JP7293964B2 - Automatic joining system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to automatic joining systems.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which ends of metal members are butted together to form a butted portion, and a rotating tool is moved along the butted portion to perform friction stir welding.

JP 2018-20345 A

If the arrangement position of the metal member is misaligned or the ridge line of the metal member is curved, there is a risk that the rotating tool will deviate from the preset movement route. In particular, when the height positions of the surfaces of the metal members are different, even a slight shift in the position of the rotary tool causes problems such as the occurrence of many burrs, the roughening of the joint surfaces, and the occurrence of undercuts in the joints. There is a risk.

From this point of view, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic welding system capable of suitably performing friction stir welding of metal members having different surface height positions.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a first metal member and a second metal member arranged on a mount so that the surface of the second metal member is lower than the surface of the first metal member. A friction stir device that includes a fixing device that abuts the end faces to form a butt portion having a step and fixes it in a state of forming a butt portion, and a rotary tool that performs friction stir, and performs friction stir welding of the butt portion, and the first metal. and a control device for controlling the fixing device and the friction stirrer. A distal side pin is formed continuously with the pin, the taper angle of the proximal side pin is larger than the taper angle of the distal side pin, and a stepped pin step is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the proximal side pin. The friction stir device performs friction stir welding along the abutment portion while maintaining a predetermined target angle of the rotating tool and pressing the plastic flow material with the step bottom surface of the pin step portion, The control device is characterized by comprising a determination unit that determines whether or not the gap amount before friction stir welding is within a predetermined numerical range.

According to this automatic welding system, friction stir welding is performed while pressing the plastic flow material with the step bottom of the pin stepped portion of the base end pin, thereby preventing the occurrence of burrs and undercuts and keeping the joining surface clean. can do. Further, by providing a determination unit that determines whether or not the gap amount is within a predetermined numerical range, problems caused by the gap amount can be prevented.

Further, the fixing device has a clamp section for fixing the first metal member and the second metal member to the mount, and when the gap amount is determined to be outside the predetermined numerical range, the clamp section It is preferable to release the fixation of the first metal member and the second metal member.

According to such an automatic welding system, for example, by resetting the first metal member and the second metal member to the fixing device, friction stir welding can be preferably performed.

Further, when the gap amount is determined to be out of the predetermined numerical range, the control device preferably determines that the first metal member and the second metal member are out of the numerical range.

According to such an automatic joining system, quality control can be easily performed.

Moreover, it is preferable to further include an inspection unit that measures at least one of the burr height and surface roughness of the joint after friction stir welding.

According to such an automatic joining system, quality control can be performed more easily.

Further, the friction stirrer has a load measuring unit that measures an axial reaction load acting on the rotating tool, and the friction stirrer measures the reaction load based on the result of the load measuring unit. It is preferable that the load is controlled so as to be approximately constant.

According to such an automatic joining system, the reaction force load of the rotating tool can be made substantially constant, so joining accuracy can be improved.

Moreover, it is preferable that the surface side of the mount frame is formed of an aluminum or aluminum alloy plate, and the surface thereof is coated with an anodized film.

According to such an automatic joining system, the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the mount can be enhanced.

According to the automatic welding system of the present invention, it is possible to suitably friction stir weld metal members having different surface height positions.

1 is a side view of a rotary tool according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rotary tool; It is a cross-sectional view showing a first modification of the rotary tool. It is a sectional view showing the second modification of the rotary tool. It is a sectional view showing the third modification of a rotating tool. 1 is an overall perspective view of an automatic joining system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a principal part perspective view of the automatic joining system which concerns on this embodiment. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic joining system according to this embodiment; FIG. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the tolerance|permissible_range which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the difference which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view for explaining the position of a rotating tool during friction stir welding according to the present embodiment; It is a cross-sectional view showing an inserted state of the rotary tool according to the present embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows an example of operation of the automatic joining system concerning this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing step dimensions of the first metal member and the second metal member in Test 1 of the example. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the first metal member and the second metal member have a large step size in Test 1 of the example. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the step size between the first metal member and the second metal member is small in Test 1 of the example. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another state in which the step size between the first metal member and the second metal member is small in Test 1 of the example. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between step size and burr height in Test 1 of Example. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance traveled and the amount of gap before joining in Test 2 of the example. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the clearance amount on the start position side and the burr height on the start position side in Test 2 of the example. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the clearance amount on the end position side and the burr height on the end position side in Test 2 of the example. It is a schematic plan view which shows the outline|summary of the test 3 of an Example. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the joining distance of the test 3 of an Example, and a Y-direction position. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at a position where the bonding distance is 100 mm in Test 3 of the example. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 600 mm; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 800 mm; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 1000 mm; It is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 1200 mm. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 1800 mm; FIG. 10 is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 100 mm; FIG. 10 is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance is 600 mm in Test 3 of the example. FIG. 11 is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 800 mm; FIG. 10 is a macro sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 1000 mm; FIG. 10 is a macro sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance is 1200 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 10 is a macro sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of the example is 1800 mm. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the position of the rotary tool and the burr height and oxide film height in Test 3 of Example. It is a schematic plan view showing the position of the rotating tool during friction stir welding in Test 3 of the example. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between bonding speed and void defect size in Test 3 of the example.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The present invention is not limited only to the following embodiments. Also, some or all of the constituent elements in the embodiments can be combined as appropriate. First, the rotary tool used in the automatic joining system according to this embodiment will be described.

[Rotation tool]
A rotating tool is a tool used for friction stir welding. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating tool F is made of, for example, tool steel, and is mainly composed of a base shaft portion F1, a proximal pin F2, and a distal pin F3. The base shaft portion F1 has a cylindrical shape and is a portion connected to the main shaft of the friction stirrer.

The base end pin F2 is continuous with the base shaft portion F1 and tapers toward the tip. The proximal pin F2 has a truncated cone shape. The taper angle A of the proximal pin F2 may be set appropriately, and is, for example, 135 to 160°. If the taper angle A is less than 135° or exceeds 160°, the joint surface roughness after friction stir increases. The taper angle A is larger than the taper angle B of the distal pin F3, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, a stepped pin stepped portion F21 is formed over the entire height direction on the outer peripheral surface of the base end side pin F2. The pin stepped portion F21 is spirally formed clockwise or counterclockwise. That is, the pin stepped portion F21 has a spiral shape when viewed from above, and has a stepped shape when viewed from the side. In this embodiment, since the rotary tool F is rotated rightward, the pin step portion F21 is set counterclockwise from the base end side toward the tip end side.

When rotating the rotating tool F to the left, it is preferable to set the pin stepped portion F21 clockwise from the proximal side to the distal side. As a result, the plastic flow material is guided to the tip end side by the pin stepped portion F21, so that the amount of metal overflowing to the outside of the metal members to be joined can be reduced. The pin step portion F21 is composed of a step bottom surface F21a and a step side surface F21b. The distance X1 (horizontal distance) between the vertices F21c, F21c of the adjacent pin stepped portions F21 is appropriately set according to the step angle C and the height Y1 of the step side face F21b, which will be described later.

The height Y1 of the stepped side surface F21b may be set as appropriate, and is set to 0.1 to 0.4 mm, for example. If the height Y1 is less than 0.1 mm, the joint surface roughness becomes large. On the other hand, when the height Y1 exceeds 0.4 mm, the joint surface roughness tends to increase, and the number of effective stepped portions (the number of pin stepped portions F21 in contact with the metal members to be joined) also decreases.

The step angle C between the step bottom surface F21a and the step side surface F21b may be set appropriately, but is set to 85 to 120°, for example. The stepped bottom surface F21a is parallel to the horizontal plane in this embodiment. The stepped bottom surface F21a may be inclined in the range of −5° to 15° with respect to the horizontal plane toward the outer peripheral direction from the rotation axis of the tool (minus is downward with respect to the horizontal plane, plus is with respect to the horizontal plane above). The distance X1, the height Y1 of the stepped side surface F21b, the stepped angle C, and the angle of the stepped bottom surface F21a with respect to the horizontal plane are set so that the plastic flow material does not stay inside the pin stepped portion F21 and adhere to the outside when performing friction stir. In addition, the step bottom F21a presses the plastic flow material to reduce the joint surface roughness.

As shown in FIG. 1, the distal pin F3 is formed continuously with the proximal pin F2. The distal pin F3 has a truncated cone shape. The tip of the tip side pin F3 forms a flat surface F4 perpendicular to the rotation axis. A taper angle B of the distal pin F3 is smaller than a taper angle A of the proximal pin F2. As shown in FIG. 2, a spiral groove F31 is engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the tip side pin F3. The spiral groove F31 may be either clockwise or counterclockwise, but in this embodiment, it is engraved counterclockwise from the proximal side toward the distal side in order to rotate the rotary tool F clockwise.

In addition, when rotating the rotating tool F counterclockwise, it is preferable to set the spiral groove F31 clockwise from the base end side to the tip end side. As a result, the plastic flow material is guided to the tip side by the spiral groove F31, so that the amount of metal overflowing to the outside of the metal members to be joined can be reduced. The spiral groove F31 is composed of a spiral bottom surface F31a and a spiral side surface F31b. The distance (horizontal distance) between the apexes F31c, F31c of the adjacent spiral grooves F31 is defined as length X2. Let the height of the spiral side surface F31b be a height Y2. A spiral angle DA formed by the spiral bottom surface F31a and the spiral side surface F31b is, for example, 45 to 90°. The spiral groove F31 has the role of increasing the frictional heat by coming into contact with the metal members to be joined and guiding the plastic flow material to the tip side.

