JP7367319B2 - Friction stir welding equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a friction stir welding apparatus.

Patent Document 1 discloses a friction stir welding apparatus in which a main shaft to which a welding tool is attached is arranged approximately vertically.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-135575

However, with the friction stir welding apparatus of Patent Document 1, it was not possible to appropriately friction stir weld members having a high melting point.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a friction stir welding apparatus that can appropriately friction stir weld members having a high melting point.

In order to solve the above problems, a friction stir welding apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a base part installed on the ground, and a rail provided on the upper surface of the base part and extending in a uniaxial direction along the upper surface. a main shaft that extends in one axis and is movable in one axis while being directly guided by the rail; a welding tool that is attached to the tip of the main shaft and includes a tool body and a pin; and a welding tool that is arranged opposite to the welding tool; The main shaft includes a stage on which the members to be joined are installed, a stage moving mechanism that can move the stage in a direction perpendicular to the main axis, and a stage tilting mechanism that tilts the stage with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis. A mechanism for moving the stage in a direction perpendicular to the main axis is not provided, and the stage tilting mechanism has a holding mechanism that maintains the stage in a state tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis.

Further, the uniaxial direction may be one direction in the horizontal direction.

Further, the stage tilting mechanism may rotate the stage around a pivot axis that intersects perpendicularly with an extension of the central axis of the main shaft.

Further, the stage may be supported by a common base portion with the main shaft.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately friction stir weld members having a high melting point.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a friction stir welding apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a friction stir welding apparatus. It is an explanatory view explaining a joining tool. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the friction stir welding apparatus when the stage is tilted.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in these embodiments are merely examples for easy understanding, and do not limit the present disclosure unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to omit redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present disclosure are omitted from illustration. do.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a friction stir welding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the friction stir welding apparatus 1. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined as shown. That is, the Y-axis is vertical, the X-axis and Z-axis are horizontal, and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other.

The friction stir welding apparatus 1 includes a base portion 10, a main shaft 12, a welding tool 14, a main shaft drive mechanism 16, a sliding mechanism 18, a stage 20, a stage moving mechanism 22, and a stage tilting mechanism 24. In FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, parts of the main shaft 12, the sliding mechanism 18, and the stage moving mechanism 22 are shown as transparent.

The base portion 10 is a stand whose vertical dimension is smaller than its horizontal dimension. The base portion 10 is installed on the ground 26. The base part 10 supports each part of the friction stir welding apparatus 1.

The main shaft 12 is formed into a cylindrical shape. The main shaft 12 extends in the Z-axis direction. That is, the main shaft 12 is arranged horizontally.

A welding tool 14 is attached to the tip of the main shaft 12 in the axial direction (Z-axis direction). The joining tool 14 will be explained in detail later. Hereinafter, the direction from the axial center of the main shaft 12 toward the welding tool 14 may be referred to as the front, and the direction from the axial center of the main shaft 12 toward the side opposite to the welding tool 14 may be referred to as the rear.

The main shaft drive mechanism 16 includes a main shaft support section 30, a bearing 32, a main shaft drive device 34, and a rotation transmission section 36. The main shaft support portion 30 is, for example, formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The main shaft 12 passes through the main shaft support part 30. A bearing 32 is provided within the main shaft support portion 30 . The main shaft support part 30 supports the main shaft 12 through a bearing 32 so as to be rotatable around the central axis. Note that the main shaft support portion 30 may be provided with a cooling mechanism that cools the main shaft 12 whose temperature has increased due to friction stir welding.

The main shaft drive device 34 is, for example, a motor that generates torque on a rotating shaft. The main shaft drive device 34 is arranged so that its rotation axis is parallel to the main shaft 12.

The rotation transmission section 36 includes a drive device side pulley 40, a main shaft side pulley 42, and a belt 44. The drive device side pulley 40 is connected to the rotating shaft of the main shaft drive device 34. The main shaft side pulley 42 is connected to the main shaft 12 at a position rearward of the main shaft support portion 30 . The belt 44 is wound around the drive device side pulley 40 and the main shaft side pulley 42. The belt 44 rotates the main shaft pulley 42 in accordance with the rotation of the drive device pulley 40. That is, the rotation transmission section 36 transmits the torque generated by the main shaft drive device 34 to the main shaft 12.

