JP4628774B2 - Friction stir welding equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a friction stir welding apparatus that performs friction stir welding on workpieces.

  In a friction stir welding apparatus that joins a plurality of members to be joined, a joining tool is arranged on one side of an article to be joined and the backing member is arranged in the other direction. Next, the welding tool is pressed against the workpiece while rotating, and is immersed in the workpiece. The joining tool fluidizes each member to be joined by frictional heat in a partially unmelted state, agitates the fluidized member to be joined, and spot joins the members to be joined (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-314983 A

To the article is by friction stir welding, bonding regions each of the bonding members are bonded is formed. In the conventional friction stir welding apparatus, the joining region is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the joining tool, that is, in a ring shape. In this case, the required bonding strength may not be obtained depending on the processing conditions. In the friction stir welding apparatus of the prior art, in order to widen the joining area, it is necessary to use a joining tool having a large diameter shape, which is not convenient.

  Therefore, the objective of this invention is providing the friction stir welding apparatus which can improve the joining strength of a to-be-joined object.

The present invention is a friction stir welding apparatus that frictionally stir welds each member to be joined by immersing a rotating joining tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding part and cooperates with the joining tool to sandwich the object to be joined, with an angular displacement axis orthogonal to the rotation axis as the center A backing member having a cylindrical surface ;
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A power source that is provided on the base body and applies a force to an object to be bonded that is directed to an acting direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the power source driving the backing member to be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis It comprises, by angular displacement drive the backing member by said animal power source is the friction stir welding apparatus comprising a movement means for relatively moving the working direction the objects to be bonded to the substrate .

  According to the present invention, in a state where the joining tool is mounted on the tool holding portion, the joining tool is brought into rotational contact with the objects to be joined using the rotation driving means and the straight driving means, and the joining tool and the objects to be joined are rotated. Friction heat is generated between the members, the members to be joined are stirred by the frictional heat, and the members to be joined are joined.

In friction stirring, the joining tool comes into contact with one surface of the objects to be joined, the backing member comes into contact with the other surface opposite to the joining tool, and the objects to be joined are sandwiched from both sides . Given a force moving means toward the direction of action to the article, the deflection of at least one of the substrate holding device for holding the object to be bonded held device or substrate for holding the object to be bonded is, the substrate relative to the objects to be bonded Is relatively displaced in the direction of action. As a result, the joining tool supported by the base moves in the acting direction with respect to the article to be joined, and the joining region formed in the article to be joined can be expanded in the acting direction.

For example the substrate holding device, the substrate and the case stiffness than an object to be bonded holding device is low, the moving means provides a force to the article, deflection substrate holding device by a reaction force of the force, moving means force The base body moves in the opposite direction to the direction in which is given.

The joining tool pressurizes the backing member as the joining tool pressurizes the joining object. Therefore, when the backing member is displaced and moved in the acting direction, a frictional force is generated between the backing member and the article to be joined, and a force in the acting direction can be applied to the article to be joined. The displacement of the backing member includes a case where the backing member moves linearly with respect to the substrate and a case where the backing member undergoes angular displacement with respect to the substrate.

  According to the present invention, the backing member is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis while the workpiece is in contact with the cylindrical surface of the backing member. As a result, a frictional force is generated between the cylindrical surface and the backing member, and a force that moves in the tangential direction of the cylindrical surface is applied to the workpiece. Further, when the backing member is angularly displaced, the relationship between the contact position where the backing member abuts the workpiece and the position of the substrate can be kept constant. Thus, the base can stably support the displaced backing member. In addition, the structure of the support portion can be simplified and miniaturized by realizing the support portion that supports the backing member with a bearing as compared with the case where the backing member is displaced linearly.

The present invention is a friction stir welding apparatus that frictionally stir welds each member to be joined by immersing a rotating joining tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts on the workpiece from the opposite side of the tool holding portion and clamps the workpiece in cooperation with the welding tool, and a groove for improving frictional force is provided on the surface of the backing member. A backing member formed on
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A moving unit that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis to the object to be joined, and includes a power source that displaces and drives the backing member. A friction stir welding apparatus comprising: a moving means for moving the object to be bonded relative to the base in the action direction by driving the backing member to be angularly displaced .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the object to be bonded and the backing member from slipping by forming the groove, and reliably apply a force toward the acting direction to the object to be bonded. Thereby, even when the force resisting the movement between the substrate and the object to be bonded is large, the substrate and the object to be bonded can be relatively moved.

The present invention is a friction stir welding apparatus that frictionally stir welds each member to be joined by immersing a rotating joining tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding part and cooperates with the joining tool to sandwich the object to be joined, with an angular displacement axis orthogonal to the rotation axis as the center A backing member having a cylindrical surface;
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A moving means that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, to the workpiece;
A power source provided at a position away from the backing member and driving the backing member to be displaced;
A link mechanism that transmits power from the power source to the backing member, and drives the backing member to be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis.
A friction stir welding apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism that causes the link mechanism to angularly drive the backing member by the power source to move the object to be bonded relative to the base in the working direction. .
The present invention is a friction stir welding apparatus that frictionally stir welds each member to be joined by immersing a rotating joining tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding portion and clamps the object to be joined in cooperation with the joining tool, and a groove for improving frictional force is provided on the surface of the backing member. A backing member formed on
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A moving means that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, to the workpiece;
A power source provided at a position away from the backing member and driving the backing member to be displaced;
A link mechanism for transmitting power from the power source to the backing member,
A friction stir welding apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism that causes the link mechanism to move the backing member by the power source so as to move the object to be bonded relative to the base in the action direction.

  According to the present invention, the power generated by the power source is transmitted to the backing member by the power transmission mechanism. When power is applied through the power transmission mechanism, the backing member is displaced relative to the base. By using the power transmission mechanism in this way, the power source can be arranged at a position away from the backing member, and the vicinity of the backing member can be reduced in size.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to transmit a larger power than the belt transmission mechanism by transmitting the power by the link transmission mechanism. Thus, even if the force against the movement of the backing member is large, the backing member can be moved, and the reliability can be improved. Further, compared with the gear transmission mechanism, the structure can be simplified and the distance between the power source and the backing member can be increased.

The present invention, said moving means in a state of partially softens the objects to be bonded by the bonding tool, characterized in providing a force toward the direction of action to the article.

According to the invention, in a state in which to soften the objects to be bonded by the frictional heat between the welding tool and the object to be joined, moving means provides a force to the article. When the object to be bonded is softened, the force to resist the relative movement of the object to be bonded and the substrate is small. Therefore, the relative movement between the object to be bonded and the substrate can be easily performed.

The present invention, the moving means may be arranged to be changed in the direction of force applied to the article.

  According to the present invention, the direction in which the joining region expands can be changed by changing the direction of the force applied to the workpiece. Accordingly, the joining region can be changed according to the shape of the object to be joined, joining conditions, and the like, and convenience can be improved.

The present invention is a friction stir welding apparatus that frictionally stir welds each member to be joined by immersing a rotating joining tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding portion and clamps the object to be joined in cooperation with the joining tool;
A base that supports the tool holding unit and the backing member, and is provided so as to be movable to an arbitrary position by an articulated robot;
A moving unit that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis to the object to be joined, and includes a power source that displaces and drives the backing member. A friction stir welding apparatus comprising: a moving means for moving the object to be bonded relative to the base in the direction of action by driving the backing member to move .

According to the present invention, the base body is moved to the joining position set in advance on the workpiece by the articulated robot. The articulated robot is a substrate holding device that holds the substrate . Given a force directed in one direction of action of the objects to be bonded by the moving means, the substrate is provided with a reaction force about the force moving means is provided to the article from the article. This reaction force is applied to the articulated robot that supports the base. In the articulated robot, the robot arm bends when the reaction force is applied. As a result, the base body moves in the other direction of operation, and the base body and the object to be joined are relatively displaced. Therefore, even if a low-rigidity robot arm is used, the joining area of the object to be joined can be increased, and the joining strength of the object to be joined can be improved. Further, the control of the articulated robot for moving the welding tool minutely does not become complicated.

According to the present invention, by providing a force to the working direction to the article by moving means, by bending at least one of the substrate holding device and the to-be-bonded holding device, relative to the working direction the objects to be bonded Can be shifted. Accordingly, the joining region can be expanded in the direction of action without increasing the joining tool, and the joining strength of the objects to be joined can be improved.

  For example, using a multi-joint robot as a substrate holding device or a workpiece holding device, the substrate and the workpiece can be relatively displaced in the direction of action to improve the bonding strength.

  As a comparative example, when an articulated robot is used to move the friction stir welding apparatus in the direction of action with respect to the workpiece, the welding tool is accurately moved by a predetermined amount of movement relative to the workpiece. It is difficult to control. Moreover, the rigidity of the robot arm may be insufficient, and the friction stir welding apparatus may not be moved sufficiently.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, even when an articulated robot with low rigidity is used as the substrate holding device, the object to be bonded and the substrate can be displaced with an accurate movement amount, and the bonding strength of the object to be bonded is Can be improved. The same applies when the rigidity of the object holding device is low.

Moreover, the force which goes to an acting direction is given to a to-be-joined object by the frictional force which arises when a backing member is displaced and moved. Thus, in order to apply a force to the object to be bonded, it is not necessary to separately form a mechanism for bringing the contact piece supported by the base member into contact with the object to be bonded, and the number of components can be reduced.

  Further, as a comparative example, when a force is applied using a contact piece different from the backing member, the contact piece needs to be locked to the article to be joined. Further, the backing member obstructs the movement between the article to be joined and the substrate.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, since the backing member is used, it is not necessary to lock the abutting piece to the object to be joined. Can be given. Moreover, it can prevent that a backing member obstructs the movement with a to-be-joined object and a base | substrate.