The design of the rotary tool F can be changed as appropriate. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a first modification of the rotary tool of the invention. As shown in FIG. 3, in the rotary tool FA according to the first modified example, the step angle C between the step bottom surface F21a and the step side surface F21b of the pin step portion F21 is 85°. The stepped bottom surface F21a is parallel to the horizontal plane. In this way, the stepped bottom surface F21a is parallel to the horizontal surface, and the stepped angle C may be an acute angle within a range in which the plastic flow material stays and adheres to the pin stepped portion F21 during friction stirring and escapes to the outside. .

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a second modification of the rotary tool of the invention. As shown in FIG. 4, in the rotary tool FB according to the second modification, the step angle C of the pin step portion F21 is 115°. The stepped bottom surface F21a is parallel to the horizontal plane. In this manner, the stepped bottom surface F21a may be parallel to the horizontal plane, and the stepped angle C may be an obtuse angle within the range of functioning as the pin stepped portion F21.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a third modification of the rotary tool of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5, in the rotary tool FC according to the third modification, the stepped bottom surface F21a is inclined upward by 10° with respect to the horizontal plane from the rotation axis of the tool toward the outer peripheral direction. The stepped side surface F21b is parallel to the vertical plane. In this manner, the stepped bottom surface F21a may be formed so as to be inclined upward from the horizontal surface toward the outer peripheral direction from the rotating shaft of the tool within a range where the plastic flow material can be pressed during friction stirring.

[1. automatic joining system]
Next, as shown in FIG. 6, an automatic joining system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the surface opposite to the "back surface" is referred to as the "front surface".

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the automatic welding system 1 includes a conveying device 2, a fixing device 3, a friction stir device 4, and a control device 5. As shown in FIG. The automatic welding system 1 is a system for automatically friction stir welding end portions of a first metal member 101 and a second metal member 102 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are made of a friction stirrable metal such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy, copper, or copper alloy. It is a plate-shaped member. The plate thickness dimension of the second metal member 102 is smaller than the plate thickness dimension of the first metal member 101 . The first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are made of, for example, an aluminum alloy in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the end face 101a of the first metal member 101 and the end face 102a of the second metal member 102 are butted together to form a butt portion J1. Since the rear surface 101c of the first metal member 101 and the rear surface 102c of the second metal member 102 are flush with each other, a step is formed between the front surfaces 101b and 102b. That is, the end surfaces 101 a and 102 a are butted against each other such that the surface 102 b of the second metal member 102 is lower in height than the surface 101 b of the first metal member 101 .

The first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are sequentially conveyed for each friction stir welding step and taken out of the fixing device 3 after the welding. For identification purposes, serial numbers (hereinafter referred to as "work numbers") are assigned in order of joining. Further, in the present embodiment, the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 have different thickness dimensions, but the thickness dimensions of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are the same, and the surfaces 101b and 101b 102b may be butted against each other with a difference in height position.

[1-1. Conveyor]
The transfer device 2 includes an arm robot 11, a base frame 12, and four suction units 13, as shown in FIGS. Arm robot 11 is electrically connected to control device 5 . A transfer control unit 51 (see FIG. 8) of the control device 5 is a device that controls the transfer operation of the arm robot 11 . The arm robot 11 includes an articulated arm 11 a and an arm driving section (not shown), and is capable of three-dimensional movement based on control signals transmitted from the transport control section 51 .

The base frame 12 is a frame-shaped member attached to the tip of the arm of the arm robot 11 . The base frame 12 is mounted perpendicular to the axial direction of the arm 11a. The suction units 13 are provided at four corners of the base frame 12 perpendicularly to the plane of the base frame 12 . The suction unit 13 can apply negative pressure or positive pressure to the suction pad 13a provided at the tip based on the control signal from the transport control unit 51 . That is, by applying negative pressure to the suction pad 13a, the four corners of the first metal member 101 or the second metal member 102 can be sucked, and by applying positive pressure, the first metal member 101 or the second metal member 102 can be detached. Thereby, the arm robot 11 can transport the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to the preset positions of the fixing device 3 . For example, the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 before bonding are placed in a material placement area (not shown) located within a range where the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 can be adsorbed by the conveying device 2. ) can be stacked and arranged. The conveying device 2 can convey the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 arranged in the material arrangement area one by one to a predetermined position on the mount 21 .

Further, after the friction stir welding, the arm robot 11 takes out the joined first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 (hereinafter also referred to as "to-be-welded metal member 103") from the fixing device 3, and position can be transported. For example, the arm robot 11 conveys the metal member 103 to be joined to the acceptance product arrangement area 15 (see FIG. 6) if the control device 5 determines that the product is acceptable, and if the product is determined to be out of the numerical range, The bonded metal member 103 can be transported to the out-of-numerical-range product arrangement area 16 . It should be noted that the out-of-numerical-range item refers to the metal member 103 to be joined that is determined to be out of the predetermined numerical range (out of the numerical range) by the control device 5 .

[1-2. Fixing device]
The fixing device 3 is a device that fixes the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 and serves as a base for friction stir welding. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 , the fixing device 3 includes a pedestal 21 , a suction section 22 , a temperature adjustment section 23 and a clamp section 24 .

<Frame>
The mount 21 is a base on which the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are arranged on the upper surface, and has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. A reference position Y0 perpendicular to the longitudinal edge line 21a of the pedestal 21 is set at the central position of the upper surface of the pedestal 21. As shown in FIG. The reference position Y0 is a position that serves as a reference for positioning the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 . The first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are arranged to form a butting portion J1 at the reference position Y0. Here, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in the following description are based on the arrows shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the X, Y and Z directions are orthogonal to each other. The X direction is parallel to the reference position Y0 on the upper plane of the mount 21 . The Y direction is perpendicular to the reference position Y0 on the upper plane of the mount 21 . The Z direction is perpendicular to the top plane of the mount 21 .

A recessed groove 25a is formed along the reference position Y0 in the central portion of the surface side of the pedestal 21. As shown in FIG. A mounting portion 25 is provided in the recessed groove 25a at a position corresponding to the butting portion J1 along the reference position Y0. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 25 has a length that is approximately the same as the length of the mount 21 in the X direction, and the width of the plastic flow region formed by friction stir welding between the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102. It is formed to have a width equal to or greater than that. Moreover, the mounting portion 25 is formed of an aluminum or aluminum alloy plate. An anodized film is applied to the surface side of the mounting portion 25 . The mounting portion 25 is arranged on the surface of the pedestal 21, supports the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 mounted thereon, and supports the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102. It functions as a backing plate for temperature regulation.

<Suction part>
The suction part 22 is a device that sucks the end of the second metal member 102 from the back surface 102c side. The suction unit 22 includes a suction tube 26 , a hose 28 and a suction device 29 . The suction tube 26 is a hollow tube with a rectangular cross section. As shown in FIG. 7, the suction pipe 26 is installed in a concave groove 25a provided on the surface side of the base 21 in parallel with the X direction. In the concave groove 25a, the mounting portion 25 arranged on the side of the first metal member 101 and the suction pipe 26 arranged on the side of the second metal member 102 are arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. The surface of the suction tube 26 and the surface of the mounting portion 25 are flush with each other. In this embodiment, for example, the ridge line 26a on the first metal member 101 side in the surface longitudinal direction of the suction tube 26 is set to be positioned on the second metal member 102 side with respect to the reference position Y0.

A plurality of holes 27 are opened at predetermined intervals on the surface of the suction tube 26 . The suction tube 26 is connected to a suction device 29 via a hose 28 . The suction machine 29 is a machine that generates negative pressure by suction, and is electrically connected to the suction control section 52 (see FIG. 8) of the control device 5 . A suction control unit 52 of the control device 5 controls the suction operation of the suction machine 29 . That is, the suction machine 29 can be turned on or off based on the control signal sent from the suction control unit 52 . By generating a negative pressure around the hole 27, the suction part 22 can suck the end of the second metal member 102 and prevent the end from floating.

In this embodiment, the second metal member 102 is sucked, but both the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 may be sucked. A plurality of suction tubes 26 may be provided.

<Temperature adjustment section>
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the temperature adjustment unit 23 is provided inside the pedestal 21 of the fixing device 3 to measure the temperature of the pedestal 21 and adjust the temperature of the pedestal 21 surface. The temperature adjustment unit 23 includes a heater (not shown) and a temperature sensor 23a (see FIG. 8). A mounting section 25, a temperature sensor 23a, and a heater are provided in this order from the surface side of the gantry 21. As shown in FIG. The heater is arranged along the reference position Y0 so as to correspond to substantially the same position as the mounting portion 25 . The temperature sensor 23 a measures the temperature of the mounting section 25 and the heater adjusts the temperature of the mounting section 25 . The temperature adjustment section 23 is electrically connected to the temperature control section 53 of the control device 5 . The temperature adjustment section 23 is configured to be able to control the operation of the heater based on the control signal transmitted from the temperature control section 53 . For example, the mounting section 25 can be heated by activating the heater, or cooled to near room temperature by stopping the heater. In this manner, the temperature adjustment section 23 can measure the temperature of the mounting section 25 on the surface of the pedestal 21 with the temperature sensor 23a and adjust the temperature of the mounting section 25 on the surface of the pedestal 21 with the heater. By adjusting the temperature of the mounting portion 25, the temperatures of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 can be raised or lowered. The temperature adjustment section 23 may further include a cooling device, and the placement section 25 may be cooled by operating this cooling device.