The sliding mechanism 18 includes a rail 50, a sliding plate 52, a guide portion 54, a rotating shaft 56, a Z-axis drive device 58, a speed reducer 60, a thrust bearing 62, a ball screw 64, a connecting portion 66, and a load cell 68.

The rails 50 are formed in a substantially prismatic shape, and two rails 50 are provided on the upper surface of the base portion 10. The two rails 50 are spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction and extend parallel to each other in the Z-axis direction. That is, the rail 50 extends in a uniaxial direction along the upper surface of the base portion 10. Specifically, the uniaxial direction is one direction in the horizontal direction (Z-axis direction).

The sliding plate 52 is formed into a rectangular flat plate shape and is arranged horizontally on the base part 10. A spindle support section 30 and a spindle drive device 34 are installed on the upper surface of the sliding plate 52. The main shaft 12, the main shaft support 30, and the main shaft drive device 34 are located near the center of the sliding plate 52 in the X-axis direction. Further, the main shaft 12 extends in one axis direction in which the rail 50 extends.

Furthermore, guide portions 54 that engage with the rails 50 are provided at the four corners of the lower surface of the sliding plate 52. The sliding plate 52, the main shaft 12, and the main shaft drive mechanism 16 can integrally slide along the rail 50 in the Z-axis direction.

The rotating shaft 56 is formed into a cylindrical shape, and has a threaded groove formed on its outer circumferential surface. The rotating shaft 56 is arranged vertically below the sliding plate 52. The rotating shaft 56 is located near the center of the sliding plate 52 in the X-axis direction and extends in the Z-axis direction. The rotation shaft 56 is rotatably supported by the base portion 10 around the central axis.

A Z-axis drive device 58, a reduction gear 60, and a thrust bearing 62 are provided at the rear end of the rotating shaft 56. The Z-axis drive device 58 is, for example, a motor that rotates the rotating shaft 56. The reducer 60 reduces the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 56 relative to the Z-axis drive device 58, and reduces the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 56. The thrust bearing 62 supports the axial force of the rotating shaft 56.

The ball screw 64 is formed into a cylindrical shape. The rotating shaft 56 passes through the ball screw 64. A ball is accommodated between the ball screw 64 and the rotating shaft 56. The ball screw 64 is movable in the axial direction (Z-axis direction) according to the rotation of the rotating shaft 56.

A connecting portion 66 extending vertically downward is provided on the lower surface of the sliding plate 52. The load cell 68 is sandwiched between the front side surface of the ball screw 64 and the rear side surface of the connecting portion 66. The ball screw 64 is connected to the sliding plate 52 through a load cell 68 and a connecting portion 66. The load cell 68 measures force in the Z-axis direction (force in the axial direction of the main shaft 12).

When the Z-axis drive device 58 rotates the rotating shaft 56 in a predetermined direction (for example, clockwise) through the reducer 60 and the thrust bearing 62, the ball screw 64 moves forward along the Z-axis. Then, the sliding plate 52 slides forward (in the same direction as the ball screw 64) along the Z-axis through the ball screw 64, the load cell 68, and the connecting portion 66. As a result, the main shaft 12, the main shaft drive mechanism 16, and the welding tool 14 attached to the main shaft 12 move forward along the Z-axis together with the sliding plate 52.

Further, when the Z-axis drive device 58 rotates the rotating shaft 56 in the opposite direction (for example, counterclockwise), the ball screw 64 moves backward along the Z-axis. Then, the sliding plate 52 slides backward (in the same direction as the ball screw 64) along the Z-axis through the ball screw 64, the load cell 68, and the connecting portion 66. As a result, the main shaft 12, the main shaft drive mechanism 16, and the welding tool 14 attached to the main shaft 12 move rearward along the Z-axis together with the sliding plate 52.

In this manner, the sliding mechanism 18 connects the main shaft 12 to the base portion 10 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Thereby, the main shaft 12 is guided by the rail 50 and can move in one axis direction (Z-axis direction). Furthermore, the sliding mechanism 18 restricts the movement direction of the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14 attached to the main shaft 12 to one axis (Z-axis). That is, the positions of the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14 move only in the axial direction, and do not move in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, for example. Further, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1, the sliding mechanism 18 is the only moving mechanism that moves the positions of the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14.

