JP4215179B2 - Friction welding apparatus and friction welding method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a friction welding apparatus and a friction welding method, and more particularly, to a friction welding apparatus and a friction welding method using friction heat generated by rotation of a welding tool.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A friction welding method using frictional heat generated by rotation of a welding tool is known as described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2712838. In this friction welding method, as shown in FIG. 7, a pin 2 having a smaller diameter than that is provided at the tip of the tool body 1, and a shoulder 3 is provided around the mounting portion of the pin 2 on the tip surface of the tool body 1. A joining tool T configured as follows is used. And while inserting the said pin 2 in the junction part of the to-be-joined members P, such as an aluminum alloy, rotating the said to-be-joined member P and the said joining tool T, making the said shoulder 3 contact the said junction surface. Let At this time, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the joining tool T is in a state in which the tip end side thereof is inclined forward by a predetermined angle α with respect to the axis perpendicular to the surface of the member T to be joined. It is necessary that the shoulder 3 is in contact with the surface of the joint portion on the rear side in the joining progress direction. Then, frictional heat is generated by the rotation of the welding tool T, and the frictional heat reduces the deformation resistance in the joint and the vicinity thereof, causes plastic flow, and stirs the base material structure of the member P to be joined. Bonding is performed by integrating the base material structure after cooling.
[0003]
FIG. 3 shows an overall schematic configuration of a friction welding apparatus for carrying out the friction welding method as described above. In FIG. 3, T is a welding tool, and P is a member to be joined as described above. The joined member P is placed on the surface plate 4. Reference numeral 10 denotes a self-propelled portal frame. The joining tool T is attached to the portal frame 10. Reference numeral 11 denotes a control device. The control device 11 drives and controls the welding tool T in the three axial directions of X, Y, and Z in the drawing to perform the joining work.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the friction welding method, as described above, the welding tool T is inclined at the front end portion in the forward direction of the welding and presses the surface of the bonding portion behind the pin 2 with the shoulder 3 of the welding tool T. There is a need to. Therefore, in the case of the joint shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is necessary to change the inclination direction of the joining tool T as the joining proceeds. However, in the conventional friction welding apparatus, since the welding tool T is supported in a fixed state, in such a case, there is a drawback in that a great amount of work is required for performing the bonding work. For example, FIG. 4 shows an example of a circumferential joint, but in a conventional apparatus, it is impossible to join such a joint as it is, and it is necessary to rotate the member P to be joined using a turntable or the like. is there. Therefore, a lot of work is required for setting the member P to be joined. FIG. 5 shows the joint between the door panel and the waist plate in the vehicle side structure. In the case of such a joint, after the door panel is joined, the seat plate is changed after changing the installation direction of the joined member P. Need to be joined.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a friction joining apparatus capable of performing highly efficient joining work of members to be joined such that joining directions are variously changed. And a friction welding method.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Therefore, the friction welding apparatus according to claim 1 includes a joining tool in which a pin having a diameter smaller than that of the tool body is provided at the tip of the tool body, and the periphery of the pin mounting portion on the tip surface of the tool body is configured as a shoulder. The joining tool is inserted into the joining portion of the joined member while rotating the joining tool, and the joined member and the joining tool are moved relative to each other, and plastic flow is generated by frictional heat generated by the rotation of the tool. A friction welding apparatus that performs bonding by an air cylinder that applies an urging force that presses and contacts the welding tool against the member to be bonded, and a secondary pressure constant type that controls the air pressure supplied to the air cylinder. a pressure reducing valve provided further above the rotatable rotating body provided perpendicular to the axis around the junction surface of the bonded member, inclined to the bonding tool to the rotary member In is characterized in that attached. The friction welding apparatus according to claim 2 is characterized in that the rotating body can be fixed at a specific rotation position.
[0007]
In the friction welding apparatus according to claim 1 and claim 2, by rotating the rotating body, the welding tool also rotates around its rotation axis, but the welding tool is attached in an inclined state. The inclination direction can be arbitrarily selected by the rotation. Therefore, it is possible to very simply perform the operation of inclining the welding tool in accordance with the joining direction. At this time, the welding tool can be pressed and brought into contact with the surface of the member to be joined with a substantially constant urging force by the air cylinder, so that a good joining quality can be obtained. The rotating body may be rotated manually, but when a drive source such as a motor is provided as in claim 3, the changing operation of the inclination direction of the welding tool can be performed more easily. .
[0008]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a friction welding method using the friction welding device according to the third aspect , wherein the drive source is driven following the change in the joining direction, and the inclination direction of the joining tool is changed in accordance with the change in the joining direction. It is characterized by joining.