Before performing each friction stir welding, the result measured by the temperature sensor 23a of the temperature adjustment unit 23 is associated with the workpiece number, transmitted to the temperature control unit 53 of the control device 5, and stored in the storage unit 44. be. The result measured by the temperature sensor 23a may be displayed on the display unit 43 of the control device 5 together with the workpiece number.

<Clamp part>
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the clamping part 24 is a device that is movably arranged around the frame 21 and fixes or releases the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to the frame 21. . The clamp section 24 fixes or releases the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 based on a control signal transmitted from the clamp control section 54 (see FIG. 8) of the control device 5 . That is, after the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are arranged on the mount 21 , the clamp part 24 moves the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 101 while being close to the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 . The two-metal member 102 is immovably restrained on the base 21 . On the other hand, when the friction stir welding is completed, the clamp part 24 is released from the restraint and retreats to a position where it does not interfere when the metal member 103 to be welded is taken out.

[1-3. Friction stirrer]
6 and 8, the friction stirrer 4 includes an arm robot 31, a rotation drive section 32, a load application section 33, a measurement section 34, and a load measurement section 35. . The friction stir device 4 is a device that rotates and moves the rotary tool F to friction stir weld the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 .

Arm robot 31 is electrically connected to control device 5 . The friction stir control unit 55 (see FIG. 8) of the control device 5 is a device that controls the friction stir welding operation of the arm robot 31 . The arm robot 31 includes a multi-joint arm 31 a and an arm driving section (not shown), and is capable of three-dimensional movement based on control signals sent from the friction stir control section 55 .

The rotary drive unit 32 includes a rotary drive unit such as a motor that rotates the rotary tool F. As shown in FIG. The rotation driving section 32, the load applying section 33 and the load measuring section 35 are housed in a housing 39 (see FIG. 6). A chuck portion to which the rotary tool F can be attached and detached is provided at the tip of the rotary drive portion 32 . The friction stir control section 55 (see FIG. 8) controls the rotation drive section 32 so that the rotary tool F reaches a predetermined number of revolutions.

The load application unit 33 (see FIG. 8) is configured including a cylinder mechanism or the like that can move in the axial direction of the rotary tool F. This is a part for adjusting the pressing force of the rotating tool F.

The load measuring unit 35 is interposed between the rotary tool F and a rotary drive means such as a motor, and is a device for measuring the axial reaction load applied to the rotary tool F during friction stir welding. The result measured by the load measuring unit 35 is associated with the workpiece number, transmitted to the friction stir control unit 55 of the control device 5 and stored in the storage unit 44 .

The result measured by the load measuring unit 35 may be displayed on the display unit 43 of the control device 5 together with the workpiece number. The friction stir control unit 55 feedback-controls the load applying unit 33 so that the reaction force load of the rotary tool F approaches a preset set load.

The pressing force (set load) of the rotating tool F is set to, for example, 2000 to 4000N, preferably 2500 to 3500N, in this embodiment.

<Measuring section>
The measuring unit 34 is a measuring device attached to the outside of the rotary drive unit 32 . The measurement unit 34 uses a line sensor in this embodiment. The measurement unit 34 can acquire the irregularities, gaps, shapes, etc. around the butt joint J1 (joint) by the reflected light of the irradiated line laser. The result measured by the measuring unit 34 is associated with the work number and transmitted to the friction stir control unit 55 of the control device 5 and stored in the storage unit 44 . The result measured by the measuring unit 34 may be displayed on the display unit 43 of the control device 5 together with the workpiece number.

More specifically, the measurement unit 34 moves along the butted portion J1 by the arm robot 31 before performing friction stir welding, thereby measuring the step dimension h of the butted portion J1, the gap amount D, and the ridge line of the first metal member 101. Position Yp can be measured. The step dimension h is the height dimension from the surface 101 b of the first metal member 101 to the surface 102 b of the second metal member 102 . The gap amount D is the distance from the end face 101a of the first metal member 101 to the end face 102a of the second metal member 102 . As shown in FIG. 7, the ridgeline position Yp is the shape (position on the XY plane) of the ridgeline 101e on the upper surface side of the first metal member 101 facing the butted portion J1.

In addition, the measuring unit 34 can measure the position Yn (the position on the XY plane: see FIG. 11) of the rotary tool F during friction stir welding. The measuring unit 34 can also measure the position Yb (initial position Yb ₀ : see FIG. 9) of the rotary tool F before friction stir welding. This initial position Yb ₀ is the position of the rotary tool F immediately before the rotary tool F is inserted into the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 when friction stir welding is performed.

Further, the measurement unit 34 can measure the burr height S (undercut) and the surface roughness Ra of the joint by moving along the butt joint J1 (joint) after the friction stir welding. In other words, the measuring section 34 can also function as an inspection section for checking the state of the joint and the quality of the joint after the friction stir welding. Undercut refers to a state in which the surfaces 101b and 102b of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are recessed (cut away) compared to before joining. In this embodiment, the measurement unit 34 may measure at least one of the burr height S (undercut) and the surface roughness Ra of the joint. Moreover, although the measurement unit (inspection unit) 34 is attached to the outside of the housing 39 that accommodates the rotary drive unit 32, it may be attached to another arm robot, for example. Also, the measurement unit and the inspection unit may be separate devices.

[1-4. Control device]
The control device 5 is a control device that controls the overall operation of the conveying device 2, the fixing device 3, and the friction stir device 4, as shown in FIG. The control device 5 includes an arithmetic unit (CPU (Central Processing Unit): not shown), an input unit 42 such as a keyboard and a touch panel, a display unit 43 such as a monitor and a display, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read only memory) and a storage unit 44 such as the memory.

The control device 5 also includes a main control section 41 , a transport control section 51 , a suction control section 52 , a temperature control section 53 , a clamp control section 54 and a friction stir control section 55 . The main control unit 41 is a unit that controls the transport control unit 51 , the suction control unit 52 , the temperature control unit 53 , the clamp control unit 54 and the friction stir control unit 55 . Further, after one friction stir welding is completed, the main control unit 41 reads out the determination result of the work number from the storage unit 44, and ) is determined to be out of the numerical range.

The main controller 41, the transport controller 51, the suction controller 52, the temperature controller 53, the clamp controller 54, and the friction stir controller 55 are stored in the ROM as an automatic welding program. The calculation unit reads the automatic welding program from the ROM, develops it in the RAM, and executes it, thereby controlling the main control unit 41, the transfer control unit 51, the suction control unit 52, the temperature control unit 53, the clamp control unit 54, and the friction stirring program. It functions as each part of the control unit 55 . The automatic splicing program can be used for recording media such as optical disks such as CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read only memory) and DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read only memory); USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and flash memory such as SD memory. It may be recorded and distributed, or distributed through a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet. The control device 5 can acquire and execute the automatic bonding program by reading the automatic bonding program from the recording medium or receiving the automatic bonding program via the communication network.

In this embodiment, each control unit is collectively provided in the control device 5, but a control unit may be provided for each device, or the control unit may be shared between the control device 5 and each device. .

<Conveyance control section>
The transport control unit 51 performs control to transmit a control signal to the transport device 2 to transport the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to predetermined positions on the mount 21 . On the other hand, when one friction stir welding is completed and the clamping part 24 is retracted, the transfer control part 51 controls to take out the metal member 103 to be welded from the mount 21 .

Further, when the main control unit 41 determines that the article is out of numerical range even once, the transport control unit 51 takes out the metal member 103 to be joined from the stand 21 and places it in the out-of-numerical-range article placement area 16 . control the transport to On the other hand, when the main control unit 41 determines that the product has never been judged to be out of the numerical range, the transport control unit 51 removes the metal member 103 to be joined from the gantry 21 and control the transport to Regardless of whether or not the product is out of the numerical range, the metal member 103 to be welded may be controlled to be conveyed to the same position after the friction stir welding.

<Suction control part>
After the clamp unit 24 has fixed the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to the mount 21 , the suction control unit 52 transmits a control signal to the suction unit 22 to turn on the suction of the suction unit 29 . Control is performed to suck the end of the fixed second metal member 102 . The suction control unit 52 performs control to turn off the suction when the friction stir welding is completed.

<Temperature controller>
The temperature control unit 53 transmits a control signal to the temperature adjustment unit 23 and performs control to operate or stop the heater so as to achieve the set temperature. The predetermined numerical range of the temperature adjustment unit 23 may be defined and set, for example, it is set to 30 to 120.degree. C., preferably 60 to 90.degree.

The temperature control section 53 also includes a determination section 65 . The determination unit 65 determines whether the result (temperature T) transmitted from the temperature sensor 23a of the temperature control unit 53 is within a predetermined numerical range immediately before one friction stir welding. The temperature T represents the temperature of the surface of the pedestal 21 , more specifically the temperature of the mounting section 25 .

When the determination unit 65 determines that the temperature T is out of the predetermined numerical range, the determination unit 65 associates the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 with the work number and determines that the product is out of the numerical range. The determination unit 65 transmits the determination result to the main control unit 41 and stores it in the storage unit 44 . The determination result may be displayed on the display unit 43, or may be notified by notification means that outputs sound, light, or the like according to the determination result. Also, the determination unit 65 may be provided in the main control 41 .

When it is determined that the result transmitted from the temperature sensor 23a is outside the predetermined numerical range, the temperature control unit 53 controls the heater of the temperature adjustment unit 23 to heat or cool the placement unit 25, thereby increasing the temperature. It may be controlled so that the result transmitted from the sensor 23a is included in a predetermined numerical range.