The stage 20 is arranged to face the welding tool 14 attached to the main shaft 12 in the Z-axis direction. The stage 20 is formed into a square or rectangular plate shape. The stage 20 is arranged to stand vertically so that its front face faces the welding tool 14. A member to be joined 70 is installed in front of the stage 20 . The stage 20 is supported by the base portion 10 through a stage moving mechanism 22 and a stage tilting mechanism 24. That is, the stage 20 and the main shaft 12 are supported by the common base portion 10.

Stage moving mechanism 22 includes a Y-axis moving mechanism 80 and an X-axis moving mechanism 82. The Y-axis moving mechanism 80 includes a Y-axis support plate 90, a rail 92, a guide portion 94, a rotating shaft 96, a Y-axis drive device 98, a reduction gear 100, a thrust bearing 102, and a ball screw 104.

The Y-axis support plate 90 is formed into a flat plate shape. The Y-axis support plate 90 is located on the opposite side of the main shaft 12 to the stage 20 (on the back side of the stage 20). The Y-axis support plate 90 is arranged to face and be spaced apart from the stage 20.

The rail 92 stands up from the Y-axis support plate 90 toward the stage 20. Two rails 92 are provided on the Y-axis support plate 90. The two rails 92 are spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction and extend parallel to each other in the Y-axis direction. Two guide parts 94 are provided on the back side of the stage 20. The two guide portions 94 are spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction and extend parallel to each other in the Y-axis direction. The guide portion 94 engages with the rail 92. The stage 20 is slidable in the Y-axis direction along the rails 92 with respect to the Y-axis support plate 90.

The rotating shaft 96 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a threaded groove formed on its outer peripheral surface. The rotation shaft 96 is located between the stage 20 and the Y-axis support plate 90. The rotation shaft 96 is located near the center of the stage 20 in the X-axis direction and extends in the Y-axis direction. The rotation shaft 96 is rotatably supported by the Y-axis support plate 90 around the central axis.

A Y-axis drive device 98, a reduction gear 100, and a thrust bearing 102 are provided at the vertically upper end of the rotating shaft 96. The Y-axis drive device 98 is, for example, a motor that rotates the rotation shaft 96. The speed reducer 100 reduces the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 96 relative to the Y-axis drive device 98. Thrust bearing 102 supports the axial force of rotating shaft 96 .

Ball screw 104 is formed into a cylindrical shape. A ball screw 104 is connected to the back surface of the stage 20. The rotating shaft 96 passes through the ball screw 104. A ball is accommodated between the ball screw 104 and the rotating shaft 96. The ball screw 104 is movable in the axial direction (Y-axis direction) as the rotation shaft 96 rotates.

When the Y-axis drive device 98 rotates the rotary shaft 96 through the reducer 100 and the thrust bearing 102, the ball screw 104 moves along the Y-axis relative to the Y-axis support plate 90. Then, the stage 20 slides along the Y axis (in the same direction as the ball screw 104) through the ball screw 104.

The X-axis moving mechanism 82 includes an X-axis support plate 110, a rail 112, a guide section 114, a rotating shaft 116, an X-axis drive device 118, a speed reducer 120, a thrust bearing 122, and a ball screw 124.

The X-axis support plate 110 is formed into a flat plate shape. The X-axis support plate 110 is located on the opposite side of the stage 20 with respect to the Y-axis support plate 90. The X-axis support plate 110 is arranged to face and be spaced apart from the Y-axis support plate 90.

The rail 112 stands up from the X-axis support plate 110 toward the Y-axis support plate 90. Two rails 112 are provided on the X-axis support plate 110. The two rails 112 are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction and extend parallel to each other in the X-axis direction. Two guide portions 114 are provided on the surface of the Y-axis support plate 90 on the X-axis support plate 110 side. The two guide parts 114 are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction and extend parallel to each other in the X-axis direction. Guide portion 114 engages with rail 112 . The Y-axis support plate 90 is slidable in the X-axis direction along the rail 112 with respect to the X-axis support plate 110.

The rotating shaft 116 is formed into a cylindrical shape and has a threaded groove formed on its outer circumferential surface. The rotation axis 116 is located between the Y-axis support plate 90 and the X-axis support plate 110. The rotating shaft 116 is located near the center of the Y-axis support plate 90 in the Y-axis direction and extends in the X-axis direction. The rotation shaft 116 is rotatably supported by the X-axis support plate 110 around the central axis.

