JP2022036324A - Friction stir welding device and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a friction stir welding device capable of accurately determining, with a simple configuration, the quality of welding strength as compared with conventional friction stir welding devices.SOLUTION: The friction stir welding device comprises: a pin member 1; a shoulder member 2 with a first marking 101 formed on a tip surface 2a; a linear motion drive 4; a rotary drive 5; and a control device 110. The control device is configured to execute the steps of: (A) controlling the linear drive 4 and the rotary drive 5 so as to cause a tip of the pin member 1 to press a welding object portion Wa of a welding object W while rotating the pin member 1; (B) controlling the linear drive 4 and the rotary drive 5 so as to cause the tip of the pin member 1 to reach a first position where the first marking 101 is marked on the welding object portion Wa of the welding object W; and (C), after (B), controlling the linear drive 4 and the rotary drive 5 so as to pull out the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 from the welding object portion Wa while rotating the pin member 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a friction stir welding apparatus and an operating method thereof.

A machining management device provided with a joining state detecting means for determining the quality of joining in a device for joining by superimposing at least two members, pressing a rotating tool against one member, pushing the member, and frictionally agitating the members. Is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the processing management device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the joint state detecting means determines the amount of decrease in the plate thickness of the joint portion of one member based on the tip position of the protrusion provided at the tip portion of the rotation tool. It is calculated, and the quality of the joint strength is judged based on the calculated plate thickness reduction amount.

Patent No. 4671523

However, in the machining management device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the position of the tip of the protruding portion is calculated based on the output of the encoder of the motor for raising and lowering the rotation tool. For this reason, when the protruding part is worn, an error occurs between the tip position of the protruding part obtained from the encoder and the actual tip position of the protruding part, and the quality judgment of the joint strength is not accurate. There was still room for improvement as there was a risk that it would not be possible.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is a simple configuration to accurately determine whether or not a predetermined bonding strength has been reached as compared with a conventional friction stir welding device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a friction stir welding apparatus and an operation method thereof.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the friction stir welding apparatus according to the present invention is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is configured to be capable of rotating around an axis and moving forward and backward along the axis. The pin member is formed in a cylindrical shape, the pin member is inserted therein, and the shoulder member is configured to be able to move forward and backward in a direction along the axis, and the pin member is described as described above. A rotary drive that rotates around an axis, a linear drive that moves the pin member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis, and a control device are provided, and a first surface of the shoulder member has a first surface. The engraving is formed, and in the state where the pin member is rotated, the control device has the linear drive and the rotary drive so that the tip of the pin member presses the bonded portion of the object to be welded. (A), the linear drive and the rotary drive are controlled so that the tip of the pin member reaches the first position (B), and after the (B), (C) to control the linear drive and the rotary drive so as to pull out the pin member and the shoulder member from the joined portion in a state where the pin member is rotated is executed. The first position is a position where the first marking is marked on the joined portion of the object to be joined when the tip end portion of the pin member reaches the position.

As a result, when the pin member and the shoulder member reach the first position, the first marking is marked on the jointed portion of the object to be joined. On the other hand, when the tip of the pin member is worn, or when there is a problem with the linear motion drive or the like, the pin member and the shoulder member do not reach the first position. For this reason, the volume of the softened portion extruded by press-fitting the pin member becomes smaller than in the normal case, and the contact between the extruded softened portion and the tip surface of the shoulder member becomes insufficient, and the joint is joined. The first marking is not sufficiently marked on the jointed portion of the object. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the jointed portion has reached a predetermined joint strength based on whether or not the first stamp is marked.

Further, the operation method of the friction stir welding device according to the present invention is a method of operating a friction stir welding device that joins by softening the object to be joined by frictional heat, and the friction stir welding device is formed in a cylindrical shape. The pin member is formed in a cylindrical shape and is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to be able to rotate around the axis and move forward and backward along the axis, and the pin member is inserted inside the axis. A shoulder member configured to be able to move forward and backward along the axis, a rotary drive for rotating the pin member around the axis, and the pin member and the shoulder member moving forward and backward along the axis. A linear drive for movement is provided, and a first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member, and the tip of the pin member is covered with the object to be welded while the pin member is rotated. When the linear drive and the rotary drive operate so as to press the joint portion (A), the linear drive and the rotary drive so that the tip of the pin member reaches the first position. When the rotary drive is operated (B), after the (B), the linear drive is such that the pin member and the shoulder member are pulled out from the joined portion in a state where the pin member is rotated. And (C) in which the rotary drive is operated, the first position is the first marking on the joined portion of the object to be joined by the tip of the pin member reaching the position. Is the position where is marked.

As a result, when the pin member and the shoulder member reach the first position, the first marking is marked on the jointed portion of the object to be joined. On the other hand, when the tip of the pin member is worn, or when there is a problem with the linear motion drive or the like, the pin member and the shoulder member do not reach the first position. For this reason, the volume of the softened portion extruded by press-fitting the pin member becomes smaller than in the normal case, and the contact between the extruded softened portion and the tip surface of the shoulder member becomes insufficient, and the joint is joined. The first marking is not sufficiently marked on the jointed portion of the object. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the jointed portion has reached a predetermined joint strength based on whether or not the first stamp is marked.