<Clamp controller>
The clamp control unit 54 performs control to fix (set) the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 placed on the mount 21 by transmitting a control signal to the clamp unit 24 . Further, when the friction stir welding is completed, a control signal is transmitted to the clamp section 24 to perform control to release the fixation of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 .

When it is determined that the fixed state (step dimension h, gap amount D, temperature T) before friction stir welding is out of the predetermined numerical range, the clamp portion 24 immediately moves the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102. may be controlled to release the fixation. In this case, for example, the arm robot 11 of the transfer device 2 may slightly correct the positions of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, or the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 may be The first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 may be placed after being taken out from the frame 21 .

<Friction Stir Controller>
The friction stir control unit 55 transmits a control signal to the friction stir device 4 to control the friction stir welding of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 . The friction stir control unit 55 includes a target movement route generation unit 61 , an allowable range generation unit 62 , a corrected movement route generation unit 63 and a determination unit 64 .

The target movement route generation unit 61 is a part that generates a target movement route R1 of the rotating tool F, as shown in FIG. Here, FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between a target movement route R1 along which the rotary tool F moves when friction stir welding is performed, and a corrected movement route R2 along which the rotary tool F moves in a no-load state. . The target movement route R1 sets a target trajectory along which the rotary tool F moves when friction stir welding is performed on the butt portion J1. The target movement route generation unit 61 calculates the ridgeline position Yp transmitted from the measurement unit 34 before performing the friction stir welding as the target movement route R1. Since the ridgeline 101e of the first metal member 101 is not necessarily straight due to tolerances and the like, the ridgeline position Yp is generally jagged. The target movement route R1 may be the same route as the edge line position Yp (jagged route), or may be a straight line based on the method of least squares or the like.

The allowable range generator 62 sets an allowable range M that allows the movement of the rotary tool F in the Y direction during friction stir welding. As shown in FIG. 9, the allowable range M is calculated, for example, as a range surrounded by boundary lines Ma and Mb with distances m and m in the width direction centered on the edge line position Yp. More specifically, allowable range M is a range surrounded by boundary lines Ma and Mb, ridgelines 101f and 101g of first metal member 101 and ridgelines 102f and 102g of second metal member 102 . The size of the allowable range M may be appropriately set according to the accuracy required for friction stir welding, but the distance m may be set to 0.3 to 0.6 mm, for example. In particular, it is preferable to set it wider than the allowable range M ₁ on the first metal member 101 side and the allowable range M ₂ on the second metal member 102 side. Note that the boundary lines Ma and Mb of the allowable range M may be jagged lines according to the edge position Yp, or may be straight lines based on the method of least squares or the like. Further, although the boundary lines Ma and Mb are set at the same distance from the edge line position Yp in this embodiment, they may be set at different distances.

The corrected travel route generator 63 is a part that generates a corrected travel route R2. A corrected movement route R2 indicates a trajectory along which the rotating tool F is controlled to move when performing friction stir welding of the butt portion J1. By controlling the rotary tool F to move along the corrected movement route R2, friction stir welding is performed so that the rotary tool F moves along the target movement route R1.

Here, FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the test trajectory Q1 and the test trajectory Q2. As shown in FIG. 10, before performing friction stir welding, a test trial is performed to generate a corrected movement route R2 using a pair of metal members 301 and 302. FIG. It is preferable that the metal members 301 and 302 have the same or similar material, thickness, etc. as the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 which are actually subjected to friction stir welding. That is, the metal members 301 and 302 are butted against each other to form a butt portion J30 in the same manner as the butt portion J1 by the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 . That is, in this test trial, compared with the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, the plate-like member made of the same kind of metal and having the same plate thickness dimension was used to form a step having a similar height. It is preferable to use two metal members 301 and 302 having different surface height positions butted against each other so as to form a .

A test trajectory Q1 indicates a travel trajectory in which the friction stirrer 4 is experimentally moved according to a preset movement route without inserting the rotary tool F into the metal members 301 and 302 . In other words, the test trajectory Q1 is a travel trajectory of the arm robot 31 of the friction stirrer 4 in the no-load state. At this time, as long as the rotating tool is not inserted into the metal members 301 and 302 and is moved in a no-load state, the rotating tool F may be moved without being attached. In addition, in this specification, the "running locus" may simply be referred to as a "trajectory".

On the other hand, the test trajectory Q2 is a trajectory obtained by inserting the rotating tool F into the metal members 301 and 302 and performing friction stir on a trial basis following the same set movement route as the preset test trajectory Q1. Although the test trajectory Q1 and the test trajectory Q2 are both moved according to the same set movement route, a predetermined difference (difference YL) is generated by actually performing friction stir.

This is because when the rotary tool F comes into contact with two metal members butted against each other so that their surfaces are at different height positions, the position of the rotary tool F changes from the test trajectory Q1 to the test trajectory Q2 due to the deflection of the arm robot 31. It is presumed that this is caused by displacement. In addition, it is presumed that the habit of the arm robot 31, the material resistance of the metal member, and the like also have an influence. Therefore, if it is desired to run the test locus Q2 in friction stir welding, it is necessary to set the set movement route in consideration of the difference YL. The difference YL was obtained by a test trial in which friction stir welding was performed with the rotating tool F inserted into the metal members before friction stir welding of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, and in a no-load state. can be pre-calculated based on test runs. More specifically, the difference YL is obtained by inserting the rotary tool F into the metal member forming a butt portion similar to the butt portion J1 of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, while performing friction stir welding. It is calculated from the difference (average of the difference) between the test locus Q2 when the rotary tool F is moved and the test locus Q1 when the rotating tool F is moved without being inserted into the metal member and without load. be able to. It is preferable that the set movement route for obtaining the test trajectory Q1 and the test trajectory Q2 is set so that the test trajectory Q2 passes through the butted portion J30 of the metal members that are butted against each other. In particular, it is preferable to set the set movement route so that the test locus Q2 passes through the joint J30 near the start position and moves along the joint J30 toward the metal member side of the thick plate. When performing a test trial, the rotary tool F may be inserted into at least one of the metal members 301 and 302 to obtain the test trajectories Q1 and Q2.

As shown in FIG. 9, the corrected travel route generator 63 calculates a corrected travel route R2 based on the target travel route R1 and the difference YL. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the test locus Q2 in which friction stir welding was actually performed tends to be displaced substantially parallel to the left side (thin plate side) by the difference YL from the test locus Q1 in the no-load state. Therefore, the corrected movement route R2 is set at a position displaced by the difference YL from the target movement route R1 to the right side (thick plate (first metal member 101) side). That is, the friction stir control unit 55 controls the rotating tool F to move along the corrected movement route R2, thereby absorbing the difference YL, moving the rotating tool F along the target movement route R1, and friction stirring. Joining will take place.

If the difference YL between the test trajectory Q1 and the test trajectory Q2 is small or absent, the rotary tool F may be moved based on the target movement route R1 without setting the corrected movement route. In addition, it is not necessary to acquire (calculate) the difference YL for each friction stir welding. It is preferable to acquire the difference YL and the corrected movement route R2 according to the case where the surface height position or the like is changed.

When the determining unit 64 determines that the position of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding is outside the allowable range M, the corrected movement route generating unit 63 adjusts the position of the rotating tool F according to the position of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding. It is preferable to calculate the corrected travel route R2 with the reset position. Specifically, at a location where the position of the rotating tool F in the Y direction during friction stir welding was on the side of the first metal member 101, the position of the rotating tool F at this location is on the side of the second metal member 102. to reset the corrected travel route R2. Similarly, at a location where the position of the rotary tool F in the Y direction during friction stir welding was on the second metal member 102 side, the position of the rotary tool F at this location is corrected to be on the first metal member 101 side. Reset travel route R2.

The determination unit 64, as shown in FIG. 8, is a part that determines whether the result transmitted from the measurement unit 34 is within a predetermined numerical range. That is, the determination unit 64 determines whether or not the step size h, the gap amount D, the temperature T, and the initial position Yb ₀ of the rotary tool F before friction stir welding are within predetermined numerical ranges. Further, the determination unit 64 determines whether or not the position Yn of the rotary tool F during friction stir welding is within a predetermined numerical range (permissible range M). Further, the determination unit 64 determines whether both the burr height S and the surface roughness Ra of the joint after friction stir welding are within a predetermined numerical range.

<Step dimension h>
The determination unit 64 moves the measurement unit 34 along the butted portion J1 before performing the friction stir welding so that the result (step dimension h (mm)) transmitted from the measurement unit 34 is within a predetermined numerical range. Determine whether or not

In this embodiment, the plate thickness of the first metal member 101 is set to 2.0 mm, and the plate thickness of the second metal member 102 is set to 1.2 mm, so that the set step size is 0.8 mm. . The predetermined numerical range of the step dimension h may be set appropriately. 93 can be set. The step dimension h to be determined may be the total number obtained by the measuring unit 34, the average value of the step dimension for the entire joint length, the maximum value, or at predetermined intervals. may be determined by extracting a plurality of step sizes.

When determining that the step dimension h is out of the predetermined numerical range, the determination unit 64 associates the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 with the work number and determines that the product is out of the numerical range. The determination unit 64 transmits the determination result to the main control unit 41 and stores it in the storage unit 44 . The determination result may be displayed on the display unit 43, or may be notified by notification means that outputs sound, light, or the like according to the determination result.