An X-axis drive device 118, a reduction gear 120, and a thrust bearing 122 are provided at one end of the rotating shaft 116. The X-axis drive device 118 is, for example, a motor that rotates the rotating shaft 116. The speed reducer 120 reduces the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 116 relative to the X-axis drive device 118. Thrust bearing 122 supports the axial force of rotating shaft 116 .

The ball screw 124 is formed into a cylindrical shape. The ball screw 124 is connected to the surface of the Y-axis support plate 90 on the X-axis support plate 110 side. The rotating shaft 116 passes through the ball screw 124. A ball is housed between the ball screw 124 and the rotating shaft 116. The ball screw 124 is movable in the axial direction (X-axis direction) according to the rotation of the rotating shaft 116.

When the X-axis drive device 118 rotates the rotating shaft 116 through the reducer 120 and the thrust bearing 122, the ball screw 124 moves along the X-axis relative to the X-axis support plate 110. Then, the Y-axis support plate 90 slides along the X-axis through the ball screw 124 (in the same direction as the ball screw 124). As a result, the stage 20 moves along the X-axis with respect to the X-axis support plate 110 together with the Y-axis moving mechanism 80.

In this way, the stage moving mechanism 22 can move the stage 20 in directions perpendicular to the main shaft 12 (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction).

The stage tilt mechanism 24 includes a pivot center portion 130, a cylindrical portion 132, a pivot plate 134, a ball lifter 136, a rib 138, a rib 140, a rod 142, a cylinder 144, and a pivot drive device 146.

The pivot center portion 130 is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes vertically upward from the upper surface of the base portion 10 . The center axis of the turning center portion 130 extends in the Y-axis direction. Hereinafter, the center axis of the turning center portion 130 and its extension may be referred to as the turning center axis. The center of rotation 130 is approximately located vertically below the stage 20. The pivot center 130 is provided so that the pivot axis of the pivot center 130 and the extension of the center axis of the main shaft 12 perpendicularly intersect. In other words, the pivot center 130 is provided such that the center of the pivot center 130 is located on an extension of the central axis of the main shaft 12 when the pivot center 130 is viewed from vertically above (see FIG. 2).

The cylindrical portion 132 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is arranged around the pivot center 130 so that the pivot center 130 is accommodated therein. The center axis of the cylindrical portion 132 overlaps the pivot axis of the pivot center portion 130. The cylindrical portion 132 is rotatable around the pivot axis with respect to the pivot center portion 130 .

The rotating plate 134 is formed into a flat plate shape and arranged horizontally. The rotating plate 134 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 132. The swing plate 134 is located on the opposite side of the main shaft 12 with respect to the swing center 130 . The turning plate 134 is rotatable (swivelable) around the turning center axis through the turning center part 130 and the cylindrical part 132.

A ball lifter 136 is provided between the base portion 10 and the pivot plate 134. The base portion 10 supports the swing plate 134 horizontally movably (swivelably) through the ball lifter 136.

The X-axis support plate 110 is installed on the upper surface of the pivot plate 134. The X-axis support plate 110 stands vertically upward from the upper surface of the rotation plate 134. A plurality of flat ribs 138 are provided on the side opposite to the Y-axis support plate 90 with respect to the X-axis support plate 110. Rib 138 is vertically connected to each of X-axis support plate 110 and pivot plate 134.

Two flat plate-shaped ribs 140 are provided between the X-axis support plate 110 and the cylindrical portion 132 on the upper surface of the rotating plate 134. Rib 140 is connected to cylindrical portion 132, pivot plate 134 and X-axis support plate 110. The two ribs 140 are provided so as to spread in the X-axis direction from the cylindrical portion 132 toward the X-axis support plate 110.

The rod 142, the cylinder 144, and the swing drive device 146 are provided on the opposite side of the swing center portion 130 with respect to the swing plate 134. A portion of rod 142 is inserted into cylinder 144. Rod 142 is slidable relative to cylinder 144 . An end of the rod 142 opposite to the cylinder 144 is connected to a protrusion 148 that protrudes from the pivot plate 134 . The swing drive device 146 is, for example, a motor that slides the rod 142 with respect to the cylinder 144.

