flame torch device 120 and the laser device 130. Further, in the second embodiment, in addition to the above functions, the control device 250 automatically recognizes the joint portion based on the image taken by the camera 240 and supplies the brazing material to the joint portion. It had a function of automatically controlling the operation of the brazing filler metal supply device 260. However, this disclosure is not limited to such examples. In the present disclosure, some or all of the operations of the flame torch device 120, the laser device 130, and the brazing filler metal supply device 260 may be controlled according to the instruction input by the operator. For example, the brazing devices 1 and 2 may be provided with an input device for inputting an operator's instruction, and the flame torch device 120, the laser device 130, based on the instruction from the operator via the input device. And part or all of the operation of the brazing material supply device 260 may be controlled. For example, if the input device is the touch panel described above, the operator can view the positions and postures of the flame torch 121, the laser head 131, and the brazing filler metal supply head 261 on the display screen on which the joint portion is projected. You may enter the instruction of. However, in order to perform brazing more efficiently, it is possible to automate the operation control of the flame torch device 120, the laser device 130, and the brazing material supply device 260 as in the above-described first and second embodiments. preferable.

Further, the brazing devices 1 and 2 according to the above-described embodiments 1 and 2 may further include a shield gas supply device for supplying a shield gas for controlling the brazing atmosphere. As the shield gas, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is used. The operation of the shield gas supply device is controlled by the control devices 150 and 250. Specifically, the timing of supplying the shield gas and the flow rate of the shield gas may be controlled by the control from the control devices 150 and 250. For example, the shield gas supply device is controlled by the control devices 150 and 250 so as to cover the place where the brazing material melts, that is, the laser irradiation position at the timing when the laser device 130 irradiates the brazing material with the laser. Supply gas. As a result, the melted brazing material is suppressed from being oxidized, and brazing can be performed better. If the brazing material is not so oxidized in the atmosphere and good brazing is possible, the shield gas supply device may not be provided.

Further, in the brazing devices 1 and 2 according to the above-described embodiments 1 and 2, the installation of the material to be joined on the work support table 110 has been performed by an operator, but the present disclosure is based on such an example. Not limited. For example, the brazing devices 1 and 2 may be provided with a mechanism for automatically installing the material to be joined on the work support table 110 (hereinafter, also referred to as an automatic installation mechanism for the material to be joined). The automatic installation mechanism for the material to be joined may be, for example, a mechanism for moving the work support base 110. In this case, for example, the work support 110 is moved by the control devices 150 and 250 to the material storage area provided near the brazing devices 1 and 2, grips the material to be joined, and returns to the work place. It is controlled to perform a series of operations such as coming. Alternatively, the automatic installation mechanism for the material to be joined may be, for example, a robot arm that carries the material to be joined from the above-mentioned storage place for the material to be joined and installs it on the work support table 110. In this case, the control of the robot arm may be performed by the control devices 150 and 250 of the brazing devices 1 and 2, or may be performed by another control device independent of the brazing devices 1 and 2. ..

The automatic installation mechanism for the material to be joined is a pair of work support portions for fixing and supporting the material to be joined, which constitute the work support base 110 (in the above-described first and second embodiments, the lower work support portion 111). , And the upper work support portion 113), or may be provided on only one of them. For example, in the case where a plurality of other materials to be joined are sequentially brazed to a material to be joined as a base material, the material to be joined as the base material is supported by a pair of workpieces. Brazing is performed by sequentially supporting a plurality of other materials to be joined by the other of the pair of work support portions while being fixedly supported by one of the portions. In such a case, the automatic installation mechanism of the material to be joined may be provided only on the one of the pair of work support portions constituting the work support base 110 that supports the other material to be joined.

Further, although the description is omitted in the above-described first and second embodiments, flux may be appropriately supplied at the time of brazing. The method of supplying the flux is not limited, and various methods may be used. For example, a method may be used in which the flux is placed in the brazing material in advance, or the flux is applied to the bonded material or the brazing material in advance. As the type of flux, one suitable for the material to be joined and the brazing material is appropriately used.