<Gap amount D>
In addition, the determination unit 64 moves the measurement unit 34 along the butted portion J1 before performing the friction stir welding, thereby determining whether the gap amount D (mm) transmitted from the measurement unit 34 is within a predetermined numerical range. determine whether or not The predetermined range of the clearance D may be set as appropriate, and may be set to 0≤D≤0.4, for example. The gap amount D to be determined may be the total number obtained by the measuring unit 34, the average value of the gap amounts for the entire joint length, the maximum value, or a plurality of gap amounts at predetermined intervals. may be extracted and determined respectively.

When the determination unit 64 determines that the gap amount D is out of the predetermined numerical range, the determining unit 64 associates the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 with the work number and determines that the product is out of the numerical range. The determination unit 64 transmits the determination result to the main control unit 41 and stores it in the storage unit 44 . The determination result may be displayed on the display unit 43, or may be notified by notification means that outputs sound, light, or the like according to the determination result.

<Initial position>
Further, the determination unit 64 measures the initial position Yb ₀ of the rotary tool F by the measurement unit 34 before performing the friction stir welding, so that the initial position Yb ₀ transmitted from the measurement unit 34 is the corrected movement route R2. It is determined whether or not the start position of is within a predetermined numerical range. Although the predetermined range of the initial position Yb ₀ may be set appropriately, it can be set, for example, within a range of 0 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less centering on the start position of the corrected movement route R2. In particular, it can be set within a range of 0 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less in the Y direction centering on the start position of the corrected movement route R2.

When the determination unit 64 determines that the initial position Yb ₀ is out of the predetermined numerical range, the determination unit 64 associates the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 with the work number and determines that they are out of the numerical range. The determination unit 64 transmits the determination result to the main control unit 41 and stores it in the storage unit 44 . The determination result may be displayed on the display unit 43, or may be notified by notification means that outputs sound, light, or the like according to the determination result.

<Allowable range M>
Further, the determination unit 64 determines whether or not the position Yn of the rotary tool F transmitted from the measurement unit 34 during friction stir welding is within the allowable range (numerical range) M. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the position Yn (movement trajectory) of the rotating tool F after friction stir welding. In FIG. 11, for convenience of explanation, the scales in the X and Y directions are changed so that the movement in the Y direction can be easily understood. In FIG. 11, the rotary tool F is moved from the lower side to the upper side in the drawing, and the position Yn of the rotary tool F is moved within the allowable range M.

The range of the allowable range M may be appropriately set, but for example, it is 0.6 mm (m=0.6 ), and can be set as an area surrounded by a position of 0.3 mm (m=0.3) on the second metal member 102 side.

When determining that the position Yn of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding is outside the allowable range (numerical range) M, the determination unit 64 associates the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 with the work number to determine the numerical range. Judged as a foreign product. The determination unit 64 transmits the determination result to the main control unit 41 and stores it in the storage unit 44 . The determination result may be displayed on the display unit 43, or may be notified by notification means that outputs sound, light, or the like according to the determination result.

<Burr height S and surface roughness Ra>
In addition, after the friction stir welding, the determination unit 64 determines the burr height S and the surface burr height S obtained by moving the measurement unit (inspection unit) 34 of the friction stir device 4 along the welded portion (plasticized region W). It is determined whether both roughnesses Ra are within a predetermined numerical range. The burr height S may be set as appropriate, and may be set to 0≦S≦0.1 mm, for example. Also, the surface roughness Ra may be set as appropriate, and may be set to 0≦Ra≦5.0 μm, for example. The burr height S and surface roughness Ra to be determined may be the total number obtained by the measuring unit 34, the average value for the entire joint length, the maximum value, or a plurality of values at predetermined intervals. The burr height S and the surface roughness Ra may be extracted and determined respectively.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an inserted state of the rotary tool according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, during the friction stir welding, the rotary tool F is moved while being inclined at a predetermined target angle θ toward the second metal member 102 with respect to the vertical line. A plasticized region W is formed in the movement locus of the rotating tool F. As shown in FIG. The target angle θ may be set appropriately. In this embodiment, for example, when viewed from above, the center F5 of the flat surface of the distal pin F3 is set so as to overlap the target movement route R1.

The insertion depth in friction stir welding may be appropriately set, but in this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the proximal end pin F2 is brought into contact with the surface 101b of the first metal member 101 and the surface 102b of the second metal member 102, respectively. However, it is set to such an extent that the tip side pin F3 does not come into contact with the mount 21. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the rotation direction and the traveling direction of the rotating tool F are set so that the rotating tool F is rotated to the right and the first metal member 101 is positioned on the right side in the traveling direction. The direction of rotation and the direction of travel of the rotary tool F may be set as appropriate. The metal member 101 side is set to be the flow side.

The shear side (advancing side) means that the relative velocity of the outer circumference of the rotating tool to the part to be welded is the sum of the tangential velocity at the outer circumference of the rotating tool and the moving velocity. means side. On the other hand, the flow side (retreating side) refers to the side where the relative speed of the rotating tool with respect to the parts to be welded becomes low due to the rotation of the rotating tool in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the rotating tool.

In addition, in the automatic welding system 1 of the present embodiment, for example, when friction stir welding is performed, the tilt angle of the rotary tool F may be tilted forward or backward at a predetermined angle with respect to the traveling direction.

[2. Operation flow]
Next, an example of the operation flow of the automatic joining system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the automatic joining system according to this embodiment.
In the automatic welding system 1 according to the present embodiment, friction stir welding is automatically performed based on control signals transmitted from the control device 5 to each device.

As shown in FIG. 13 , in step ST<b>1 , the transport control unit 51 controls the transport device 2 to transport the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to predetermined positions of the fixing device 3 . The first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are fixed by the clamp portion 24 and the end portion of the second metal member 102 is sucked by the suction portion 22 .

In step ST2, the friction stir control section 55 moves the measuring section 34 of the friction stir device 4 along the butted portion J1 to measure the fixed state (set state). That is, the measurement unit 34 measures the step dimension h, the gap amount D, and the ridgeline 101e of the first metal member 101 . Also, the initial position Yb ₀ of the rotary tool F is measured by the measuring unit 34 . The measurement unit 34 transmits the measurement result to the friction stir control unit 55 . Also, the temperature sensor 23 a of the temperature adjustment section 23 transmits the measurement result to the temperature control section 53 .

In step ST3, the determination unit 65 of the temperature control unit 53 and the determination unit 64 of the friction stir control unit 55 determine whether or not the set state of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 is within a predetermined numerical range. do. When the determination units 64 and 65 determine that the step dimension h, the gap amount D, the temperature T, and the initial position Yb ₀ of the rotating tool F are all within the numerical ranges (YES in step ST3), the process proceeds to step ST5. If at least one of the step dimension h, the gap amount D, the temperature T, and the initial position Yb ₀ of the rotary tool F is determined to be outside the numerical range (NO in step ST3), the determination unit 64 or 65 determines the workpiece number and In association, the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are determined to be out of numerical range (step ST4), and the process proceeds to step ST5.

In step ST5, the friction stir control section 55 (corrected movement route generation section 63) generates a corrected movement route R2 based on the ridgeline position Yp and the previously obtained difference YL. Specifically, the ridgeline position Yp is calculated as the target movement route R1, and the corrected movement route R2 is set at a position displaced substantially parallel to the target movement route R1 toward the thick plate by the difference YL.

In step ST6, the friction stir control unit 55 controls the friction stir device 4 to insert and move the rotating tool F rotating at a predetermined rotational speed into the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, thereby causing friction. Stir welding is performed. Specifically, the friction stir control unit 55 controls the rotating tool F to move along the corrected movement route R2. At this time, as the rotating tool F is inserted into the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, the position of the rotating tool F changes from the initial position Yb ₀ before insertion near the start position of the correction movement route R2 to the first position. A displacement of the difference YL occurs on the side of the bimetallic member 102 and moves to the vicinity of the ridge line position Yp. In this manner, friction stir welding is performed while the rotary tool F moves along the target movement route R1.

In step ST7, the determination unit 64 of the friction stir control unit 55 determines whether the position Yn of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding is within the allowable range (numerical range) M or not. When the determination unit 64 determines that the position Yn of the rotating tool F is within the allowable range M (YES in step ST7), the process proceeds to step ST9. When the position Yn of the rotary tool F during friction stir welding is determined to be outside the allowable range M (NO in step ST7), the determination unit 64 associates the work number with the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 101. The double metal member 102 is determined to be out of the numerical range (step ST8), and the process proceeds to step ST9.

In step ST9, after the friction stir welding is completed, the friction stir control section 55 moves the measuring section 34 of the friction stir device 4 along the butted portion J1 to measure the burr height S and the surface roughness Ra.

In step ST10, the determination section 64 of the friction stir control section 55 determines whether both the burr height S and the surface roughness Ra after friction stir welding are within a predetermined numerical range. If it is determined that both the burr height S and the surface roughness Ra are within the predetermined numerical range (YES in step ST10), the process proceeds to step ST12. If at least one of the burr height S and the surface roughness Ra is determined to be out of the predetermined numerical range (NO in step ST10), the determination unit 64 associates the work number with the metal member 103 to be welded to be out of the numerical range. (step ST11), and proceeds to step ST12.

In step ST12, the main control unit 41 determines whether or not the product has been judged to be out of the numerical range during one friction stir welding step. When the main control unit 41 determines that the product has never been determined to be out of the numerical range (YES in step ST12), the process proceeds to step ST13. When the main control unit 41 determines that the product has been judged to be out of the numerical range even once (NO in step ST12), the process proceeds to step ST14.