When the swing drive device 146 moves the rod 142 in the direction of recessing into the cylinder 144, the swing plate 134 rotates (swivels) in the direction toward the swing drive device 146 (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) while maintaining the horizontal state. )do. Then, the X-axis moving mechanism 82, Y-axis moving mechanism 80, and stage 20 supported by the rotating plate 134 rotate in the same direction as the rotating plate 134 (clockwise in FIG. 2). As a result, the stage 20 is tilted clockwise in FIG. 2 with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis 12.

When the swing drive device 146 moves the rod 142 in the direction of protruding from the cylinder 144, the swing plate 134 rotates (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) away from the swing drive device 146 while maintaining the horizontal state. (swivel). Then, the X-axis moving mechanism 82, Y-axis moving mechanism 80, and stage 20 supported by the rotating plate 134 rotate in the same direction as the rotating plate 134 (counterclockwise in FIG. 2). As a result, the stage 20 is tilted counterclockwise in FIG. 2 with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis 12. In this way, the stage tilting mechanism 24 tilts the stage 20 with respect to the plane perpendicular to the main axis 12.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the joining tool 14. The joining tool 14 is conventionally configured. Specifically, bonding tool 14 includes a tool body 150 and a pin 152. The tool body 150 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. A cylindrical pin 152 is provided on the distal end surface of the tool body 150. The outer diameter of the pin 152 is smaller than the outer diameter of the tool body 150. The central axis of the pin 152 overlaps the central axis of the tool body 150. A thread groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pin 152. The area around the pin 152 on the distal end surface of the tool body 150 functions as a shoulder 154. Further, the opposite side of the tool body 150 from the pin 152 is connected to the main shaft 12 .

In the friction stir welding apparatus 1, the end surfaces of two members 70 to be welded are brought together. The boundary portion where the two members 70 to be joined are joined becomes a joining line to be joined. In the friction stir welding apparatus 1, the pin 152 of the welding tool 14 is inserted into the welding line portion of the welded members 70 while rotating the welding tool 14 around the axis. Then, due to the frictional heat and rotation of the welding tool 14, the area around the pin 152 in the welded member 70 is plastically fluidized and stirred. In FIG. 3, the area where plastic flow is occurring is shown as area A1.

When the members 70 to be joined are plastically fluid and stirred, the two members 70 to be joined are stirred and integrated at the boundary between the two members 70 to be joined. Then, when the welding tool 14 is advanced along the welding line, the plastic flow region (region A1) moves in the advancing direction together with the pin 152. On the other hand, in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the welding tool 14, the stirred and integrated members 70 to be welded cool and solidify. As a result, the two members 70 to be welded are friction stir welded.

Further, when the welding tool 14 is of the conventional type as described above, the welding tool 14 is inserted into the welded members 70 in an attitude inclined with respect to the normal line of the welded members 70 (dotted chain line C10). Specifically, the pin 152 side of the central axis (dotted chain line C12) of the welding tool 14 is located on the traveling direction side of the welding tool 14 relative to the normal line of the welded members 70 (dotted chain line C10). tilt like this. Then, the shoulder 154 on the side opposite to the direction of movement is recessed into the member to be joined 70 side compared to the side in the direction of movement. As a result, the shoulder 154 on the opposite side to the direction of movement presses down the plastically fluidized members 70 to be joined, thereby suppressing the plastically fluidized members 70 to be joined from overflowing. By tilting the welding tool 14 in this way, the finished joint can be made smooth.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the friction stir welding apparatus 1 when the stage 20 is tilted. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the turning plate 134 is rotated clockwise by an angle θ. The operation and operation of the friction stir welding apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The operator of the friction stir welding apparatus 1 first sets the members to be welded 70 on the stage 20 . Next, the operator operates the X-axis moving mechanism 82 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 80 to move the stage 20 so that the welding start position is located on an extension of the central axis of the main shaft 12.

Next, the operator operates the stage tilting mechanism 24 so that the welding tool tilts at a predetermined angle (for example, angle θ). Specifically, the operator operates the swing drive device 146 to rotate the swing plate 134 clockwise by an angle θ. Thereby, the stage 20 is tilted by an angle θ in the clockwise direction with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis 12. Then, the central axes of the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14 are inclined counterclockwise by an angle θ relative to the normal to the stage 20 (members to be welded 70). As a result, the inclination angle of the welding tool 14 becomes the angle θ.

Next, the operator operates the sliding mechanism 18 to slide the sliding plate 52 in the direction toward the stage 20. As a result, the welding tool 14 approaches the members 70 to be welded.