Further, the control devices 150 and 250 according to the first and second embodiments are equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a storage element such as a memory for storing various information. It can be a control board. The storage element stores, for example, a program executed by the processor, information obtained as a result of the processor executing the program, and the like. When the processor executes arithmetic processing according to a predetermined program, the functions of the control devices 150 and 250 described above are realized. However, the specific device configurations of the control devices 150 and 250 are not limited to those described above, and any configuration may be used as long as each of the above-described functions is realized. For example, the control devices 150 and 250 do not have to be one device, but may be composed of a plurality of devices. In this case, the functions of the control devices 150 and 250 shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, respectively, are distributed and mounted on a plurality of devices, and these devices connected to each other so as to be communicable operate in cooperation with each other. The functions of the control devices 150 and 250 can be realized.

Further, it is possible to create a computer program for realizing each function of the control devices 150 and 250 shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, respectively, and mount the computer program on a processing device such as a PC. It is also possible to provide a computer-readable recording medium in which such a computer program is stored. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Further, the above computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a recording medium.

Further, it is sufficient that various functions according to the first and second embodiments described above are realized as the brazing devices 1 and 2 as a whole, and the specific configurations of the brazing devices 1 and 2 may be appropriately changed. For example, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the flame torch control unit 155, the laser control unit 156, and the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 have been described as the functions of the control devices 150 and 250. Instead of 250, it may be mounted on the flame torch device 120, the laser device 130, and the brazing filler metal supply device 260, respectively. In this case, the control devices 150 and 250 transmit signals related to operation instructions such as the determined control amount to the flame torch device 120, the laser device 130, and the brazing filler metal supply device 260, respectively. In the flame torch device 120, the laser device 130, and the brazing filler metal supply device 260, the flame torch control unit 155, the laser control unit 156, and the brazing filler metal supply control unit 257 control the operation based on the instruction.

In addition, the products to which the technology according to the present disclosure is applied are not limited. The technique according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products in which brazing is used in the manufacturing process. For example, the technique according to the present disclosure may be suitably applied to brazing of pipes in an aluminum heat exchanger in the manufacturing process of an air conditioner.

1, 2 brazing device (manufacturing device for brazing structure), 101, 103 piping (bonded material), 105, 205 brazing material, 110 work support base, 111 lower work support part, 113 upper work support part, 120 flame torch device, 121 flame torch, 123 flame torch drive device, 130 laser device, 131 laser head, 133 laser drive device, 135 optical fiber, 140, 240 camera, 150, 250 control device, 151, 251 position information acquisition unit, 152 Temperature information acquisition unit, 153 End determination unit, 154 Temperature control unit, 155 Flame torch control unit, 156 Laser control unit, 257 Wax material supply control unit, 260 Wax material supply device, 261 Bracket supply head, 263 Wax material supply Drive device.

Claims (13)