In step ST13, the transfer control unit 51 controls the transfer device 2 to take out the metal member 103 to be welded, arranges the metal member 103 to be welded in the acceptable product placement area 15 (see FIG. 6), and ends the process.

In step ST14, the transfer control unit 51 controls the transfer device 2 to take out the metal member 103 to be welded, place the metal member 103 as an out-of-numerical-range item in the out-of-numerical-range item placement area 16, and finish.

Although an example of the operation flow of this embodiment has been described above, it can be modified as appropriate. For example, if there is a problem with the set state in step ST3, that is, if the step dimension h and the gap amount D are out of the predetermined numerical range, the clamp section 24 is released and the arm robot 11, for example, moves the first metal member. 101 and the second metal member 102 may be corrected, or the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 may be removed from the fixing device 3 and new first metal member 101 and second metal member 102 may be prepared. may be placed. Further, in step ST3, if the initial position _Yb0 of the rotating tool F is outside the predetermined numerical range, the position of the rotating tool F may be adjusted.

In step ST3, step size h, gap amount D, temperature T, and initial position _Yb0 of rotating tool F are determined, but at least one of these may be determined. Further, in step ST3, when it is determined that the temperature T is outside the predetermined numerical range, the temperature adjustment unit 23 heats or cools the temperature T so that the temperature T falls within the predetermined numerical range before proceeding to step ST5. can be Note that the determination of the temperature T by the temperature adjustment unit 23 and the heating or cooling may be performed during the friction stir welding process.

If NO is determined in steps ST3 and ST7, the automatic bonding system 1 is stopped, the determination result is displayed on the display unit 43, and sound, light, or the like is output according to the determination result. You may make it alert|report by the alerting|reporting means to carry out.

[3. Action effect]
The ridgeline 101e (see FIG. 7) of the first metal member 101 is preferably straight, but strictly speaking, it is not straight due to tolerances and the like. Further, when the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are transported and fixed to the frame 21 by the transport device 2, the fixing positions (set positions) may shift. Therefore, even if the rotary tool F is linearly moved so as to trace the reference position Y0 (see FIG. 6) set on the frame 21, the rotary tool F will deviate from the actually set butting portion J1, resulting in poor joint quality. may decrease. In particular, when the height positions of the surfaces 101b and 102b of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are different as in the present embodiment, even a slight deviation in the bonding position tends to cause problems.

However, according to studies by the present inventors, the trajectory of the position to which the rotating tool F actually moves when performing the friction stir welding of the butt portion J1 is It was found that they were displaced substantially parallel to the second metal member 102 side (thin plate side). According to the automatic welding system 1 according to the present embodiment, the target movement route R1 of the rotating tool F is set based on the ridgeline position Yp of the first metal member 101 measured before performing friction stir welding, and the target movement route A corrected movement route R2 is set at a position displaced substantially parallel to the first metal member 101 side (thick plate side) with respect to R1. By controlling the rotating tool F to move along the corrected moving route R2, friction stir welding can be performed with the rotating tool F along the target moving route R1. In this way, based on the ridge line position Yp of each set first metal member 101, the rotary tool F is controlled to move to a position that compensates for the displacement that occurs when performing the friction stir welding of the butt portion J1. , it is possible to easily set an accurate movement route in which displacement of the rotary tool F is suppressed. This can improve the bonding quality.

In addition, since the arm robot 31 has mechanical deflection, peculiarities, etc., and also has resistance to the rotating tool F from the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, the correction movement route R2 set by the control device 5 is not followed. On the other hand, the actual movement route of the rotating tool F may deviate from the target movement route R1. In this regard, in the present embodiment, by setting the target movement route R1 based on the edge line position Yp and the corrected movement route R2 based on the difference YL calculated in advance, the actual movement route of the rotating tool F can be made more accurate. can be set accurately. At this time, according to the target movement route R1 or the corrected movement route R2 of the present embodiment, the rotary tool F can be moved to an appropriate position corresponding to the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102. This can further improve the joining quality.

Also, while tilting the rotating tool F toward the second metal member 102 on the thin plate side at a target angle θ, friction stir welding is performed while pressing the plastic flow material with the stepped bottom face F21a of the pin stepped portion F21 of the base end pin F2. This can prevent the occurrence of burrs and undercuts, as well as clean the joint surface.

More specifically, by bringing the outer peripheral surface of the proximal pin F2 into contact with the surfaces 101b and 102b of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to hold down the plastic flow material, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of burrs. . In addition, since the plastic flow material can be pressed by the outer peripheral surface of the proximal pin F2, the stepped grooves formed on the joint surfaces (surfaces 101b and 102b) can be eliminated or reduced in size, and the stepped grooves can be reduced. It is possible to eliminate or reduce the bulging portion formed on the side of the . Further, since the stepped pin stepped portion F21 of the base end pin F2 is shallow and has a wide outlet, the plastic flowable material is easily pulled out of the pin stepped portion F21 while the stepped bottom face F21a holds down the plastic flowable material. there is Therefore, even if the base end pin F2 presses the plastic flow material, the plastic flow material is less likely to adhere to the outer peripheral surface of the base end pin F2. Therefore, the surface roughness Ra can be reduced, and the bonding quality can be preferably stabilized.

Further, if the step dimension h is out of the predetermined numerical range, the burr height S may decrease and undercut may occur. Further, if the gap amount D is out of the predetermined numerical range, the burr height S may decrease and undercut may occur. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, if either the step dimension h or the gap amount D obtained before friction stir welding by the measuring unit 34 is outside a predetermined numerical range, for example, the first metal member 101 and By resetting the second metal member 102 to the fixing device 3, the friction stir welding can be suitably performed in a state of being properly set. In addition, when it is out of a predetermined numerical range, for example, the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 (metal member to be joined 103) are determined to be out of the numerical range, thereby facilitating quality control. .

Here, even if the movement route of the rotating tool is set and the movement is controlled, when friction stir welding is actually performed, the travel locus of the rotating tool changes and the rotating tool moves along the ridge line position. may not. For example, depending on the friction stirrer 4, especially the arm robot 31, the amount of displacement of the rotary tool F toward the target movement route R1 may change. Further, depending on the arm robot 31, the inclination of the moving direction of the rotating tool F with respect to the edge line position Yp may change, or the traveling locus of the rotating tool F may partially change. In addition, the running locus of the rotating tool F may change due to wear of the rotating tool F or damage to the pedestal 21 . Also, when the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 and the butting conditions thereof are changed, the running locus of the rotary tool F may also change.

According to the automatic welding system 1 according to the present embodiment, during friction stir welding, the determination unit 64 determines whether the position Yn of the rotating tool F that is actually moving is within the allowable range (predetermined numerical range) M is determined, the bonding quality can be further improved.

Further, when it is determined that the position of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding is outside the allowable range M, the corrected movement route generation unit 63 moves the rotating tool F according to the position of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding. A corrected travel route R2 whose position has been reset is calculated. As a result, by feeding back information during friction stir welding based on the position Yn of the rotating tool F that is actually moving, the traveling locus of the rotating tool F can be corrected more accurately, further improving the welding quality. can be made

Furthermore, after friction stir welding, by measuring the burr height S and surface roughness Ra of the joint after friction stir welding in the inspection unit (also used as the measurement unit 34 in this embodiment), the joint quality can be further improved. can be enhanced.

That is, according to the automatic welding system 1 of the present embodiment, the total number of friction stir welding can be monitored, and quality inspection can be performed on the total number, so quality control can be easily performed. In addition, by including the set state (step dimension h, gap amount D, temperature T, initial position Yb ₀ of rotating tool F) before friction stir welding as a judgment factor for quality control, the welding quality (quality reliability) can be improved. can be further improved.

In addition, even if a product is determined to be out of the numerical range in the middle of the process, friction stir welding is performed until the end, so that the system can be stopped or the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 can be reset. work efficiency can be improved. In addition, even if a product is determined to be out of the numerical range in the middle of the process, by performing friction stir welding to the end, the data of the product out of the numerical range can be accumulated and contribute to the setting of more suitable welding conditions and numerical range. can be done.

In addition, in the automatic welding system 1 of the present embodiment, quality control can be performed in a well-balanced manner by incorporating the factors before, during, and after friction stir welding into the judgment factors for quality control.

Further, in the present embodiment, the reaction load is fed back by the load applying section 33 and the load measuring section 35 of the friction stirrer 4, and the load is controlled so that the reaction load received by the rotary tool F is generally constant. Therefore, joining accuracy can be improved. That is, in the present embodiment, the allowable range M is provided in the Y direction, and the load in the Z direction is controlled, so that the joining accuracy can be further improved.

Further, since the mounting portion 25 is provided on the surface side of the mounting frame 21 and the anodized film is applied to the surface side of the mounting portion 25, the wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc. of the mounting frame 21 can be enhanced.

Here, since the plate thickness dimension of the second metal member 102 is small, the end portion of the second metal member 102 tends to float. Further, as will be shown in Examples described later, when the edge of the second metal member 102 is lifted and the step dimension h becomes too small, there is a tendency to easily cause poor bonding. In this respect, according to the present embodiment, since the suction portion 22 that sucks the end of the second metal member 102 from the back surface 102c side is provided, it is possible to suppress the lifting of the end of the second metal member 102. . Thereby, the precision of joining can be improved more.