According to the present invention, by the angular displacement of the backing member, the backing member can be kept constant the relationship between the abutting position of the abutting position and the substrate to the article, stable backing The member can be displaced. As a result, the substrate and the object to be joined can be moved stably. Further, as compared with the case where the backing member is linearly displaced, the area required for moving the base body and the object to be joined can be reduced, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. Accordingly, even when the space around the object to be bonded is narrow, the backing member can be accommodated in the space, and the members to be bonded can be bonded to each other.

Moreover , according to this invention, it can prevent that a to-be-joined object and a backing member slip by forming a groove | channel, and can give the force which goes to an action direction with respect to a to-be-joined object reliably. Thereby, even when the force resisting the movement between the substrate and the object to be bonded is large, the substrate and the object to be bonded can be relatively moved. Moreover, the unevenness | corrugation which improves a frictional force may be formed instead of a groove | channel.

According to the present invention, can be arranged by separating the power source from the backing member by a power transmission mechanism, the vicinity of the backing member can be downsized. Accordingly, even when the space around the object to be bonded is narrow, the backing member can be accommodated in the space, and the members to be bonded can be bonded to each other.

Moreover , according to this invention, the space | interval of a power source and a backing member can be separated by using a link mechanism. Further, the structure can be simplified as compared with other power transmission mechanisms, and the backing member can be reliably moved even if the force resisting the movement of the backing member is large.

According to the present invention, in a state in which to soften the objects to be bonded, moving means provides a force to the article. As a result, the resistance force against the relative movement of the object to be bonded and the substrate is reduced, and the relative movement between the object to be bonded and the substrate can be easily performed. Therefore, the load applied to the welding tool can be reduced, and the breakage of the welding tool can be prevented.

Further , according to the present invention, even if a robot arm with low rigidity is used, it is possible to increase the bonding area of the workpiece by increasing the bonding area of the workpiece. In addition, by using an articulated robot, a spot bonding region can be formed at an arbitrary position with respect to an object to be fixed, and versatility can be improved.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a friction stir welding apparatus 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 viewed from the arrow II-II in FIG. A friction stir welding (abbreviated as FSW) device 20 is held by the articulated robot 100 and joins a plurality of joined members 18 and 19 which are superposed on each other. The articulated robot 100 moves the friction stir welding apparatus 20 to an arbitrary position three-dimensionally. As a result, the friction stir welding apparatus 20 can perform spot welding for sequentially joining a plurality of joint portions scattered on the workpiece 17.

  The workpiece 17 is composed of a plurality of members 18 and 19 that are aligned with each other. This aligned state includes a state in which a gap is formed between each of the members to be joined 18 and 19. The article to be joined 17 is, for example, a thin or medium thickness product made of an aluminum alloy, specifically, an automobile body, a design structure, a lap joint, or the like. The article to be joined 17 is held by a predetermined article holding apparatus.

  The friction stir welding apparatus 20 is set with a predetermined rotation axis L1. In the friction stir welding, the rotation axis L1 passes through the joining position of the workpiece 17 along the direction in which the welding tool 22 is immersed in the workpiece 17. The friction stir welding apparatus 20 detachably mounts a columnar joining tool 22. The friction stir welding apparatus 20 drives the attached welding tool 22 to rotate about the rotation axis L1 and linearly drives in a direction along the rotation axis L1. Hereinafter, the direction along the rotation axis L1 is referred to as the X direction.

  The friction stir welding apparatus 20 includes a backing member 121 that is disposed with a gap in the X direction with respect to the welding tool 22. The backing member 121 and the joining tool 22 are disposed along the rotation axis L1. In the friction stir welding, the backing member 121 contacts the surface 19a of the X direction one X1 of the article 17 to be joined. The welding tool 22 abuts on the surface 18a of the other X2 in the X direction of the workpiece 17 by moving in the X direction one X1. As a result, the joining tool 22 and the backing member 121 cooperate to hold the article 17 to be joined. One X1 in the X direction is a direction from the joining tool 22 toward the backing member 121, and the other X2 in the X direction is a direction from the backing member 121 toward the joining tool 22.

  The friction stir welding apparatus 20 rotates the welding tool 22 around the rotation axis L1 and displaces it in one direction X1 in the X direction. Then, the welding tool 22 is brought into rotational contact with the workpiece 17. By pressing the welding tool 22 against the workpiece 17, frictional heat is generated between the welding tool 22 and the workpiece 17 to soften the workpiece 17 and the welding tool 22 is immersed in the workpiece 17.

  Next, the friction stir welding apparatus 20 continues to rotate while the welding tool 22 is immersed in a predetermined amount, and fluidizes and stirs the members 18 and 19 to be joined in the vicinity of the welding tool 22. As a result, each of the members to be joined 18 and 19 is formed with a joining region mixed with each other. When the friction stir welding apparatus 20 forms the joining area, the joining tool 22 is detached from the article 17 to be joined. As a result, the fluidized joining region is solidified and the members to be joined 18 and 19 are joined.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the friction stir welding apparatus 20 includes a backing structure 120 including a backing member 121, and a base 21 that supports a tool holding unit on which the joining tool 22 is mounted. The base 21 is formed in a substantially C shape, and a tool holding portion is provided at one end in the circumferential direction. The backing structure 120 is detachably attached to the other end in the circumferential direction.

  The backing structure 120 includes a backing member 121, a mounting body 122 that is mounted on the base body 21, a minute moving means 123 that is fixed to the mounting body 122, and a support body 124 that supports the backing member 121. . The mounting body 122 is detachably mounted on the base body 21.

The backing member 121 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The backing member 121 has an angular displacement axis L2. The angular displacement axis L2 extends in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis L1. In the present embodiment, the angular displacement axis L2 extends in the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction , which is one of the directions orthogonal to the X direction. In the present embodiment, the Y direction is an action direction that applies force to the workpiece 17. In other words, the angular displacement axis L2 extends perpendicular to the rotation axis L1. The backing member 121 is supported by the support 124 so as to be angularly displaceable about the angular displacement axis L2.

The outer peripheral surface of the backing member 121 has a radius of curvature centered on the angular displacement axis L 2. The outer peripheral surface of the backing member 121 faces the welding tool 22. In joining, the article 17 is in contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the backing member 121. This contact position is a position that intersects the rotation axis L1 on the outer peripheral surface. Further, the backing member 121 has irregularities formed on the outer periphery thereof. Specifically, the backing member 121 has a knurled groove 125 extending parallel to the angular displacement axis L2.

  The support body 124 includes two standing portions 126 and 127 that are fixed to the mounting body 122 and extend from the mounting body 122 in the other X direction in the X direction, and a shaft body 128 that is provided between the standing portions 126 and 127. The standing portions 126 and 127 are arranged in the Z direction orthogonal to both the X direction and the Y direction, and are arranged with an interval in the Z direction. The shaft body 328 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the axis thereof coincides with the angular displacement axis L2 of the backing member 121. The shaft body 128 and the backing member 121 are connected via a bearing 128. Accordingly, the backing member 121 can be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L <b> 2 with respect to the base body 21 in a state where the mounting body 122 is mounted on the base body 21.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a part of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 as viewed from the arrow III-III in FIG. The minute moving means 123 angularly drives the backing member 121 around the angular displacement axis L2. The minute moving means 123 is fixed to the mounting body 122. In this embodiment, minute movement means 123 is implemented by a double Doshiki air cylinder, displaced freely piston rod 130 is provided in the Y direction.

The minute moving means 123 has two fluid inlet / outlet holes 131 and 132 formed in the cylinder tube 133. Of the two fluid input and holes 131 and 132, the fluid from the first fluid input and hole 131 is supplied to the cylinder tube 13 3, the piston rod 130 is displaced in the Y direction whereas Y1. Of the two fluid input and holes 131 and 132, the fluid from the second fluid input and hole 132 is supplied to the cylinder tube 13 3, the piston rod 130 is displaced in the Y direction other Y2. In the present embodiment, speed controllers 141 and 142 for controlling the moving speed of the piston rod 130 are provided. As a result, the speed at which the piston rod 130 advances in the Y direction on the one side Y1 and the speed at which the piston rod 130 advances on the other side in the Y direction can be adjusted differently. The speed controllers 141 and 142 serve as speed adjusting means for adjusting the speed of the piston rod.

The piston rod 130 has a tip portion 134 protrudes from the cylinder tube 13 3. The distal end portion 134 of the piston rod 130 is fixed to the backing member 121. In addition, it is preferable that the front-end | tip part 134 of the piston rod 130 is connected with respect to the remaining part of the piston rod 130 so that angular displacement is possible. The distal end portion 134 of the piston rod 130 is connected to the backing member 121 at a position in the backing member 121 that does not inhibit the backing member 121 from coming into contact with the workpiece 17. In the present embodiment, the piston rod 130 passes between the mounting body 122 and the backing member 122, and the distal end portion 134 of the piston rod 130 is fixed to the X direction one X 1 side portion of the backing member 121. Is done.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the piston rod 130 is displaced in one Y1 in the Y direction, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the piston rod 130 is displaced in the other Y2 in the Y direction with respect to FIG. When the piston rod 130 is displaced in the Y direction, the backing member 121 fixed to the distal end portion 134 of the piston rod 130 is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2.

  The support body 124 is formed with an accommodation space 135 for accommodating the distal end portion 134 of the piston rod 130. Specifically, the housing 124 is formed with two housing space forming portions 136 and 137 extending from the mounting body 122 in the other X direction in the X direction. The accommodation space forming portions 136 and 137 are arranged with an interval in the Y direction. The accommodation space forming portions 136 and 137 are formed between the backing member 121 and the mounting body 122. A rectangular frame is formed by the standing portions 126 and 127 and the accommodation space forming portions 136 and 137. A space defined by the frame becomes the accommodation space 135, and the tip end portion 134 of the piston rod 130 is disposed in the frame.