[0009]
According to the friction welding method of claim 4 , since the inclination direction of the welding tool automatically changes according to the change in the welding direction, the joining work in which the welding direction changes in the middle is automatically performed. In addition, it is possible to perform with high efficiency.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, specific embodiments of the friction welding apparatus and the friction welding method of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
FIG. 1 shows a specific example of the attachment structure (head portion structure) of the joining tool T described above. First, the portal frame 10 is self-propelled in the X direction. A horizontal slide frame 12 reciprocated in the Y direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) slides on the portal frame 10. It is attached via a mechanism 13. A vertical slide frame 14 that is reciprocated in the Z direction is supported by the slide mechanism 15 on the horizontal slide frame 12. A motor 16 is attached to the upper part of the horizontal slide frame 12, and the vertical slide frame 14 is driven in the vertical direction via a ball screw 17 by the motor 16. Further, a main body frame 18 is supported on the vertical slide frame 14 via a slide mechanism 19 so as to be movable in the Z direction. A joining head 20 is attached to the main body frame 18.
[0012]
The joining head 20 includes a support cylinder 21 extending in the vertical direction (Z direction), and a rotary cylinder (rotary body) rotatably supported by a pair of bearings 22 and 23 on the inner peripheral portion of the support cylinder 21. 24. A tool support member 25 is fixed to the rotary cylinder 24 in a state where the tool support member 25 is inclined by a certain angle α with respect to the axis. Reference numerals 26 and 27 denote set bolts for fixing the tool support member 25. A motor 28 is mounted upward on the outer periphery of the support cylinder 21, and a small-diameter gear 29 is mounted on the output shaft. On the other hand, a large-diameter gear 30 is formed on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the rotating cylinder 24, and the large-diameter gear 30 is engaged with the small-diameter gear 29. That is, the motor 28 and the tool support member 25 can be rotated around the Z-direction axis together with the rotary cylinder 24. The tool support member 25 includes a motor 31 for driving the welding tool T on the top thereof, and the welding tool T is led out from the lower end thereof. In addition, 32 and 33 are guide rollers, and are arrange | positioned before and behind the joining progress direction of the said joining tool T. FIG.
[0013]
On the other hand, an air cylinder (ballasting cylinder) 34 is attached to the upper part of the vertical slide frame 14. The air pipe 35 for supplying air to the air cylinder 34 is provided with a pressure reducing valve 36 having a constant secondary pressure so as to keep the pressing force of the air cylinder 34 substantially constant. Stop valves 37 and 38 are interposed between the pressure reducing valve 35 and the inlet / outlet port of the air cylinder 34. A joint (floating joint) 40 with which the rod 39 of the air cylinder 34 abuts is attached to the top of the main body frame 18 supported by the vertical slide frame 14. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the tool support member 25 is urged downward by the air cylinder 34 via the main body frame 18, thereby pressing and contacting the joining tool T against the member P to be joined. It is.
[0014]
According to the friction welding apparatus, as shown in FIG. 7, the pin 2 is inserted into the joint portion of the member P to be joined such as an aluminum alloy while rotating, and the shoulder 3 is brought into contact with the surface of the joint portion. By moving the joining tool T, joining using frictional heat is performed. At this time, the joining tool T can obtain a good joining quality by being pressed and in contact with the surface of the joined member P by the air cylinder 34 with a substantially constant urging force. That is, in order to obtain good joining quality, the distance L1 between the tip of the pin 2 of the joining tool T and the back surface of the member P to be joined, and the positional relationship L2 between the shoulder 3 of the joining tool T and the surface of the member P to be joined. Although it is necessary to hold (FIG. 7) correctly, if the positional relationship between the joined member P and the joining tool T is constant, the reaction force that the joining tool T receives from the joined member P is constant. Therefore, conversely, if the welding tool T is pressed and brought into contact with the member P so that the urging force is substantially constant, the positional relationship can be maintained substantially constant. As a result, the positional relationship between the member to be joined P and the joining tool T is substantially reduced even if there are variations in the plate thickness due to manufacturing errors of the member to be joined P, setting errors on the surface plate, or local deformation of the surface plate surface. It can be kept constant and good bonding can be performed. In addition, extra work such as measurement of the surface plate surface is not required for creating a conventional operation program for the welding tool, so that the joining work can be performed with high efficiency. In particular, according to the friction welding apparatus and the friction welding method, as shown in FIG. 2, in the joint in which the joining line is greatly curved in the plate thickness direction, the pressing and urging force of the joining tool T are made substantially constant. If such control is performed, the joining tool T automatically follows the curved shape, and the joining tool T always maintains a fixed positional relationship with respect to the member P to be joined while maintaining a high-quality joining. It becomes possible to perform work efficiently.