As for the gap amount D, there is a tendency that the burr height S has a greater effect on the gap amount on the start position side than on the end position side, as will be shown in Examples described later. Therefore, for the determination target of the clearance amount D, for example, the clearance amount D at a predetermined distance (for example, 5 to 15 cm) from the start position may be extracted and compared with a predetermined numerical range for determination.

Further, as shown in the examples below, when the temperature T is, for example, less than 30.degree. As in the present embodiment, the bonding quality can be further improved by setting a predetermined numerical range for the temperature T and including it in the determination factor of quality control.

<Test 1: Relationship between step dimension h and burr height S>
Next, examples of the present invention will be described. First, Test 1 was conducted to confirm the relationship between the step size h and the burr height S. In Test 1, a first metal member 101 and a second metal member 102 were prepared as shown in FIG. 14A. The step dimension h refers to the dimension from the surface 101b of the first metal member 101 to the surface 102b of the second metal member 102 . The burr height S was measured by the measuring unit 34 from the surface 102b of the second metal member 102 to the tip of the burr.

Both the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are aluminum alloys. The thickness dimension of the first metal member 101 is 2.0 mm, and the thickness dimension of the second metal member 102 is 1.2 mm. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14A, when the entire surfaces of the back surfaces 101c and 102c of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 come into surface contact with the mount 21, the step dimension h is 0.8 mm.

14B is a schematic side view showing a state in which the first metal member and the second metal member have a large step size in Test 1 of the example. FIG. As shown in FIG. 14B, if the end portion of the first metal member 101 warps upward when the two members are butted against each other, the step dimension h may become large (excessive). A foreign matter such as dust may enter between the first metal member 101 and the mount 21 and warp.

On the other hand, FIG. 14C is a schematic side view showing a state in which the step size between the first metal member and the second metal member is small in Test 1 of Example. As shown in FIG. 14C, if the end portion of the second metal member 102 warps upward when the two members are butted against each other, the step dimension h may become small (too small). A foreign object such as dust may enter between the second metal member 102 and the mount 21 and warp up.

FIG. 14D is a schematic side view showing another state in which the step size between the first metal member and the second metal member is small in Test 1 of Example. As shown in FIG. 14D, if the end portion of the second metal member 102 is curved when the two members are butted against each other, the step dimension h may become small (too small). In particular, since the thickness of the second metal member 102 is small, the ends thereof are likely to be warped or curved.

In Test 1, a plurality of sets of test specimens were prepared from the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, and the step dimension h was measured by moving the measuring part 34 over the entire length of the butt joint J1 for each test specimen. After that, friction stir welding was performed under the same conditions. After joining, the burr height S was measured by moving the measuring part 34 over the entire length of the butt part J1 for each specimen.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the relationship between the step size and the burr height in Test 1 of the example. In FIG. 15, two specimens were extracted from a plurality of specimens, and two points were further extracted from each specimen to confirm the step dimension h and the burr height S. FIG. The result G1 in FIG. 15 is obtained by extracting a position where the step size h is small in one of the specimens, where the step size h=0.73 mm and the burr height S=-0.185 mm. If the burr height S is negative, it means that there is an undercut.

The result G2 in FIG. 15 is obtained by extracting the position where the step size h is approximately the median value in one test piece, where the step size h=0.75 mm and the burr height S=0.067 mm.

The result V1 in FIG. 15 is obtained by extracting the position where the step size h is approximately the median value in the other test piece, where the step size is 0.78 mm and the burr height S=0.065 mm. Result V2 is obtained by extracting the position where the step size is large in the other specimen, the step size h=0.093 mm, and the burr height S=0 mm.

From the results of FIG. 15, it can be seen that the step dimension h affects the burr height S. If the result is G1, an undercut occurs, so the step dimension h is too small. Moreover, as shown in the result V2, when the step dimension h=0.93 mm is exceeded, an undercut tends to occur. Therefore, the predetermined numerical range of the step dimension h is preferably set to 0.75≦h≦0.93, for example.

Further, according to Test 1, when the step dimension h gradually increases from the vicinity of the median value (0.8 mm), the position Yn of the rotary tool F is displaced toward the second metal member 102 having a small plate thickness, and the burr height S increases. tended to be smaller. On the other hand, if the step dimension h becomes too small (approximately 0.73 mm), although the influence on the position Yn of the rotating tool F is small, the rotating tool F is moved by the second metal member 102 by the floating amount of the end of the second metal member 102. It is presumed that the end of 102 was scraped off and an undercut occurred.

Also, the slope of the graph on the excessively small side of the step dimension h is greater than the slope of the graph on the excessively large side. In other words, it is considered that the amount of decrease in the burr height S greatly affects the lifting of the second metal member 102 .

<Test 2: Relationship between gap amount D and burr height S>
Next, Test 2 was conducted to confirm the relationship between the gap amount D and the burr height S. In Test 2, a set of six test specimens (test specimens TP11, TP12, TP13, TP14, TP15, TP16) each of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 was prepared and friction stir welding was performed. . Before performing friction stir welding, the measuring part 34 was moved along the butt part J1, and the gap amount D was measured. The gap amount D is the size of the gap between the members before friction stir welding. Both the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are aluminum alloys. A step dimension h between the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 is 0.8 mm. The joint length is 1800 mm.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the traveling distance and the gap amount before joining in Test 2 of the example.
As shown in FIG. 16, test pieces TP11, TP12, and TP13 are the results of measuring the gap amount from the starting position (running distance 0 mm) to 1000 mm. Test pieces TP14, TP15, and TP16 are the results of measuring the clearance amount from the end position (the position at which the running distance is 1800 mm) to 1000 mm. As shown in FIG. 16, the clearance D before friction stir welding gradually decreases on the side of the start position as the distance from the start position increases. On the other hand, the clearance D before friction stir welding gradually increases from near the middle of the travel distance toward the end position. The end faces 101a and 102a of the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are normally formed substantially straight. Therefore, when the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are butted against each other, the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 are arranged such that one of the start position and the end position is close to each other and a gap is generated in the other. It is conceivable that the two metal members 102 are arranged in a state that is slightly open from parallel, so that the gap amount D increases as the start position or the end position is approached.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the relationship between the clearance amount on the start position side and the burr height on the start position side in Test 2 of the example. FIG. 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the clearance amount on the end position side and the burr height on the end position side in Test 2 of the example.

In FIG. 17, the result Ds1 was extracted from the specimen TP11 in FIG. 16, the result Ds2 was extracted from the specimen TP12 in FIG. 16, and the result Ds3 was extracted from the specimen TP13 in FIG.
In the result Ds1, the clearance amount D=0.6 mm and the burr height S=-0.01 mm.
In the result Ds2, the clearance amount D was 0.4 mm, and the burr height S was 0 mm.
In the result Ds3, the gap amount D was 0 mm, and the burr height S was 0.029 mm.

In FIG. 18, the result De1 is extracted from the specimen TP14 of FIG. 16, the result De2 is extracted from the specimen TP15, and the result De3 is extracted from the specimen TP16.
In the result De1, the gap amount D was 0.95 mm, and the burr height S was 0.06 mm.
In the result De2, the gap amount D was 0.70 mm, and the burr height S was 0.05 mm.
In the result De3, the gap amount D was 0.30 mm, and the burr height S was 0.06 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, when the clearance D on the start position side increased, the burr height S on the start position side decreased. However, the result Ds1 is undercut. It is considered that when the gap amount D increases, the rotating tool is deeply inserted even with the same set load (indentation load), and the rotating tool F is displaced toward the second metal member 102 having a smaller plate thickness.

As shown in FIG. 18, on the end position side, the burr height S on the end position side was generally constant regardless of the clearance amount D on the end position side. It is presumed that this is because the gap gradually becomes smaller as the butted portion J1 is joined and the friction stir welding proceeds toward the end position. It is also presumed that the frictional heat causes the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 to expand and the gap to become smaller. In view of the results of FIGS. 17 and 18, it was found that the clearance amount D on the start position side has a greater effect on the burr height S than on the end position side. That is, when comparing the gap amount D and a predetermined numerical range, the gap amount of the entire length of the butted portion J1 may be targeted. It is preferable to extract and compare.

<Test 3: Relationship between position of rotating tool F during friction stir welding, burr height, and oxide film>
Next, Test 3 was conducted to confirm the relationship between the position of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding and the burr height and oxide film. As shown in FIG. 19, in Test 3, after the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102 were butted to form the butted portion J1, the rotating tool F was not moved along the butted portion J1. The relationship between the position Yn of the rotating tool F, the burr height S, and the oxide film K was confirmed by moving the rotary tool F obliquely away from the butted portion J1. In FIGS. 19 and 20, for convenience of explanation, the scales in the X and Y directions are changed so that the movement in the Y direction can be easily understood. In FIG. 19, the rotating tool F is moved from the bottom to the top of the drawing.

FIG. 19 shows a set movement route Rt that is controlled when the rotating tool F is moved in an unloaded state, and a movement route Rn that is actually passed when the rotating tool F is inserted into a metal member and friction stir is performed. showing relationships. As shown in FIG. 19, in this embodiment, the movement route Rn of the rotary tool F is set to pass through the point β from the point α. The point α is located on the butted portion J1 and at a joint distance of 100 mm. The point β is a position where the joint distance is 1800 mm and a position 1.0 mm from the butted portion J1 to the first metal member 101 side.