Note that the alignment of the welding start position, the setting of the inclination angle of the welding tool 14, and the alignment of the welding tool 14 in the Z-axis direction may be performed in a different order from the illustrated order.

Next, the operator operates the main shaft drive mechanism 16 to rotate the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14, and operates the sliding mechanism 18 to insert the pin 152 of the welding tool 14 into the workpiece 70. FIG. 4 shows the state at this time.

Next, the operator operates the X-axis movement mechanism 82 to move the stage 20 relative to the welding tool 14 in the stage movement direction shown by arrow D10 in FIG. Then, the welding tool 14 moves in the welding tool advancing direction indicated by the arrow D12 in FIG. 4 relative to the welded members 70. The welding tool traveling direction indicated by arrow D12 is opposite to the stage moving direction indicated by arrow D10. By relatively moving the welding tool 14 in this manner, the members 70 to be welded placed on the stage 20 are friction stir welded along the welding line.

The friction stir welding apparatus 1 may include a control section that automatically controls the main shaft drive device 34, the sliding mechanism 18, the stage moving mechanism 22, and the stage tilting mechanism 24. Further, such a control unit measures the force in the axial direction of the spindle 12 with the load cell 68, and automatically controls the spindle drive device 34 and the Z-axis drive device 58 so that the force is maintained at a predetermined value. It's okay.

Here, the conventional member to be joined 70 was mainly made of aluminum. In contrast, the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can perform friction stir welding of metals having a higher melting point than aluminum (hereinafter sometimes referred to as high melting point materials).

High melting point materials include, for example, Inconel, a nickel-based alloy, and titanium. The melting point of aluminum is 660°C, while the melting points of Inconel® and titanium exceed 1000°C. As the melting point of the welded members 70 increases, more frictional heat is required to plastically fluidize the welded members 70. That is, in the case of a high melting point material, it is necessary to increase the torque of the main shaft 12 in order to generate high frictional heat in the welded members 70.

Also, high melting point materials such as Inconel and titanium generally have higher hardness (harder) than aluminum. As the hardness of the welded members 70 increases, more force is required to insert the welding tool 14 into the welded members 70. In other words, in the case of a material with high hardness, it is necessary to increase the force in the axial direction of the main shaft 12 for pressing (inserting) the welding tool 14 onto the members 70 to be welded.

In the case of a high melting point material, the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12 may be more than ten times as large as in the case of aluminum.

In conventional friction stir welding equipment with conventional welding tools, the main shaft is arranged roughly vertically, and a main shaft moving mechanism that movably supports the main shaft is connected to the top of a portal-shaped support. In such a portal configuration, the force transmission path from the welding tool to the ground via the main shaft, the main shaft movement mechanism, and the portal support is long. Therefore, in the portal structure, if the torque and axial force of the main shaft are increased, the welding tool cannot be properly supported due to the reaction force generated by the members to be welded. As a result, the inventors of the present invention have found that in the conventional friction stir welding apparatus, the position of the welding tool is disturbed and friction stir welding cannot be performed appropriately.

In contrast, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the main shaft 12 is arranged horizontally, and the main shaft 12 is supported by the ground 26 through the sliding mechanism 18 and the base part 10. As a result, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the force transmission path from the welding tool 14 to the ground 26 is shorter than that in the gate-type configuration. Further, the main shaft 12 is supported on the ground 26 by a base portion 10 that is low in height and wide in the horizontal direction. Therefore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, by increasing the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12, even if a large reaction force is generated by the welded members 70, the welding tool 14 can be appropriately supported. be able to. As a result, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, even if a high melting point material is used as the welded members 70, disturbances in the position of the welding tool 14 can be suppressed, and friction stir welding can be performed appropriately. .

Furthermore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the stage 20 disposed opposite to the welding tool 14 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the main shaft 12. On the other hand, the main shaft 12 is not provided with a mechanism for moving in a direction perpendicular to the main shaft 12. Therefore, the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment can stabilize the positions of the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14 even if the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12 become large. Furthermore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by not providing a mechanism for moving the main shaft 12 in the vertical direction on the main shaft 12 side, the force transmission path from the welding tool 14 to the ground 26 can be made shorter. I can do it.