The above objectives, other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to the friction stir welding apparatus and the operation method thereof according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not a predetermined bonding strength is reached as compared with the conventional friction stir welding apparatus with a simple configuration. obtain.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a front end surface (lower end surface) of a pin member and a shoulder member in the friction stir welding device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a main part of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment, and shows a state in which friction stir welding is executed. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the friction stir welding device of the modified example 1 in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the friction stir welding device of the modification 2 of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of a front end surface (lower end surface) of a pin member and a shoulder member in the friction stir welding device shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout all the figures, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted. Further, in all the drawings, the components necessary for explaining the present invention are excerpted and shown, and the drawings of other components may be omitted. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
The friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment has a pin member formed in a cylindrical shape and configured to be capable of rotating around an axis and moving forward and backward along the axis, and a cylindrical shape. A shoulder member that is formed in the above and has a pin member inserted inside so that it can move forward and backward along the axis, a rotary drive that rotates the pin member around the axis, and a pin. A linear drive that moves the member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis, and a control device are provided. A first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member, and the control device rotates the pin member. In this state, when the linear drive and the rotary drive are controlled so that the tip of the pin member presses the joined portion of the object to be joined (A), the tip of the pin member reaches the first position. After (B) and (B), the linear drive and the rotary drive are controlled so that the pin member and the shoulder member are pulled out from the joined portion while the pin member is rotated. (C) for controlling the dynamic drive and the rotary drive is configured to be executed, and the first position is to be joined by the tip of the pin member reaching the position. This is the position where the first stamp is marked on the part.

Further, in the friction stir welding device according to the first embodiment, the tip portion of the pin member may be formed so as to protrude from the tip surface of the shoulder member.

Hereinafter, an example of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[Structure of friction stir welding device]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a front end surface (lower end surface) of a pin member and a shoulder member in the friction stir welding device shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a pin member 1, a shoulder member 2, a tool fixture 3, a linear drive drive 4, a rotary drive 5, and a backing support member 6. The backing member 7, the robot 8, and the control device 110 are provided, and the bonded portion Wa of the bonded object W is softened by frictional heat and is configured to be joined.

In the first embodiment, the object to be joined W is composed of a plate-shaped first member W1 and a plate-shaped second member W2. The first member W1 may use at least one of a metal material (for example, aluminum), a thermoplastic (for example, polyamide), and a fiber reinforced plastic (for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic), and the second member W1 may be used. The member W2 may use a metal material (for example, steel) different from that of the first member W1.

In the first embodiment, the object to be joined W is composed of the plate-shaped first member W1 and the plate-shaped second member W2, but the method is not limited to this, and the object to be joined is not limited to this. The shape of W (first member W1 and second member W2) is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape or an arc shape.

The pin member 1, the shoulder member 2, the tool fixture 3, the linear motion drive 4, and the rotary drive 5 are provided on the upper part of the backing support member 6 composed of the C-type gun (C-type frame). .. Further, a backing member 7 is provided below the backing support member 6. The pin member 1, the shoulder member 2, and the backing member 7 are attached to the backing support member 6 at positions facing each other. The backing support member 6 is attached to the tip of the robot 8. As the robot 8, a robot such as a horizontal articulated type or a vertical articulated type can be adopted.

The friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment is not limited to the case where it is applied to the robot 8, and is known, for example, an NC machine tool, a large C frame, an auto riveter, or the like. It may be applied to equipment.

Further, in the first embodiment, the backing support member 6 is composed of a C-shaped gun, but the present invention is not limited to this. The backing support member 6 is configured as long as it can support the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 so as to be able to move forward and backward, and can support the backing member 7 at a position facing the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2. It may have been.

The backing member 7 is formed in a flat plate shape and is configured to support the object to be joined W. The structure of the backing member 7 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately support the object to be welded W so that friction stir welding can be performed. The backing member 7 may be configured such that, for example, a plurality of backing members having various shapes are separately prepared and can be exchanged according to the shape of the object to be joined W.

The pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 are supported by the tool fixture 3 and are configured to be driven forward and backward in the vertical direction by the linear drive drive 4. As the linear drive drive 4, for example, an electric motor (servo motor) and a ball screw, a linear guide, or the like may be used, or an air cylinder or the like may be used.

Further, the pin member 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is configured to be rotatable around the axis Xr of the pin member 1 by a rotation drive 5. As the rotary drive 5, for example, an electric motor (servo motor) may be used.

The shoulder member 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a hollow, and the pin member 1 is inserted in the hollow of the shoulder member 2. Further, in the first embodiment, the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 are arranged so that the tip surface 1a of the pin member 1 protrudes from the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2. Specifically, the tip surface 1a of the pin member 1 is arranged so as to protrude from the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2 by a predetermined first protrusion amount H.