FIG. 20 is a graph showing the relationship between the joint distance and the position in the Y direction in this embodiment. A set moving route Rt in FIG. 20 is a moving route set for a test trial. A position Yt indicates a trajectory actually passed by the rotation center axis of the rotation drive means of the friction stirrer 4 when the rotation tool F is not inserted and is moved along the set movement route Rt. The trajectory can be measured by the measurement unit 34 (line sensor). The minus side in FIG. 20 is the first metal member 101 side across the butt J1, and the plus side is the second metal member 102 side. As indicated by the position Yt, when the rotating tool F is not attached and is moved in a no-load state, the set moving route Rt and the trajectory actually passed by the rotation central axis substantially overlap.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 20, when the rotating tool F is mounted and the friction stir welding is actually performed along the set moving route Rt, the rotating tool F passes through a trajectory represented by the position Yn of the rotating tool F. In other words, since the machine (arm robot 31) has deflection, peculiarities, etc., and there is also resistance that the rotating tool F receives from the first metal member 101 and the second metal member 102, the rotating tool F cannot move on the set movement route Rt at the starting position. Even if F is inserted, in this embodiment, the rotating tool F is immediately displaced to the vicinity of Y=0, and thereafter moves substantially parallel to the set movement route Rt at a position deviated from the set movement route Rt. As shown by the (Yn−Yt) value in FIG. 20, in this embodiment, there is a deviation (difference) of about 1.5 mm between the set movement route Rt and the trajectory represented by the position Yn. Therefore, in friction stir welding, it is preferable to set a movement route (correction movement route) in consideration of the difference in the trajectories.

FIG. 21A is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance is 100 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 21B is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance is 600 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 21C is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance is 800 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 22A is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance is 1000 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 22B is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of Example is 1200 mm. FIG. 22C is a cross-sectional view at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of Example is 1800 mm.

21A to C and FIGS. 22A to 22C show a state in which the position Yn of the rotary tool F during friction stir welding from the butted portion J1 moves away from the butted portion J1 as the welding distance increases. A dotted line in the drawing indicates the range of the plasticized region W of the rotary tool F. As shown in FIG. The burr height S measures the height dimension from the surface 102 b of the second metal member 102 .

As shown in FIG. 21A, the abutting portion J1 at the joint distance of 100 mm and the position Yn of the rotating tool F match. Burr height S (S10) is 0.034 mm.
As shown in FIG. 21B, the distance Lj from the butted portion J1 at the joint distance of 600 mm to the position Yn of the rotary tool F is 554 μm. Burr height S (S11) is 0.095 mm.

As shown in FIG. 21C, the distance Lj at the joint distance of 800 mm is 686 μm. Burr height S (S12) is 0.105 mm.

As shown in FIG. 22A, the distance Lj at the joint distance of 1000 mm is 743 μm. Burr height S (S13) is 0.092 mm.
As shown in FIG. 22B, the distance Lj at the joint distance of 1200 mm is 840 μm. Burr height S (S14) is 0.113 mm.

As shown in FIG. 22C, the distance Lj of the joint distance of 1800 mm is 1085 μm. Burr height S (S15) is 0.123 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 21A to 21C and FIGS. 22A to 22C, the burr height S (the burr height on the second metal member 102 side) gradually increases as the position Yn of the rotary tool F moves away from the butted portion J1. It can be seen that In other words, it can be seen that the burr height S becomes smaller when the position Yn of the rotating tool F is closer to the second metal member 102 side.

FIG. 23A is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance is 100 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 23B is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance is 600 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 23C is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance is 800 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 24A is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance is 1000 mm in Test 3 of Example. FIG. 24B is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of Example is 1200 mm. FIG. 25 is a macro cross-sectional view of the butted portion at a position where the joint distance in Test 3 of Example is 1800 mm. 23A to 23C, FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 25 are macro sectional views around the butted portion J1 at each position, showing the size and shape of the oxide film K. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 23A, there is no oxide film (K0) at the position where the welding distance is 100 mm (position Yn=0 of rotary tool F).
As shown in FIG. 23B, the oxide film K (K1) is 33 μm at the position where the bonding distance is 600 mm (position Yn of rotating tool F=554 μm).

As shown in FIG. 23C, the oxide film K (K2) is 59 μm at the position where the bonding distance is 800 mm (position Yn of rotary tool F=686 μm).
As shown in FIG. 24A, the oxide film K (K3) is 72 μm at the position where the bonding distance is 1000 mm (position Yn=743 μm of rotary tool F).

As shown in FIG. 24B, the oxide film K (K4) is 115 μm at the position where the bonding distance is 1200 mm (position Yn=840 μm of rotating tool F).
As shown in FIG. 25, the oxide film K (K5) is 235 μm at the position where the welding distance is 1800 mm (position Yn=1085 μm of rotary tool F).

FIG. 26 is a graph showing the relationship between the position of the rotary tool and the burr height and oxide film height in Test 3 of the example. As shown in FIG. 26, the burr height S gradually increases as the position Yn of the rotating tool F during friction stir welding moves away from the butted portion J1. The oxide film K also gradually increases as the position Yn of the rotary tool F during friction stir welding moves away from the butted portion J1. In other words, when the position Yn of the rotary tool F during friction stir welding approaches the butted portion J1, both the burr height S and the oxide film K become smaller.

According to the results of FIG. 26, for example, when the threshold value of the burr height S and the oxide film K height is set to 0.10 mm, the position Yn of the rotary tool F is shifted from the butted portion J1 to the second metal member 102 side. It is preferable to set within 0.6 mm (600 μm) toward the direction.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 27, when measuring the ridge line of the first metal member 101 by moving the measuring unit 34 along the butted portion J1 and measuring the ridge line Yp, the first metal member is measured with the ridge line Yp as the center. It is preferable to set the allowable range M to 0.6 mm (m=0.6 mm) on the 101 side and 0.3 mm (m=0.3) on the second metal member 102 side. Note that the range of the permissible range M is merely an example, and may be appropriately set based on the required joining accuracy and the like.

<Test 4: Relationship between temperature and cavity defect size>
Next, Test 4 was conducted to confirm the relationship between temperature and cavity defect size. In test 4, four first metal members 101 and second metal members 102 (specimens TP41, TP42, TP43, TP44) were prepared, the temperature was set before joining, and friction stir welding was performed on each of the specimens. rice field.

For the specimen TP41, friction stir welding was performed without a heater (at room temperature of 20° C.), and the welding speed was increased from 500 mm/min to 1250 mm/min. For the specimen TP42, the friction stir welding was performed by setting the temperature control unit 23 to 30° C., and the welding speed was increased from 600 mm/min to 1000 mm/min.

In the test piece TP43, the temperature was set to 60° C. by the temperature control unit 23, and the bonding speed was increased from 600 mm/min to 1000 mm/min. Also, in the test piece TP44, the bonding speed set at 90° C. by the temperature control unit 23 was increased from 600 mm/min to 1000 min/min.

As shown in FIG. 28, in the specimen TP41, the temperature of the temperature control section 23 was 20° C., and the size of the cavity defect was significantly large. As the bonding speed increased, the void defect size increased with increasing speed. In the specimen TP42, the temperature of the temperature adjustment part 23 was 30° C., and the cavity defect size was about 50 μm ² . When the temperature of the temperature control part 23 was set to 60 to 90° C., almost no void defects were observed. In this case, no void defects were observed even when the bonding speed was increased.

From the above, it is preferable to set the predetermined numerical range of the temperature T of the temperature adjustment unit 23 to 60≦T≦90. In this case, void defects are less likely to occur even if the bonding speed is increased, so the bonding time can be shortened while suppressing the occurrence of void defects.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 automatic joining system 2 conveying device 3 fixing device 4 friction stirrer 5 control device 22 suction part F rotating tool F2 proximal side pin F3 distal side pin R1 target movement route R2 corrected movement route θ target angle h step dimension D gap amount T temperature

Claims (7)

A first metal member and a second metal member placed on a mount are butted against each other with a step so that the surface of the second metal member is lower than the surface of the first metal member. a fixing device that fixes the part in a state of being formed;
A friction stir device that includes a rotating tool that performs friction stir and friction stir welds the butt portions;
a measuring unit that measures the amount of gap between the first metal member and the second metal member;
a control device that controls the fixing device and the friction stir device;
The rotary tool has a proximal pin and a distal pin formed continuously with the proximal pin, wherein the proximal pin has a taper angle larger than that of the distal pin, A stepped pin stepped portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the proximal pin,
The friction stir apparatus performs friction stir welding along the abutment portion while maintaining a predetermined target angle of the rotating tool and pressing the plastic flow material with the step bottom surface of the pin step portion,
The automatic welding system, wherein the control device includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the gap amount before friction stir welding is within a predetermined numerical range. 2. The automatic welding system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the gap amount at the start position of friction stir welding is within a predetermined numerical range. The fixing device has a clamp part that fixes the first metal member and the second metal member to the mount,
3. The clamping part releases the fixation of the first metal member and the second metal member when the gap amount is determined to be out of the predetermined numerical range. automatic splicing system. 1 or 2, wherein when the gap amount is determined to be out of the predetermined numerical range, the control device determines that the first metal member and the second metal member are out of the numerical range. 3. The automatic joining system according to 2. 5. The automatic welding system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an inspection unit that measures at least one of burr height and surface roughness of the joint after friction stir welding. The friction stirrer has a load measuring unit that measures an axial reaction load acting on the rotating tool,
6. The friction stir device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the load of the friction stir device is controlled based on the result of the load measuring unit so that the reaction load is approximately constant. automatic splicing system. 7. The automatic joining system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the surface side of the mount is made of an aluminum or aluminum alloy plate, and the surface is coated with an anodized film.

Images