  The Y direction dimension of the accommodation space 135 is formed larger than the tip end portion 134 of the piston rod 130. As a result, the tip end portion 134 of the piston rod 130 disposed in the accommodation space 135 is formed to be movable in the Y direction by a predetermined stroke amount. Further, the displacement of the piston rod 130 is restricted by the accommodation space forming portions 136 and 137, thereby preventing the piston rod 130 from moving more than a predetermined stroke amount.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a stroke adjusting member 140 for adjusting the stroke amount of the piston rod 130 is provided. The stroke adjusting member 140 is realized by a bolt that is screwed into the accommodation space forming portion 136. The bolt is screwed into a screw hole forming portion in which an internal screw formed in the accommodation space forming portion 136 is formed. When the bolt is screwed through the screw hole forming portion, the protrusion amount of the bolt protruding into the accommodation space 135 can be changed, and the stroke of the piston rod 130 can be adjusted. Further, the minute moving means 123 can be formed at low cost by using an air cylinder to angularly displace the backing member 121. Moreover, by using an air cylinder, the spring property of air can be utilized and the rapid movement of the backing member 121 can be mitigated.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 by cutting. The friction stir welding apparatus 20 includes a tool holding unit 40, a rotation drive unit 102, a straight drive unit 103, a backing member structure 120, a base 21, and a control unit 10. The tool holding unit 40 is configured to hold the welding tool 22 coaxially with the rotation axis L1, be rotatable about the rotation axis L1, and linearly displaceable along the rotation axis L1. Therefore, the joining tool 22 mounted on the tool holding unit 40 can also rotate about the rotation axis L1 and linearly displace in the direction along the rotation axis L1.

  The rotation driving means 102 rotates the tool holding unit 40 around the rotation axis L1. The rectilinear drive means 103 displaces and drives the tool holding unit 40 in the X direction that is a direction along the rotation axis L1. The control means 10 controls the rotation drive means 102, the straight drive means 103, and the minute movement means 123. For example, the control means 10 is realized by a robot controller and stores in advance a program indicating a joining procedure. The friction stir welding apparatus 20 performs friction stir welding by executing a program stored in advance by the control means 10. In addition, the control means 10 can acquire the rotational speed of the welding tool 22, the pressure applied to the workpiece by the welding tool 22, the movement position of the backing member 121, the time change, and the like.

  When a command related to the rotation operation of the welding tool 22 is given from the rotation control unit 12 of the control unit 10, the rotation driving unit 102 rotates and stops the tool holding unit 40 based on the command. When a command related to the straight-ahead operation of the welding tool 22 is given from the straight-ahead control unit 11 of the control unit 10, the straight-ahead drive unit 103 causes the tool holding unit 40 to move straight and stop moving forward based on the command. When a command relating to the relative minute movement between the substrate 21 and the workpiece 17 is given from the minute control unit 13 of the control means 10, the minute moving means 123 moves and displaces the backing member 122 based on the instruction. Stop.

  The base 21 supports the tool holding unit 40, the backing member 121, the rotation driving unit 102, and the straight driving unit 103. The backing structure 120 is detachably fixed to the base body 21. The base body 21 is formed in a substantially C shape and extends along a plane perpendicular to the Y direction. The base body 21 is set to have higher rigidity than the articulated robot.

  The base body 21 is provided with a tool holding portion 40 at one circumferential end thereof, and a backing member 121 is provided at the other circumferential end thereof. The base 21 is attached to the articulated robot 100 and is driven to be displaced to an arbitrary position by the articulated robot 100. Note that specific configurations of the rotation driving means 102 and the rectilinear driving means 103 will be described later.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a first operation procedure of the friction stir welding apparatus. FIG. 7 is a time chart in the first operation procedure. FIG. 7 (1) shows the change over time in the rotational speed of the welding tool 22. FIG. 7 (2) shows the change over time in the pressure applied to the workpiece 17 by the welding tool 22. FIG. 7 (3) shows the change over time of the command given by the control means 10 to the minute movement means 123. FIG. 7 (4) shows the change over time of the angular displacement amount of the backing member 121.

  In step a <b> 0, the friction stir welding apparatus 20 moves the base body 21 toward the workpiece 17 by the articulated robot 100 and moves to a predetermined joining preparation position. The joining preparation position is a position where the joining tool 22 and the backing member 121 are arranged on both sides of the article to be joined 17 and the rotation axis L1 passes through the joining position of the article to be joined 17.

  In the present embodiment, when the friction stir welding apparatus 20 moves to the joining preparation position, the backing member 121 contacts the surface 19a of the X direction one X1 of the article 17 to be joined. When the control means 10 determines that the base body 21 has moved to the joining preparation position based on the signal given from the robot controller of the articulated robot 100, the control means 10 proceeds to step a1 and starts the joining operation.

  In step a1, the control means 10 gives a rotation command to the rotation driving means 102 at the operation start time T0 as shown in FIG. 7 (1). As a result, the joining tool 22 rotates. The joining tool 22 reaches a preset rotational speed V1 whose rotational speed is predetermined at the first time T1. When the control means 10 determines that the rotational speed of the welding tool 22 has reached the set rotational speed V1 using an encoder or the like, the control means 10 proceeds to step a2.

  In step a2, the control means 10 gives an immersion command to the straight drive means 103. As a result, the joining tool 22 advances straight in one direction X1 in the X direction. That is, the joining tool 22 moves in the direction approaching the backing member 121. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the welding tool 22 rotates and contacts the workpiece 17 at the second time T <b> 2 to apply pressure to the workpiece 17. Next, at the third time T3, the welding tool 22 reaches the set pressure P1 that is set in advance. When the control means 10 determines that the applied pressure of the welding tool 22 has reached the set applied pressure P1, the control means 10 proceeds to step a3.

  The control means 10 may determine that the applied pressure has reached the set applied pressure P1 by measuring the third time T3. Further, it may be determined that the applied pressure has reached the set applied pressure P1 by using a current detecting means for detecting the current flowing through the motor of the linear drive means 103 or a load cell for measuring the applied pressure of the welding tool.

  In step a3, the control means 10 determines whether or not the article 17 has been softened by frictional heat. For example, when the controller 10 reaches the fourth time T4 when the softening time W1 at which the joining region of the article 17 is to be softened has elapsed from the second time T2 at which the joining tool 22 is in contact with the article 17 to be joined. Then, it is determined that the joining region has been softened. As an example, the softening time W1 is set to 0.1 second or more and 0.2 second or less. When the control means 10 determines that the joining region has softened, the control means 10 proceeds to step a4.

  In step a4, as shown in FIG. 7 (3), the control means 10 gives the circumferential movement one-angle displacement command to the minute movement means 123 to angularly displace the backing member 121 around the angular displacement axis L2 in one circumferential direction. . As a result, the minute moving means 123 displaces the piston rod 130 in one direction in the Y direction, and angularly displaces the backing member 121 in one circumferential direction around the angular displacement axis L2. When the control means 10 gives the angular displacement command to the minute movement means 123 in this way, the process proceeds to step a5.

  In step a5, the control means 10 determines whether or not the joining area has been sufficiently agitated. For example, from the third time T3 when the pressure applied by the welding tool 22 to press the workpiece 17 reaches the set pressure P1, the control means 10 determines the stirring time W2 that the bonding area of the workpiece 17 will be stirred. When the fifth time T5 has elapsed, it is determined that the joining region has been sufficiently stirred. When the control means 10 determines that the joining region has been sufficiently stirred, the control means 10 proceeds to step a6.

  In step a6, as shown in FIG. 7 (2), the control means 10 gives an exit command to the straight drive means 103 at the fifth time T5. As a result, the joining tool 22 advances straight in the other direction X2 in the X direction. That is, the joining tool 22 moves in a direction away from the backing member 121. When the joining tool 22 reaches the sixth time T6 when the joining tool 22 comes out of the article 17 to be joined, the process proceeds to step a7.

  In step a7, the control means 10 gives a rotation stop command to the rotation drive means 102. As a result, the rotation of the welding tool 22 is stopped. Further, as shown in FIG. 7 (3), when the control means 10 reaches a seventh time T7 at which a predetermined fine movement time W3 has elapsed from a fourth time T4 at which an angular displacement command is given to the fine movement means 123, the reverse side is reached. A circumferentially other angular displacement command for angularly displacing the abutting member 121 around the angular displacement axis L <b> 2 to the other circumferential direction is given to the minute moving means 123. Thereby, the minute moving means 123 displaces the piston rod 130 and angularly displaces the backing member 121 around the angular displacement axis L2 in the circumferential direction. When the control means 10 gives commands to the rotation drive means 102 and the minute movement means 123 in this way, the process proceeds to step a8.

  In step a8, when it is determined that the position of the welding tool 22 in the X direction has moved to a predetermined initial position and the circumferential position of the backing member 121 has moved to a predetermined initial position, the process proceeds to step a9. In step a9, the control means 10 ends the friction stir welding procedure.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an operation procedure of the friction stir welding apparatus 20. The operation procedure proceeds in the order of FIG. 8 (1) to FIG. 8 (5). In step a2 described above, as shown in FIG. 8A, the welding tool 22 approaches the workpiece 17 in a state of rotating around the rotation axis L1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (2), the welding tool 22 is in rotational contact with the workpiece 17 and applies pressure to the workpiece 17. At this time, the backing member 121 comes into contact with the X direction one X1 side portion of the workpiece 17, and the welding tool 22 comes into contact with the X direction other X2 side portion of the workpiece 17. That is, the joining tool 22 pressurizes the article to be joined 17 with the backing member 121 and the joining tool 22 sandwiching the article to be joined 17. As a result, the backing member 121 is pressurized from the workpiece 17. As a result, frictional heat is generated between the welding tool 22 and the workpiece 17, the portion of the workpiece 17 in contact with the welding tool 22 is softened, and the welding tool 22 is immersed in the workpiece 17.