[0015]
Further, in this friction welding method, as shown in FIG. 7, the welding tool T has its tip end inclined forward in the welding progress direction, and the welding tool 3 of the welding tool T is joined behind the pin 2. It is necessary to press the part surface. Therefore, in the case of the joint shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is necessary to change the inclination direction of the joining tool T as the joining proceeds. In such a case, according to the friction welding apparatus, if the rotating cylinder 24 is rotated by the motor 28, the inclination direction of the welding tool T is changed in order, so that such a joining operation is performed. The advantage is that it can be done continuously. That is, in the case of the circumferential joint shown in FIG. 4, if the position of the welding tool T is controlled in the XY plane in FIG. The inclination direction of the welding tool T will also change, which makes it possible to continuously join the circumferential joint. Further, in the case of the joint between the door panel and the waist plate in the vehicle side structure shown in FIG. 5, if the rotating cylinder 24 is rotated by 90 ° by the motor 28 every time the joining of each joining line is finished, Since the direction of inclination of the tool T can be changed according to the moving direction of the tool T, the resetting work of the member P to be joined becomes unnecessary, and a highly efficient joining work can be performed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), if the tip core O of the welding tool T is rotated (gyro motion) about the rotation axis, the welding position does not change even if the welding tool T rotates. It is preferable for practical use. When the tip core O of the welding tool T and the rotation axis do not match, the joining position changes as shown in FIG.
[0016]
The rotating cylinder 24 may be driven manually as well as driven by the motor 28 as described above, and may be fixed at an arbitrary rotational position and held at that position. Besides using the torque of the motor 28, a mechanical lock device can be used. In the above description, the entire tool support member 25 including the drive motor 31 of the welding tool T is supported by the rotary cylinder 24. However, it is not necessary to incline the drive motor 31.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
In the friction welding apparatus according to the first and second aspects, the inclination direction of the welding tool can be arbitrarily selected, and therefore the work of inclining the welding tool according to the welding direction can be performed very easily. In addition, it is possible to efficiently perform a joining operation in which the joining direction changes during the process. At this time, the welding tool can be pressed and brought into contact with the surface of the member to be joined with a substantially constant urging force by the air cylinder, so that a good joining quality can be obtained.
[0018]
Further, when a drive source such as a motor is provided as in the third aspect , the changing operation of the inclination direction of the welding tool can be performed more easily, and the bonding operation can be performed more efficiently. .
[0019]
Furthermore, according to the friction welding method of claim 4 , since the inclination direction of the welding tool automatically changes in accordance with the change in the welding direction, the joining work in which the welding direction changes in the middle is automatically performed. In addition, it is possible to carry out at high efficiency.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a welding tool mounting structure in a head portion of a friction welding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing a main part of the friction welding apparatus.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the overall structure of the friction welding apparatus.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an application example of the friction welding apparatus and the friction welding method of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing another application example of the friction welding apparatus and the friction welding method of the present invention.
6A and 6B are explanatory views showing the relationship between the welding tool and the rotating shaft in the friction welding apparatus, wherein FIG. 6A shows a state where the tip core of the welding tool and the rotating shaft substantially coincide with each other, and FIG. The state where the tip core of the welding tool and the rotation axis do not match each other is shown.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a conventional friction welding method.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a conventional friction welding method.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Tool body 2 Pin 3 Shoulder 24 Rotating cylinder (Rotating body)
28 Motor (drive source)
T Joining tool P Member to be joined

Claims (4)

Provided with a joining tool in which a pin smaller in diameter than the tool body is provided at the tip of the tool body, and the periphery of the pin mounting portion on the tip surface of the tool body is configured as a shoulder, and the joining tool is joined to a member to be joined. The welding tool is a friction welding apparatus that inserts the welding tool into a section while rotating it, moves the member to be joined and the welding tool relative to each other, and generates plastic flow by frictional heat generated by the rotation of the tool. An air cylinder for applying an urging force for pressing and contacting the joining tool against the member to be joined, and a secondary pressure constant type pressure reducing valve for controlling the air pressure supplied to the air cylinder, and further Friction characterized in that a rotating body rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the surface of the joining portion of the joining member is provided, and the joining tool is attached to the rotating body in an inclined state. Coupling devices. 2. The friction welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body can be fixed at a specific rotation position. Friction welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that a drive Dogen for rotationally driving the rotating body. Friction using the friction welding device according to claim 3 , wherein the driving source is driven following the change in the joining direction, and the joining is performed while changing the inclination direction of the joining tool in accordance with the change in the joining direction. Joining method.

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