It is a brazing structure manufacturing device that performs brazing and manufactures a brazed structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing.
A flame torch device that heats the joining part, which is the part where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, by radiating a flame.
A laser device that heats the joint site by irradiating it with a laser,
A control device that controls the operation of the flame torch device and the laser device, and
A device for manufacturing brazed structures. The control device controls the operation of the flame torch device so as to radiate a flame to the material to be joined at the joint portion.
The control device controls the operation of the laser device so as to irradiate the brazing material at the joint portion with a laser.
The apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure according to claim 1. Further equipped with a temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the joint portion,
The control device acquires the temperature information of the joint portion based on the detection result by the temperature detection device, and the temperature of the joint material at the joint portion is the target for the joint material based on the temperature information. The operation of the flame torch device is controlled so as to be within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the temperature range, and the temperature of the brazing material at the joint portion is the target temperature range of the brazing material. Controlling the operation of the laser device so that it falls within the temperature range,
The apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure according to claim 2. The upper limit of the target temperature range of the material to be joined is the melting point of the material to be joined.
The lower limit of the brazing filler metal target temperature range is the melting point of the brazing filler metal.
The apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure according to claim 3. In the control device, the flame torch device heats the material to be joined so that the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the target temperature range for the material to be joined. After that, the laser device is started to irradiate the brazing filler metal at the joint portion with the laser.
The apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The control device controls the output of the flame torch device and at least one of the positions and attitudes of the flame torch that radiates the flame in the flame torch device.
The control device controls at least one of the output of the laser device and the position and orientation of the laser head that irradiates the laser in the laser device.
The apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A brazing filler metal supply device for continuously supplying the brazing filler metal to the joint portion is further provided.
The apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6. It is a method of manufacturing a brazed structure that brazes and manufactures a brazed structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing.
A step of heating a joining portion, which is a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing, by radiating a flame with a flame torch device.
A step of heating the joint portion by irradiating a laser with a laser device,
A method for manufacturing a brazed structure, including. The flame torch device radiates a flame to the material to be joined at the joint site, and the flame torch device emits a flame.
The laser device irradiates the brazing material at the joint site with a laser.
The method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to claim 8. After the flame torch device heats the material to be joined so that the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the target temperature range for the material to be joined. The laser device initiates laser irradiation of the brazing filler metal at the junction.
The method for manufacturing a brazed structure according to claim 9. A flame torch device that heats a joint portion that is a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame, and a laser device that heats the joint portion by irradiating a laser are provided. It is a control device of a brazed structure manufacturing device that manufactures a brazed structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing.
A temperature information acquisition unit that acquires temperature information of the joint portion,
Based on the temperature information acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit, the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the target temperature range for the material to be joined. The control amount of the flame torch device is determined, and the control amount of the laser device is determined so that the temperature of the brazing material at the joint portion falls within the brazing material target temperature range which is the target temperature range for the brazing material. Temperature control unit and
A flame torch control unit that controls the operation of the flame torch device so as to heat the material to be joined at the joint portion based on the control amount of the flame torch device determined by the temperature control unit.
A laser control unit that controls the operation of the laser device so as to heat the brazing material at the joint portion based on the control amount of the laser device determined by the temperature control unit.
Has a control device. A flame torch device that heats a joint portion that is a portion where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame, and a laser device that heats the joint portion by irradiating a laser are provided. It is a control method of a brazed structure manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing.
The step of acquiring the temperature information of the joint site and
Control of the flame torch device so that the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the target temperature range of the material to be joined, based on the acquired temperature information. A step of determining the amount and a step of determining the controlled amount of the laser device so that the temperature of the brazing filler metal at the joint portion falls within the brazing filler metal target temperature range which is the target temperature range for the brazing filler metal.
A step of controlling the operation of the flame torch device so as to heat the material to be joined at the joint site based on the determined controlled amount of the flame torch device.
A step of controlling the operation of the laser device so as to heat the brazing filler metal at the joint site based on the determined control amount of the laser device.
Control methods, including. A computer is equipped with a flame torch device that heats a joining site, which is a site where the materials to be joined are joined by brazing by radiating a flame, and a laser device that heats the joining site by irradiating a laser. It is a program for functioning as a control device of a brazed structure manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a brazed structure in which the materials to be joined are joined by brazing.
To the computer
The function to acquire the temperature information of the joint site and
Control of the flame torch device so that the temperature of the material to be joined at the joint portion falls within the target temperature range of the material to be joined, which is the target temperature range of the material to be joined, based on the acquired temperature information. A function of determining the amount and a function of determining the controlled amount of the laser device so that the temperature of the brazing filler metal at the joint portion falls within the brazing filler metal target temperature range which is the target temperature range for the brazing filler metal.
A function of controlling the operation of the flame torch device so as to heat the material to be joined at the joint site based on the determined controlled amount of the flame torch device.
A function of controlling the operation of the laser device so as to heat the brazing material at the joint site based on the determined control amount of the laser device.
A program to realize.

Images