As shown in FIG. 8 (3), while fluidizing the respective workpieces 18 and 19, the welding tool 22 passes the boundary of each of the joint members 18 and 19, and flow of the members to be welded 18 and 19 The parts are mixed. In this way, the backing member 121 is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2 as shown in step a4 in a state where the workpiece 17 is partially fluidized and stirred. The backing member 121 gives a force F <b> 1 that moves in the Y direction to the workpiece 17. At this time, the backing member 121 is given a reaction force F2 related to the force F1 applied to the workpiece 17 from the workpiece 17.

  The reaction force F2 applied to the backing member 121 is applied to the articulated robot 100 through the support body 124, the mounting body 122, and the base body 21 in this order. The articulated robot 100 bends in the direction in which the reaction force F2 is applied when the reaction force F2 is applied. The joining tool 22 is displaced together with the base body 21 in the direction in which the reaction force F <b> 2 is applied to the workpiece 17.

  As shown in FIG. 8 (4), when the base body 21 moves in the direction in which the reaction force F2 is applied, the welding tool 22 moves in the Y direction with respect to the workpiece 17, and the bonding region is moved in the Y direction. The bonding strength of the article to be bonded 17 can be improved. With the backing member 121 continuing the angular displacement movement, the joining tool 22 is detached from the workpiece 17 to reduce the depth of the joining trace from the joining start position to the joining end position. It is possible to improve the aesthetic feeling after joining.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the force F1 that the minute moving means 123 moves in the Y direction is applied to the workpiece 17 during friction stirring, the reaction force F2 causes the substrate holding device to move. The articulated robot 100 is bent, and the base body 21 moves in the Y direction with respect to the workpiece 17. By moving the joining tool 22 and the backing member 121 together with the base body 21 in the Y direction, the joining region formed in the article to be joined 17 can be expanded in the Y direction.

  In the present embodiment, versatility can be improved by using the multi-joint robot 100, and spot joining can be performed even when the shape of the workpiece 17 is different and the joining position is different. . Further, the friction stir welding can be performed even if the shape of the workpiece 17 is a three-dimensional complicated shape.

  As a comparative example, when the articulated robot 100 is controlled to move the friction stir welding apparatus 20 in the Y direction, the articulated robot 100 is difficult to control, and the welding tool 22 is moved slightly. Is difficult. Further, when the articulated robot 100 tries to move the friction stir welding apparatus 20, a large resistance is given to the robot arm, and the robot arm is bent and it is difficult to move the welding tool 22 by a desired amount of movement. It is. For example, even when the robot arm is displaced on the base side, the friction stir welding apparatus 20 may not be moved in the Y direction due to deformation of the robot arm on the tip side.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment of the present invention, by applying force from the base body 21 to the workpiece 17, even when the articulated robot 100 that supports the base body 21 has low rigidity, the base body 21 and the object to be bonded are applied. The bonded object 17 can be surely shifted by a desired amount of movement in the Y direction. As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the joint area of the workpiece 17 can be improved by using the multi-joint robot 100, so that the advantage of using the robot, that is, versatility is maintained. The bonding strength of the article to be bonded 17 can be improved.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, irrespective of the magnitude | size of the joining tool 22, a joining area | region can be expanded in a Y direction and the joining strength of the to-be-joined object 17 can be improved. For example, the joining area | region extended in a Y direction can be formed using the joining tool 22 with a small diameter. As a result, when the workpiece 17 is long and thin, a bonding region can be formed in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece 17 and heat distortion is prevented from occurring in a region other than the bonding region. 19 can be bonded satisfactorily.

  Moreover, since the joining region can be extended in the Y direction, the joining strength in the direction in which the joining region extends can be improved. Accordingly, when the strength in the predetermined direction is improved, by extending the joining region in that direction, the joining region can be prevented from becoming unnecessarily large, and the joining strength can be improved. Note that the bonding strength of the objects to be bonded includes tensile strength, peel strength, shear strength, and the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the base member 21 and the article to be joined 17 are moved by angularly displacing the backing member 121 around the angular displacement axis L2 as compared with the case where the backing member 121 is linearly displaced. The required area can be reduced. As a result, the apparatus can be miniaturized. Further, the backing member 121 can be supported by the bearing so as to be angularly displaceable, and the structure can be simplified.

  Further, when the backing member 121 is linearly displaced, the position where the base 21 supports the backing member 121 changes. On the other hand, when the backing member 121 is angularly displaced, the backing member 121 contacts the workpiece 17 at a predetermined position with respect to the base 21 even if the backing member 121 is angularly displaced. To do. In other words, the position where the base 21 supports the backing member 121 does not change. Thus, even if the backing member 121 is angularly displaced, the workpiece 17 can be stably held between the joining tool 22 and the backing member 121.

  Further, in this embodiment, the knurled groove is formed in the backing member 121, so that the friction coefficient is increased to increase the friction coefficient even when the contact area between the workpiece 17 and the backing member 121 is small. The backing member 121 can be prevented from slipping with respect to the bonded object 17, and a force in the Y direction can be reliably applied to the bonded object 17. Thereby, even when the force resisting the movement of the base 21 and the workpiece 17 is large, the base 21 and the workpiece 17 can be relatively moved.

Further, in this embodiment, in a state where the object to be bonded 17 is softened and the bonding tool 22 by the frictional heat between the object to be bonded 17, fine movement means 12 3 gives a force to the article 17. When the workpiece 17 is softened, the force against the relative movement of the workpiece 17 and the base 21 is reduced, and the base 21 is easily moved relative to the workpiece 17. Can be made.

  For example, in a state where the welding tool 22 is immersed in the workpiece 17, the welding tool 22 and the workpiece 17 are set so as to be relatively shifted by about 5 mm in the Y direction. As a result, the bonding strength of the objects to be bonded can be increased by a factor of 1.5 as compared with the case where they are not shifted in the Y direction. Further, during frictional stirring, the welding tool 22 and the workpiece 17 are displaced in the Y direction, so that the bonding tool 22 and the workpiece 17 are not displaced in the Y direction. The surface can be formed smoothly. Moreover, the burr | flash which arises after joining can be suppressed compared with the case where the backing member 121 is not moved.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the time from the operation start time T0 to the fifth time T5 is the machining time t, the time from the operation start time T0 to the fourth time T4 is the waiting time t1, and the fourth time T4 to the seventh time The time until time T7 is referred to as movement time t2. In this case, in the present embodiment, the machining time t is set to be equal to or shorter than the total time of the waiting time t1 and the movement time t2, that is, t ≦ (t1 + t2). Further, the machining time t exceeds the waiting time t1, that is, t> t1.

  By setting in this way, the welding tool 22 can be retracted from the workpiece 17 while the workpiece 17 and the welding tool 22 are relatively displaced in the Y direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8 (5), as the welding tool 22 moves from the joining start position to the joining end position, the joining depth of the joining trace can be reduced, and the joining quality can be improved.

  For example, as one combination, the machining time t is set to 2 to 3 seconds, the waiting time t1 is set to 1.5 seconds, and the moving time t2 is set to 4 seconds. As another combination, the machining time t is set to 1.5 seconds, the waiting time t1 is set to 1 second, and the moving time t2 is set to 3 seconds. The machining time t may exceed the total time of the waiting time t1 and the movement time t2.

  Note that the machining time t, the waiting time t1, and the movement time t2 may be stored in the control means 10 in advance. Further, the operator may teach the control means 10 according to the joining conditions such as the shape of the object to be joined and the shape of the joining tool. Moreover, you may change the moving speed of the piston rod 130 using the speed controller 141 according to joining conditions.

  In the present embodiment, the set parameters are the set rotational speed V1, the set pressure P1, the processing time t, the amount of movement of the backing member, the waiting time t1, the moving time t2, and the repeat speed r. The repeat speed r indicates a speed at which the friction stir welding is finished at an arbitrary joining position and then moved to the next joining position. For example, the repeat speed r can be changed between 30 and 100%, assuming that the maximum movement speed of the robot is 100%. The joining parameter can be changed according to joining conditions such as the shape of the joining tool 22 and the workpiece 17 and is set to a setting parameter that can obtain an optimum joining quality.

  For example, the set rotational speed V1 can be set between 1000 and 4000 rpm in terms of rotational speed. The set pressure P1 can be set between 2000 and 5500 N (200 to 550 kgf). The processing time t can be set between 1 and 4 seconds. The moving distance can be set between 1 and 4 mm. The waiting time t1 can be set between 0.5 and 1.5 seconds. The moving time t2 can be set between 0.5 and 2 seconds or more. In addition, such a change range is an example, Comprising: The other range may be sufficient. Further, since the backing structure 120 including the backing member 121 is configured to be detachable from the base 21, the optimal backing structure 120 may be attached to the base 21 according to the joining conditions.

  When the friction stir welding apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment is used, the bonding strength at one bonding point can be improved, so that the number of bonding points necessary to obtain a predetermined bonding strength can be reduced. it can. In the present embodiment, by moving the backing member 121, the time spent for spot bonding is slightly increased as compared to the case where the backing member 121 is not moved. However, since the number of junction points can be reduced as described above, it is possible to prevent a significant increase in the joint time spent for the joint.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a frictional force is generated by the backing member 121 and the workpiece 17 and a force in the Y direction is applied to the workpiece 17 by the frictional force. Therefore, even if a locking portion for applying a force in the Y direction to the workpiece 17 is not formed, a force in the Y direction can be applied to the workpiece 17. Therefore, the joining area can be increased regardless of the shape of the article 17 and versatility can be improved. Further, since the welding tool 22 presses the workpiece 17 toward the backing member 121, the workpiece 17 is placed on the backing member 121 in order to generate a frictional force between the workpiece 17 and the backing member 121. There is no need to provide a pressing mechanism. Thereby, the structure of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 can be simplified.