Furthermore, the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with a stage tilting mechanism 24 that tilts the stage 20 with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main shaft 12. Thereby, the welding tool 14 can be tilted with respect to the normal line of the members 70 to be welded. Therefore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, friction stir welding can be appropriately performed using the conventional type welding tool 14. Further, the main shaft 12 is not provided with a mechanism for tilting the welding tool 14. Therefore, the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment can stabilize the positions of the main shaft 12 and the welding tool 14 even if the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12 become large. Furthermore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by not providing a mechanism for tilting the welding tool 14 on the main shaft 12 side, the force transmission path from the welding tool 14 to the ground 26 can be made shorter.

Furthermore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the stage 20 rotates around a pivot axis that intersects perpendicularly with an extension of the central axis of the main shaft 12. Therefore, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the force in the axial direction of the main shaft 12 can be stably received on the stage 20 side.

Further, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, both the main shaft 12 and the stage 20 are integrally supported by a common base portion 10. Therefore, the reaction force generated on the main shaft 12 side and the reaction force generated on the stage 20 side act on the base portion 10 so as to cancel each other out. Thereby, the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment can stabilize the positions of the main shaft 12, welding tool 14, and stage 20 even if the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12 become large.

As described above, according to the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately friction stir weld members having a high melting point.

Further, in the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the rail 50 extends in one direction (Z-axis direction) in the horizontal direction. However, the rail 50 is not limited to extending in one direction in the horizontal direction. That is, the uniaxial direction in which the main shaft 12 can move is not limited to one direction in the horizontal direction, but may be one direction along the upper surface of the base portion 10. For example, the upper surface of the base portion 10 may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the rail 50 may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane along the inclined upper surface. In this case, the main shaft 12 may extend in an inclined direction (extending direction of the rail 50) that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and may be guided by the rail 50 and movable in the inclined direction. According to this embodiment, the welding tool 14 can be appropriately supported while increasing the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12 compared to an embodiment in which the main shaft 12 is supported vertically. As a result, also in this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately friction stir weld members having a high melting point.

Furthermore, the mode in which the main shaft 12 is movably supported in one direction in the horizontal direction as in the present embodiment reduces the torque and axial force of the main shaft 12, compared to the mode in which the main shaft 12 is supported so as to be movable in an inclined direction. The effect of appropriately supporting the welding tool 14 can be increased while increasing the size. This is because when the main shaft 12 is supported movably in one direction in the horizontal direction, there is no vertical component of the reaction force generated on the main shaft 12, but only a horizontal component, so the reaction force generated on the main shaft 12 This is because they can be more appropriately resisted.

Note that the friction stir welding apparatus 1 of this embodiment is not only used for friction stir welding of welded members 70 having a high melting point, but also may be used for friction stir welding of conventional welded members 70 such as aluminum. .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the stage tilt mechanism 24 may include a holding mechanism that maintains the stage 20 in the tilted state (the rotating plate 134 in the rotated state). In this aspect, even if a force in the axial direction of the main shaft 12 is applied to the stage 20, the inclination angle of the stage 20 can be made more stable.

Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can come up with various changes and modifications within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. be done.

The present disclosure can be used in a friction stir welding device.

1 Friction stir welding apparatus 10 Base portion 12 Main shaft 14 Welding tool 18 Sliding mechanism 20 Stage 22 Stage moving mechanism 24 Stage tilting mechanism 26 Ground 70 Parts to be joined

Claims (4)

a base part installed on the ground;
a rail provided on the upper surface of the base portion and extending in a uniaxial direction along the upper surface;
a main shaft extending in the one-axis direction and movable in the one-axis direction by being directly guided by the rail;
a joining tool attached to the tip of the main shaft and including a tool body and a pin;
a stage arranged opposite to the welding tool and on which the members to be welded are installed;
a stage moving mechanism capable of moving the stage in a direction perpendicular to the main axis;
a stage tilting mechanism that tilts the stage with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis;
Equipped with
The main shaft is not provided with a mechanism for moving in a direction perpendicular to the main shaft,
The stage tilting mechanism includes a holding mechanism that maintains the stage tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to the main axis . The friction stir welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the uniaxial direction is one direction in a horizontal direction. The friction stir welding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the stage tilting mechanism rotates the stage around a pivot axis that perpendicularly intersects with an extension of the central axis of the main shaft. The friction stir welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the stage is supported by the base portion that is common to the main shaft.

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