  In the present embodiment, a stroke adjusting member 140 that adjusts the stroke of the piston rod 130 is provided. By adjusting the stroke of the piston rod 130 with the stroke adjusting member 140, a joining region corresponding to the required joining strength can be easily formed, and the joining strength can be adjusted. Although it is difficult to perform minute position adjustment with an air cylinder alone, the use of such a stroke adjustment member 140 makes it possible to form a joining region with high accuracy. Note that the movement amount of the base 21 is preferably set at least within the elastic range of the articulated robot. As a result, the joint strength of the workpiece 17 can be improved without damaging the articulated robot 100.

  The air cylinder is provided with speed controllers 141 and 142. Thus, the speed at which the piston rod 130 is moved in the Y direction one Y1 and the speed at which the piston rod 130 is moved in the Y direction other Y2 can be made different. For example, when the backing member 121 is moved during friction stirring, the speed is set to a necessary speed to form a necessary joining region, and when the backing member is moved after joining, the speed is made as high as possible. Set. As a result, it is possible to reduce the time spent for joining while maintaining the joining quality.

  A specific configuration of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The friction stir welding apparatus 20 includes a tool holding unit 40, a rotation drive unit 102, a straight drive unit 103, a backing member structure 120, a base 21, and a control unit 10. The tool holding unit 40 is configured so that the joining tool 22 is detachably attached thereto, is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis L1, and is freely displaceable along the rotation axis L1. Specifically, the tool holding unit 40 holds the joining tool 22 in a state where the pin portion 52 and the shoulder surface protrude from the tool holding unit 40 in one axial direction. The joining tool 22 attached to the tool holding unit 40 can be displaced similarly to the tool holding unit 40. Specifically, the welding tool 22 is rotatable about the rotation axis L1, and is attached to the friction stir welding device 20 so as to be displaceable along the rotation axis L1.

  The rotation driving means 102 rotates the tool holding unit 40 around the rotation axis L1. The rotation drive unit 102 includes a rotation motor 25 that rotates the welding tool 22, and a rotation transmission unit 30 that transmits the rotational force of the rotation motor 25 to the welding tool 22. The rotation motor 25 is controlled by the rotation control unit 12 provided in the control means 10.

  The joining tool 22 is coupled with a rotating shaft 26 that is disposed coaxially with the rotating axis L1. The rotation shaft 26 is a spline shaft extending along the rotation axis L1, and a rotation transmission driven pulley 48 is attached to the rotation shaft 26. The rotation transmission driven pulley 48 allows the rotation shaft 26 to move in the X direction, prevents rotation about the rotation axis L <b> 1, and transmits the rotation force to the rotation force 26. The rotation transmission driven pulley 48 is pivotally supported on the main body frame 29 by a pulley support bearing 50 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis L1. The main body frame 29 is fixed to one end of the base body 21 in the circumferential direction.

  A rotation transmission drive pulley 46 is fixed to the output shaft of the rotation motor 25 fixed to the main body frame 29. The rotation transmission driving pulley 46 and the rotation transmission driven pulley 48 are driven to rotate the welding tool 22 so as to be movable in the X direction by rotating the rotation transmission belt 47 and rotating the rotation motor 25. Configured to do. Therefore, the rotation transmission means 30 includes the rotation shaft 26, a rotation transmission driven pulley 48, a rotation transmission belt 47, and a rotation transmission drive pulley 46.

  The rectilinear drive means 103 drives the tool holder 40 to be displaced along the rotation axis L1. The rectilinear drive means 103 includes a rectilinear motor 24 that linearly moves the welding tool 22, and a rectilinear transmission means 45 that transmits the rotational force of the rectilinear motor 24 to the welding tool 22. The rectilinear motor 24 is controlled by the rectilinear controller 11 provided in the control means 10.

  The friction stir welding apparatus 20 is provided with a hollow pressure shaft 27 that surrounds the rotating shaft 26 and moves the welding tool 22 straightly to apply pressure. The pressurizing shaft 27 is supported by the main body frame 29 so that both ends in the X direction can rotate about the rotation axis L1 by bearings 31 and 32, respectively. The rotary shaft 26 inserted into the pressure shaft 27 protrudes from the X-direction one X1 side end portion of the pressure shaft 27 in the X-direction one X1, and the joining tool 22 is attached to the tip thereof.

  A linear transmission driven pulley 60 is fixed to the other end of the pressure shaft 27 in the X direction. A linear transmission driving pulley 61 is fixed to the output shaft of the linear motor 24 fixed to the main body frame 29 coaxially with the rotation motor 25. The linear transmission driving pulley 61 and the linear transmission driven pulley 60 are wound around the linear transmission belt 62 and rotate the linear motor 24 to rotate the pressure shaft 27 around the rotation axis L1. be able to.

  An outer screw is formed on the outer periphery of the pressure shaft 27 and the nut member 53 is screwed together. The nut member 53 is disposed between the bearings 31 and 32 that support the pressing shaft 27 at both ends in the X direction. The pressure shaft 27 and the nut member 53 are realized by a ball screw. A linear guide 55 is fixed to the main body frame 29 so as to face the pressure shaft 27 and to be parallel to the rotation axis L1. The nut member 53 is linearly guided and supported by the linear guide 55 along the rotation axis L1.

  A tool holding unit 40 that holds the joining tool 22 is attached to the joining tool 22. The tool holding unit 40 holds the welding tool 22 rotatably around the rotation axis L1 via holding unit holding bearings 65 and 66. The tool holding portion 40 and the nut member 53 are connected by a bracket 70.

  The bracket 70 has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional shape extending along the rotation axis L1 and surrounding the rotation axis L1. A nut member 53, a pressure shaft 27, and a tool holding portion 40 are arranged in this order from the X direction one side X1 along the rotation axis L1. Since the bracket 70 is made of a highly rigid material and has a C-shaped cross section with the rotation axis L1 as the center, the applied pressure from the nut member 53 can be reliably transmitted to the tool holding unit 40. As described above, the rotational force of the linear motor 24 is transmitted to the tool holding unit 40 that holds the welding tool 22 via the bracket 70 as a pressurizing force. That is, when the linear motor 24 rotates, the joining tool 22 is displaced in the X direction together with the bracket 70. Therefore, the linear transmission means 45 includes the pressure shaft 27, the nut member 53, the bracket 70, the linear transmission driven pulley 60, the linear transmission belt 62, and the linear transmission driving pulley 61.

  By using such rotation drive means 102 and straight drive means 103, the welding tool 22 can be moved straight along the rotation axis L1 while rotating around the rotation axis L1 at high speed.

  The rotation motor 25 is provided with an encoder that detects the rotation speed of the output shaft of the rotation motor 25. The encoder serves as detection means for detecting the rotation speed of the welding tool 22. The encoder gives the detection result to the control means 10. The control means 10 can set the rotation speed of the welding tool 22 to the set rotation speed by controlling the rotation motor 25 based on the detection result given from the encoder.

  In addition, a current detection means for detecting the current flowing through the linear motor 24 is provided. The current detection means is a detection means for detecting the pressure applied to the workpiece 17 by the welding tool 22. The current detection unit gives the detection result to the control unit 10. The control means 10 can set the pressure applied to the workpiece 17 by the welding tool 22 to the set pressure by controlling the linear motor 24 based on the detection result given from the current detection means.

  The backing member structure 120 is arranged with respect to the tool holding unit 40 with a gap in the rotation axis L1. The backing member structure 120 includes a backing member 101. In the friction stir welding, the backing member 101 abuts on the workpiece 17 from the side opposite to the tool holding portion 22, and holds the workpiece 21 in cooperation with the welding tool 22.

  The base body 21 is formed in a substantially C shape and supports the tool holding portion 22 and the backing member structure 120. Specifically, the machine body 21 supports the tool holding unit 22 at one circumferential end, and supports the backing member structure 120 at the other circumferential end. In the present embodiment, the base 21 also supports the rotation drive means 102 and the straight drive means 103. The base 21 is attached to the articulated robot 100. The friction stir welding apparatus 20 is driven to be displaced to an arbitrary position by the operation of the articulated robot 100.

  The joining tool 22 is made of a material having a higher level than the members to be joined 18 and 19. The joining tool 22 includes a shoulder portion 51 formed in a cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical pin portion 52 that protrudes from the shoulder surface serving as one end surface of the shoulder portion 51 to one side in the axial direction. The shoulder portion 51 and the pin portion 52 are formed coaxially. In the present embodiment, the diameter of the shoulder portion 51 is set to 10 mm, and the diameter of the pin portion 51 is set to 2 mm. Further, the pin portion 51 protrudes from the shoulder portion 51 by 1.5 mm.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a second operation procedure of the friction stir welding apparatus. FIG. 10 is a time chart in the second operation procedure. Compared with the first operation procedure, the second operation procedure is different in timing for stopping the displacement operation of the backing member 121, and the other operations are the same.

  In the second operation, the operations of step b0 to step b4 correspond to the operations of step a0 to step a4 in the first operation procedure, respectively, and are the same procedures as the first operation procedure, and thus description thereof is omitted. .

  In step b4, when an angular displacement command is given to the minute moving means 123, the process proceeds to step b5. In step b5, when the control means 10 determines that the predetermined minute movement amount of the backing member 121 has been angularly displaced, it gives a stop command for stopping the angular displacement of the backing member 123 to the minute movement means 123. As shown in FIG. 10 (3), when the control means 10 reaches the ninth time T9 when the predetermined movement time W5 has elapsed from the fourth time T4, the predetermined minute movement amount backing member 121 is angularly displaced. Judge that. When the control means 10 gives the stop command to the minute movement means 123 in this way, the process proceeds to step b6.

  In step b6, the control means 10 determines whether or not the joining region has been sufficiently stirred. For example, when the control means 10 reaches from the third time T3 when the welding tool 22 comes into contact with the workpiece 17 to the fifth time T5 when the stirring time W4 at which the bonding region of the workpiece 17 would stir has elapsed. Then, it is determined that the joining area is sufficiently agitated. When the control means 10 determines that the joining region has been sufficiently stirred, the control means 10 proceeds to step b7.

  In the second operation, the operations from step b7 to step b10 correspond to the operations from step a6 to step a9 in the first operation procedure, respectively, and are the same procedures as the first operation procedure, and thus description thereof is omitted. .

  In the second embodiment, the stirring time W4 exceeds the total time of the softening time W1 and the movement time W5, that is, W4> (W1 + W2) is set. By setting in this way, the depth of the joining trace can be made substantially constant, and the plurality of members 18 and 19 can be reliably joined at the joining start position and the joining end position.

  Further, the movement of the backing member 121 is not limited to such a case, and various changes may be made during frictional stirring. For example, the moving direction and the moving speed of the backing member may be changed.

  Specifically, during friction stirring, the joining tool 22 is moved in a state where the backing member 121 is moved in the Y direction Y1 and further moved in the Y direction other Y2 so that the backing member 121 is disposed at the initial position. May be withdrawn from the article 17. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate the holding of the workpiece 17 by the welding tool 22 and the backing member 121 in a state where the stress generated in the articulated robot 100 is eliminated.

  When there are a plurality of joining points, the backing member 121 is moved to the Y direction one Y1 at the first joining point during the stirring joining, and after joining, the backing member 121 is moved to the other Y direction Y2. Instead, the backing member 121 may be moved to the other Y2 in the Y direction at the second joining point that is the next joining point. Thereby, the trouble of returning the backing member 121 to the initial position can be saved.

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a friction stir welding apparatus 220 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a view of the friction stir welding apparatus 220 viewed from the arrows XII-XII in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the friction stir welding apparatus 220 viewed from the arrows XIII-XIII in FIG. 14 is a view of the friction stir welding apparatus 220 as viewed from the arrows XIV-XIV in FIG.

  The friction stir welding apparatus 220 has a configuration corresponding to the friction stir welding apparatus 20 of the first embodiment described above, and for the corresponding configuration, 200 is added to the reference numeral of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 of the first embodiment. The reference numerals are attached. The friction stir welding apparatus 220 includes a minute moving unit 323 that is provided on the base 221 and applies a force in the Y direction, which is one of the directions orthogonal to the rotation axis L1, to the workpiece 17 fixed in advance.

  The friction stir welding apparatus 220 differs from the friction stir welding apparatus 20 of the first embodiment in the configuration of the minute moving means 323. The minute moving means 323 includes a power source 323a provided at a position away from the backing member 221 and a power transmission mechanism 323b that transmits power from the power source 323a to the backing member 321.

  The power source 323a is realized by an air cylinder. The power source 323a is fixed to the base 221 at a position moved linearly from the backing member 321 in the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction. The power transmission mechanism 323b is realized by a link mechanism that connects the power source 323a and the backing member 321.

  In the power source 323 a, the tip end portion of the piston rod 330 is fixed to the base body 221 through the fixed block 400. The fixed block 400 is provided with a stroke adjustment bolt 401 extending toward the cylinder tube 333 of the power source 323a. The stroke adjusting bolt 401 is provided so that the distance to the cylinder tube 333 can be adjusted.

  In the power source 323 a, the cylinder tube 333 is fixed to the first link member 402. The first link member 402 is configured to be displaceable in the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction. Accordingly, when the piston rod 330 is displaced in the Z direction with respect to the cylinder tube 333, the first link member 402 is displaced in the Z direction together with the cylinder tube 333 with respect to the base body 221. The first link member 402 constitutes a part of the power transmission mechanism 323b.

  The power transmission mechanism 323b includes a transmission unit 406 and a direction conversion unit 405. The transmission unit 406 transmits power in the Z direction from the power source 323a to the vicinity of the backing member 321. The conversion unit 405 is provided in the vicinity of the backing member 321 and converts the power applied from the transmission unit 406 in the Y direction to provide the backing member 321 with power conversion.

  The transmission unit 406 includes a first link member 402, second link members 403 and 413, and a third link member 404. The first link member 402 is formed in a substantially U shape, and the cylinder tube 333 is fixed to the circumferential center portion 402a. Both end portions 402b and 402c in the circumferential direction of the first link member 402 face the Y direction side surfaces of the fixed block 400, respectively, and the second link members 403a and 403b are fixed.

  Two second link members 403 and 413 are provided in a plate shape. Each of the second link members 403 and 413 extends in the Z direction. One end portion 403 a in the Z direction of one second link member 403 is fixed to one end portion 402 b in the circumferential direction of the first link member 402. In addition, one end 413 a in the Z direction of the other second link member 413 is fixed to the other end 402 c in the circumferential direction of the first link member 402. The two second link members 403 and 413 extend on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the base body 221.

  The third link member 404 includes a pair of opposing members 407 and 408 that are formed in a plate shape and extend in the Z direction, and a connecting member 409 that connects the other ends 407b and 408b in the Z direction of the opposing members 407 and 408. Composed. The two opposing members 407 and 408 extend on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the base body 221. One end portion 407a of one opposing member 407 is fixed to the other end portion 403b of the second link member 403 in the Z direction. In addition, one end 408 a in the Z direction of the other opposing member 408 is fixed to the other end 413 b in the Z direction of the other second link member 413.

  The connecting portion 409 of the third link member 404 is formed in a plate shape having a plane perpendicular to the X direction. In the connecting portion 409, one opposing member 407 is fixed to one end portion in the Y direction, and the other opposing member 408 is fixed to the other end portion in the Y direction.

  By displacing the piston rod 330 with respect to the cylinder tube 333 in the Z direction, the cylinder tube 333 is displaced with respect to the base 221 in the Z direction. As a result, the first link member 402, the second link members 403 and 413, and the third link member 404 that are directly or indirectly fixed to the cylinder tube 333 are displaced in the Z direction with respect to the base 221.

  15 is a cross-sectional view showing the friction stir welding apparatus cut along arrows XV-XV in FIG. A backing structure 320 is detachably attached to the base 321. The backing structure 320 includes a backing member 321, a mounting body 322 attached to the base 221, and a support 324 that supports the backing member 121.

  The backing member 321 includes a rod-like body 450 formed in a rod shape and a contact portion 451 fixed to the tip of the rod-like body 450. The rod-shaped body 450 extends substantially in the X direction. The rod-shaped body 450 has an angular displacement axis L2 orthogonal to the rotation axis L1. The rod-like body 450 is supported by the support portion 324 so as to be angularly displaceable about the angular displacement axis L2. The contact portion 451 is formed with a cylindrical surface centered on the angular displacement axis L2. A knurled groove extending in the Y direction is formed in the cylindrical surface forming portion where the cylindrical surface is formed. The contact portion 451 faces the welding tool 22 and contacts the workpiece 17 during friction stirring.

  The support body 324 includes two standing portions 326 and 327 that are fixed to the mounting body 322 and extend from the mounting body 322 in the other X direction in the X direction, and a shaft body 328 provided between the standing portions 326 and 327. The standing portions 326 and 327 are arranged with an interval in the Z direction. The shaft body 128 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the shaft body 328 is inserted through an insertion hole formed in the rod-shaped body 450, and the rod-shaped body 450 and the shaft body 328 are connected via a bearing. In addition, the insertion hole formed in the rod-shaped body 450 is formed coaxially with the angular displacement axis L2. As a result, the backing member 321 can be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L <b> 2 with respect to the mounting body 322. The rod-like body 450 is substantially parallel to the rotation axis L1 while being supported by the support body 324.

  The support body 324 and the mounting body 322 are formed with through holes 460 and 461 penetrating along the rotation axis L1. The rod-shaped body 450 is inserted through the through holes 460 and 461 and protrudes from the mounting body 322 in the X direction one X1. Each through-hole 460, 461 is formed larger than the rod-shaped body 450 so that the rod-shaped body 450 can be angularly displaced. The support 324 and the backing member 321 are preferably formed so as to be angularly displaceable about the rotation axis L1.

  16 is a view of the friction stir welding apparatus 220 as viewed from the arrows XVI-XVI of FIG. 11, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a part of the direction changing portion 405 with the portion omitted. The direction changing portion 405 is formed including a fitting body 470, a fixed body 471, and a pin body 472. The fitting body 470 is formed in a plate-like body, and a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the thickness direction is formed in an L shape. The fitting body 470 is formed in an L shape by connecting two plate-like pieces 476 and 477. One plate-like piece 476 extends substantially in the Z direction, and the other plate-like piece 477 extends substantially in the Y direction. The fitting body 470 is formed with a first fitting hole 473 that is inserted in the thickness direction at a connecting position where the two plate-like pieces 476 and 477 are connected. The one plate-like piece 476 is formed with a second fitting hole 474 inserted in the thickness direction at a position away from the connection position. The other plate-like body 477 is formed with a third fitting hole 475 that is inserted in the thickness direction at a position away from the connection position.

  A pin body 472 connected to the mounting portion 322 is fitted into the first fitting hole 473. The pin body 472 and the first fitting hole 473 are formed in a substantially circular shape. The fitting body 470 is formed to be angularly displaceable about the axis L3 of the pin body 472 in a state of being fitted to the pin body 472.

  The one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 is fitted into the second fitting hole 474. The second fitting hole 474 is formed larger than the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450. If the fitting body 470 is angularly displaced around the pin body 472 in a state where the X-direction one end 452 of the rod-like body 450 is fitted in the second fitting hole 474, the X-direction one end 452 of the rod-like body 450 is moved in the Y direction. Angular displacement.

  The pin portion 480 of the fixed body 471 is fitted into the third fitting hole 475. The third fitting hole 475 is formed larger than the pin portion 480 of the fixed body 471. The fixed body 471 is fixed to the connecting member 409 of the third link member 404. When the fixed body 471 is displaced together with the third link member 404 in a state where the fixed body 471 is fitted in the third fitting hole 475, the fitted body 470 is angularly displaced around the axis L3 of the pin body 472.

  When the third link member 404 is displaced in the Z direction, the fitting body 450 is angularly displaced about the axis L3 of the pin body 472, and the second fitting hole 474 is displaced in the Y direction. As a result, the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 fitted in the second fitting hole 474 is displaced in the Y direction, and the rod-like body 450 is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2.

  FIG. 18 is a view for explaining the state of the fitting body 470 with respect to the third link member 404. FIG. 18 (1) shows a state where the third link member 404 is in a standard position with respect to the base body 21. 18 (2) shows a state in which the third link member 404 has moved from the standard position shown in FIG. 18 (1) to the Z direction one side Z1 with respect to the base 21. FIG. 18 (3) shows a state in which the third link member 404 has moved from the standard position shown in FIG. 18 (1) to the other Z direction Z2 with respect to the base 21. FIG.

  As described above, the distal end portion of the other plate-like body 477 in the fitting body 470 is fixed to the third link member 404 via the fixing body 471. The fitting body 470 is formed by the pin body 472 so as to be angularly displaceable about the axis L3 of the pin body 472 with respect to the base body 21. As shown in FIG. 18A, when the third link member 404 is in the standard position, one plate-like body 476 of the fitting body 470 extends in parallel with the Z direction, and the other plate-like body 477 is in the Y direction. Extending parallel to

  As shown in FIG. 18 (2), when the third link member 404 moves from the standard position to one side Z1 with respect to the base body 21, the tip of the other plate-like body 477 together with the fixed body 471 is one Z1 in the Z direction. Move to. As a result, the fitting body 470 is angularly displaced to one R1 around the axis L3 of the pin body 472. At this time, one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 moves to one Y1 in the Y direction together with the tip of one plate-like body 476 of the fitting body 470.

  As shown in FIG. 18 (3), when the third link member 404 moves from the standard position to the other Z direction Z2 with respect to the base body 21, the tip of the other plate-like body 477 moves together with the fixed body 471 in the other Z direction. Move to Z2. As a result, the fitting body 470 is angularly displaced around the axis L3 of the pin body 472 to the other R2. At this time, one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 moves to the other Y2 in the Y direction together with the tip of one plate-like body 476 of the fitting body 470.

  In this way, by moving the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 in both the Y direction and Y1, Y2, the contact portion 451 can be rotated around the angular displacement axis L2 extending in the Z direction. 22 can be finely moved in the Y direction with respect to the workpiece 17. The friction stir welding operation of the friction stir welding apparatus 220 is the same as the friction stir welding operation of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 of the first embodiment, and performs the operations shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 to FIG. .

  19 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the displacement direction of the backing member 321 is changed, FIG. 20 is a view as seen from the arrow XIX-XIX in FIG. 19, and FIG. It is a perspective view which abbreviate | omits one part and illustrates it. By changing the orientation of the support 324, the angular displacement axis L2 of the backing member 321 can be made parallel to the Y direction. Furthermore, by directly applying the power of the third link member 404 to the rod-like body 450, the backing member 321 can be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2 parallel to the Y direction. In this case, the Z direction is an action direction that applies force to the workpiece 17.

  The direction changing unit 405 includes a combined body 478. The combined body 478 is formed with a through hole 481 through which the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-shaped body 450 passes. The through hole 481 is formed to be larger than the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450. The coupling body 478 is formed with a convex portion 482 projecting in the thickness direction, and is fitted into a recess 483 formed in the coupling member 409 of the third link member 404, thereby connecting the coupling body 478 and the third link member. The member 409 is fixed. If the coupling body 478 is angularly displaced in the Z direction together with the third link member 404 in a state where the X direction one end 452 of the rod 450 is fitted in the through hole 481, the X direction one end 452 of the rod 450 is moved in the Z direction. Angular displacement.

  When the third link member 404 is displaced in the Z direction, the X-direction one end 452 of the rod-shaped body 450 is displaced in the Z direction together with the third link member 404. As a result, the rod-like body 450 is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2.

  FIG. 22 is a view for explaining the state of the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 with respect to the third link member 404. FIG. 22 (1) shows a state where the third link member 404 is in a standard position with respect to the base body 21. FIG. 22 (2) shows a state in which the third link member 404 has moved from the standard position shown in FIG. FIG. 22 (3) shows a state in which the third link member 404 is moved from the standard position shown in FIG. 22 (1) to the other Z direction Z2 with respect to the base 21.

  As described above, when the displacement direction of the backing member 321 is changed, the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 is connected to the third link member 404 via the coupling body 478. As shown in FIG. 22 (1), in a state where the third link member 404 is in the standard position, the X-direction end portion 452 of the rod-like body 450 is located at a predetermined specified position. In a state where the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-shaped body 450 is in the specified position, the rod-shaped body 450 extends substantially parallel to the X direction.

  As shown in FIG. 22 (2), when the third link member 404 moves from the standard position to the Z direction one side Z1 with respect to the base body 21, the X direction one end 452 of the rod-like body 450 also moves from the standard position to the Z direction. On the other hand, it moves to Z1. Further, as shown in FIG. 22 (3), when the third link member 404 moves from the standard position to the other Z direction Z2 with respect to the base body 21, the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 also moves from the standard position. Move to the other Z direction in the Z direction.

  In this way, by moving the one end 452 in the X direction of the rod-like body 450 in both the Z direction Z1 and Z2, the contact portion 451 can be rotated around the angular displacement axis L2 extending in the Y direction, and the joining tool 22 can be moved minutely in the Z direction with respect to the workpiece 17. Note that the friction stir welding operation of the friction stir welding apparatus 220 differs in the direction in which the welding tool 22 is slightly moved relative to the workpiece 17 as compared with the friction stir welding operation of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 of the first embodiment. With respect to other operations, operations similar to those shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 or 9 to 10 are performed.

  FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing an operation procedure when the displacement direction of the backing member 321 is changed. The operation procedure proceeds in the order of FIG. 23 (1) to FIG. 23 (5). The operation is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 23 (1), the welding tool 22 approaches the workpiece 17 while being rotated around the rotation axis L1.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 23 (2), the joining tool 22 is brought into rotational contact with the article to be joined 17 and applies pressure to the article to be joined 17. At this time, the backing member 121 comes into contact with the X direction one X1 side portion of the workpiece 17, and the welding tool 22 comes into contact with the X direction other X2 side portion of the workpiece 17. As a result, frictional heat is generated between the welding tool 22 and the workpiece 17, the portion of the workpiece 17 in contact with the welding tool 22 is softened, and the welding tool 22 is immersed in the workpiece 17.

Next, as shown in FIG. 23 (3), while fluidizing the respective workpieces 18 and 19, the welding tool 22 passes the boundary of each of the joint members 18 and 19, of each of the joint members 18 and 19 The fluidized part is mixed. In this way, the backing member 121 is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2 in a state where the workpiece 17 is partially fluidized and stirred. The backing member 121 gives a force F <b> 1 that moves in the Z direction to the workpiece 17. At this time, the backing member 121 is given a reaction force F2 related to the force F1 applied to the workpiece 17 from the workpiece 17.

  The reaction force F2 applied to the backing member 121 is applied to the articulated robot 100 through the support body 124, the mounting body 122, and the base body 21 in this order. The articulated robot 100 bends in the direction in which the reaction force F2 is applied when the reaction force F2 is applied. The joining tool 22 is displaced together with the base body 21 in the direction in which the reaction force F <b> 2 is applied to the workpiece 17, that is, in the Z direction.

  FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an operation of an operator who performs a teaching operation on the friction stir welding apparatus 220 and the articulated robot 100. When the operator determines the workpiece 17 in step c0, the operator proceeds to step c1 and starts the teaching operation. In step c1, a processing direction in which the welding tool 22 is slightly moved with respect to the workpiece 17 is determined, and the process proceeds to step c2. In step c2, a processing position for starting and ending the bonding with respect to the workpiece 17 is determined, and the process proceeds to step c3. In step c3, processing conditions for friction stir welding are determined. The processing conditions are, for example, the number of rotations of the welding tool 22, a pressing force, a bonding time, and the like. As described above, when the processing direction, processing position, and processing conditions of the joining tool 22 are determined, the teaching operation is terminated. In addition, about the order which determines a process direction, a process position, and a process condition, it does not need to be the order mentioned above.

  FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a part of the article to be joined 17 after joining, and FIGS. 26 and 27 are perspective views showing another part of the article to be joined 17 after joining. As shown in FIG. 25, the joining tool 22 is slightly moved in the Y direction with respect to the workpiece 17 to form a joining trace 200 extending in the Y direction. Furthermore, the joining traces 200 can be formed at intervals in the Y direction by immersing the joining tool 22 at a plurality of locations in the Y direction.

  Among them, for example, as shown in FIG. 26, when an obstacle 202 such as an angle protrudes from the member to be joined 18 and the obstacle 202 extends in the Z direction, when the vicinity of the obstacle 202 is joined, The direction in which the welding tool 22 moves slightly relative to the workpiece 17 is changed. Then, in the vicinity of the obstacle 202, the welding tool 22 is slightly moved in the Z direction with respect to the workpiece 17 to form a bonding trace 201 extending in the Z direction. As a result, the bonding strength of the workpiece 17 in the vicinity of the obstacle 202 can be improved.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 27, the direction in which the welding tool 22 slightly moves relative to the workpiece 17 is also changed in the vicinity of the clamp body 203 that clamps the two workpieces 18 and 19. In the vicinity of the clamp body 203, the joining tool 22 is slightly moved in the Z direction with respect to the workpiece 17 to form a joining trace 201 extending in the Z direction. As a result, the bonding strength of the workpiece 17 in the vicinity of the clamp body 203 can be improved.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, by arranging the power source 323a of the minute moving means 323 away from the backing member 321, the vicinity of the backing member 321 can be made compact. As a result, even when the space for arranging the welding tool 22 and the backing member 321 is small, friction stir welding can be performed, and convenience can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, power from the power source 223a is transmitted to the backing member 321 by the link mechanism. Therefore, the distance between the power source 223a and the backing member 321 can be increased with a simplified configuration as compared with the gear transmission mechanism. Further, as compared with the belt transmission mechanism, a large amount of power can be transmitted, and the backing member 321 can be reliably moved even if a force against the movement of the backing member 321 is large.

  Further, the direction of the force applied to the object to be bonded can be changed by changing the directions of the support 324 and the backing member 321 and changing the configuration of the power transmission mechanism. As a result, the direction in which the bonding region expands can be changed with respect to the base body, and convenience can be improved. The bonding region can be changed according to the shape of the object to be bonded and the bonding conditions. For example, as shown in FIG. 26 and FIG. 27, when joining a part of the object 17 on which the obstacle 202 and the clamp body 203 are formed, the direction in which the object 17 is slightly moved is moved by the joining tool 22. By changing, it is possible to improve the bonding strength even in the vicinity of the obstacle 202 and the clamp body 203.

  FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing joint marks 205, 206, and 207 of the friction stir welding apparatus realized by another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment described above, the welding tool 22 is finely moved in either the Y direction or the Z direction with respect to the workpiece 17, but it may be finely moved in both directions.

  For example, by making the backing member 121 into a spherical shape and driving the backing member 121 angularly about two axes parallel to the Y direction and the Z direction, the joining tool 22 is once applied to the workpiece 17. Can be finely moved in both the Y direction and the Z direction. The friction stir welding operation of the friction stir welding apparatus in this case is different from the friction stir welding operation of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 of the first embodiment only in the direction in which the welding tool 22 is slightly moved. Performs substantially the same operation as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 to FIG.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 28A, an L-shaped joint mark 205 can be formed. In the joint trace 205, a portion 205a extending in the Y direction and a portion 205b extending in the Z direction are continuous. In this case, after the welding tool 22 moves slightly in either the Y direction or the Z direction with respect to the workpiece 17, the welding tool 22 moves in the other direction of the Y direction or the Z direction with respect to the workpiece 17. Move a little. Further, as shown in FIG. 28 (2), a U-shaped joint trace 206 can be formed. In the joint trace 206, two portions 206a and 206b extending parallel to the Z direction are connected by a portion 206c extending parallel to the Y direction. In this case, after the joining tool 22 moves in one direction in the Z direction, it moves in the Y direction and further moves in the other direction in the Z direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 28 (3), the joining tool 22 may be angularly displaced about an axis extending in the X direction to form the joining trace 207 in an arc shape. As a result, the bonding strength in both the Y direction and the Z direction can be improved by a single friction stir welding operation.

  Each embodiment of the present invention as described above is merely an example of the invention, and the configuration can be changed within the scope of the invention. For example, although the case where the rigidity of the articulated robot 100 that holds the friction stir welding device is lower than that of the workpiece holding device that holds the workpiece 17 is described, the workpiece holding device that holds the workpiece 17 is described below. Even when the rigidity is lower than that of the holding device that holds the friction stir welding device, the joining region can be increased similarly. In this case, the workpiece 17 can be displaced in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis L1 with respect to the base body 21 by bending the workpiece holding device. Thus, the joining strength of the article to be joined 17 can be improved by shifting the joining region in the direction of action.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the object to be bonded 17 in which the members to be bonded 18 and 19 are overlapped is used. Joining may be performed. Further, the backing member 121 is angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis L2, and a force in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis L1 is applied to the workpiece 17, but the backing member 121 is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis L1. You may move straight ahead. Moreover, you may give the force of the direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft L1 to the to-be-joined object 17 using a member different from the backing member 121. FIG. Further, in the present embodiment, the base body 21 is formed in a C shape, that is, a so-called C gun type, but it is only necessary to support the joining tool at one end and the backing member at the other end. Thereby, even if the base body 21 is an X gun type, the same effect can be obtained.

It is sectional drawing which shows a part of friction stir welding apparatus 20 which is 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which looked at the friction stir welding apparatus 20 from the arrow II-II of FIG. It is a figure which cuts and shows a part by seeing the friction stir welding apparatus 20 from the arrow III-III of FIG. FIG. 3 shows a state where the piston rod 130 is displaced in the Y direction other Y2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the friction stir welding apparatus 20 by cutting. 4 is a flowchart showing a first operation procedure of the friction stir welding apparatus 20. FIG. 7 is a time chart in the first operation procedure. It is a time chart in the 1st operation procedure. It is sectional drawing which shows the operation | movement procedure of a friction stir welding apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd operation | movement procedure of a friction stir welding apparatus. It is a time chart in the 2nd operation procedure. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of friction stir welding apparatus 220 which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which looked at the friction stir welding apparatus 220 from the arrow XII-XII of FIG. It is the enlarged view which looked at the friction stir welding apparatus 220 from the arrow XIII-XIII of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the friction stir welding apparatus 220 from the arrow XIV-XIV of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the friction stir welding apparatus cut | disconnected by arrow XV-XV of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the friction stir welding apparatus 220 from the arrow XVI-XVI of FIG. It is a perspective view which abbreviate | omits and shows in order to demonstrate the direction change part 405. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the state of the fitting body 470 with respect to the 3rd link member 404. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which changed the displacement direction of the backing member. It is the figure seen from the arrow XIX-XIX of FIG.

It is a perspective view which abbreviate | omits and shows in order to demonstrate the direction change part 405. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the state of the X direction one end part 452 of the rod-shaped body 450 with respect to the 3rd link member 404. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the operation | movement procedure at the time of changing the displacement direction of the backing member 321. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of an operator who performs a teaching operation on the friction stir welding apparatus 220 and the articulated robot 100. It is a perspective view which shows a part of to-be-joined object 17 after joining. It is a perspective view which shows the other part of the to-be-joined thing 17 after joining. It is a perspective view which shows the other part of the to-be-joined thing 17 after joining. It is a perspective view which shows the joint trace 205,206,207 of the friction stir welding apparatus implement | achieved by other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 17 To-be-joined object 18,19 To-be-joined member 20,220 Friction stir welding apparatus 21,221 Base body 22 Joining tool 40 Tool holding part 100 Articulated robot 102 Rotation drive means 103 Straight drive means 120 Backing structure 121,321 Backing Member 123, 323 Minute moving means 124 Support body 125 Knurled groove

Claims (8)

A friction stir welding apparatus that immerses a rotating welding tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined and friction stir welds each member to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding part and cooperates with the joining tool to sandwich the object to be joined, with an angular displacement axis orthogonal to the rotation axis as the center A backing member having a cylindrical surface ;
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A power source that is provided on the base body and applies a force to an object to be bonded that is directed to an acting direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the power source driving the backing member to be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis hints, by angular displacement drive the backing member by said animal power source, the friction stir welding apparatus comprising a movement means for relatively moving the working direction the objects to be bonded to the substrate. A friction stir welding apparatus for immersing a rotating welding tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined and friction stir welding each member to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts on the workpiece from the opposite side of the tool holding portion and clamps the workpiece in cooperation with the welding tool, and a groove for improving frictional force is provided on the surface of the backing member. A backing member formed on
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A moving unit that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis to the object to be joined, and includes a power source that displaces and drives the backing member. by angular displacement drive the backing member, the friction stir welding apparatus you; and a moving means for relatively moving the working direction the objects to be bonded to the substrate. A friction stir welding apparatus for immersing a rotating welding tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined and friction stir welding each member to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding part and cooperates with the joining tool to sandwich the object to be joined, with an angular displacement axis orthogonal to the rotation axis as the center A backing member having a cylindrical surface;
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A moving means that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, to the workpiece;
A power source provided at a position away from the backing member and driving the backing member to be displaced;
A link mechanism that transmits power from the power source to the backing member, and drives the backing member to be angularly displaced about the angular displacement axis.
By the link mechanism is angularly displaced drive the backing member by said animal power source, friction stir welding apparatus you; and a moving means for relatively moving the working direction the objects to be bonded to the substrate . A friction stir welding apparatus that immerses a rotating welding tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined and friction stir welds each member to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts on the workpiece from the opposite side of the tool holding portion and clamps the workpiece in cooperation with the welding tool, and a groove for improving frictional force is provided on the surface of the backing member. A backing member formed on
A base for supporting the tool holding portion and the backing member;
A moving means that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, to the workpiece;
A power source provided at a position away from the backing member and driving the backing member to be displaced;
A link mechanism for transmitting power from the power source to the backing member,
By the link mechanism is displaced driving said backing member by said animal power source, friction stir welding apparatus you; and a moving means for relatively moving the working direction the objects to be bonded to the substrate. A friction stir welding apparatus that immerses a rotating welding tool into a workpiece constituted by a plurality of members to be joined and friction stir welds each member to be joined,
A tool holding unit having a predetermined rotation axis and holding the joining tool coaxially with the rotation axis;
Rotation driving means for rotating the tool holding portion around the rotation axis;
Rectilinear drive means for driving the tool holder to move along the rotation axis;
A backing member that abuts the object to be joined from the side opposite to the tool holding portion and clamps the object to be joined in cooperation with the joining tool;
A base that supports the tool holding unit and the backing member, and is provided so as to be movable to an arbitrary position by an articulated robot;
A moving unit that is provided on the base body and applies a force directed to an acting direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis to the object to be joined, and includes a power source that displaces and drives the backing member. by displacing and driving the backing member, the friction stir welding apparatus you characterized in that it comprises a moving means for relatively moving the working direction the objects to be bonded to the substrate. The friction stir welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 , 3, and 5, wherein the backing member has a groove for improving a frictional force formed on a surface of the backing member. The said moving means gives the force which goes to an action direction to a to-be-joined object in the state which softened the to-be-joined object partially with the said joining tool, It is any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. Friction stir welding equipment. The friction stir welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the moving means is provided so as to be capable of changing a direction of a force applied to an object to be joined.

Images