Here, the first protrusion amount can be set in advance by an experiment or the like. For example, the bonded portion Wa is joined by changing the protruding amount of the tip surface 1a of the pin member 1 with respect to the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2 (hereinafter, referred to as the protruding amount of the tip portion of the pin member 1). Next, the joining strength of the joined portion Wa is measured, and a graph showing the relationship between the protrusion amount of the tip portion of the pin member 1 and the joining strength of the joined portion Wa is created. Then, a protrusion amount equal to or higher than a predetermined joint strength (for example, a strength satisfying the JIS 3140 standard) may be calculated from the graph, and the calculated protrusion amount may be set as the first protrusion amount H.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the first marking 101 is formed on the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2. The first marking 101 may be composed of at least one of a character, a figure, a symbol, and a three-dimensional shape, for example. In the first embodiment, the first marking 101 is composed of a square shape and a character shape of OK, and is formed at two locations on the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2.

In the first embodiment, the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 are configured to be movable back and forth by the linear drive drive 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. A form may be adopted in which the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 are independently configured to be able to move forward and backward.

The control device 110 includes an arithmetic processor such as a microprocessor and a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM and a RAM, and a clock device having a calendar function (not shown). Information such as basic programs and various fixed data is stored in the storage device. The arithmetic processing unit controls various operations of the linear motion drive 4, the rotary drive 5, and the robot 8 by reading and executing software such as a basic program stored in the storage.

The control device 110 may be configured by a single control device 110 for centralized control, or may be configured by a plurality of control devices 110 that cooperate with each other to perform distributed control. Further, the control device 110 may be composed of a microcomputer, an MPU, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), a logic circuit, or the like.

[Operation of friction stir welding device (operation method of friction stir welding device) and action effect]
Next, the operation (operation method) and the effect of the friction stir welding device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The following operations are executed by the arithmetic processing unit of the control device 110 reading the program stored in the storage device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a main part of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment, and shows a state in which friction stir welding is executed.

First, the operator places the object to be joined W on the upper surface of the backing member 7. Then, the operator operates an input device (not shown) to input the joining execution of the object to be joined W to the control device 110.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 110 drives the rotation drive 5 to rotate the pin member 1 at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 500 to 3000 rpm) (step S101). Next, the control device 110 drives the linear drive device 4 in a state where the pin member 1 is rotated to advance the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2, and the tip surface 1a of the pin member 1 is joined to the object to be joined. It is brought into contact with the point joint Wa of W (step S102).

Next, the control device 110 drives the linear motion drive 4 so that the tip end portion of the pin member 1 moves to a predetermined first position set in advance (step S103). At this time, the control device 110 controls the linear motion drive 4 so that the pin member 1 presses the object to be joined W with a predetermined pressing force (for example, 4 kN to 70 kN) set in advance.

The predetermined rotation speed and the predetermined pressing force can be appropriately set by experiments or the like in advance. Further, the position information of the tip portion of the pin member 1 is detected by the position detector (encoder) provided in the linear motion drive 4 or the position detector that detects the movement amount of the pin member 1, and the control device. It is output to 110.

Here, the first position refers to the position where the first marking 101 is marked on the bonded portion Wa of the bonded object W when the friction stir welding device 100 is in a normal state. Further, the first position is larger than 0% when the surface of the second member W2 in contact with the first member W1 is 0% and the surface of the second member W2 in contact with the backing member 7 is 100%. , And can be arbitrarily set between less than 100%.

From the viewpoint of improving the joint strength, the first position should be closer to the surface of the second member W2 that comes into contact with the backing member 7, and may be 25% or more, or 50% or more. It may be 75% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more.

As a result, the pin member 1 comes into contact with the bonded portion Wa of the object W to be bonded, and frictional heat is generated due to the friction between the tip portion of the pin member 1 and the bonded portion Wa, and the bonded object W is bonded. Part Wa is softened to generate plastic flow.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip portion of the pin member 1 is press-fitted into the inside of the bonded portion Wa, so that the second softened portion 42, which is the softened portion of the second member W2, becomes the first member W1. It enters (pierces) the first softened portion 41, which is the softened portion of the above.

At this time, in the friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment, the shoulder member 2 does not rotate, and only the pin member 1 rotates. As a result, the first softened portion 41 pushed away by the press-fitting of the tip portion of the pin member 1 comes into contact with the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2, and the first marking 101 is marked.

If the friction stir welding device 100 is not in a normal state, such as when the tip of the pin member 1 is worn or when the linear motion drive 4 or the like has a problem. Even if the linear motion drive 4 is controlled so that the tip of the pin member 1 reaches the first position, the tip of the pin member 1 cannot reach the first position.

Therefore, the volumes of the first softened portion 41 and the second softened portion 42 extruded by press-fitting the tip portion of the pin member 1 become smaller than in the normal case, and the extruded first softened portion 41 and the shoulderer The contact of the member 2 with the tip surface 2a is insufficient. As a result, the first marking 101 is not sufficiently marked on the bonded portion Wa of the bonded object W.

Therefore, by detecting whether or not the first marking 101 is marked on the bonded portion Wa, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the bonded portion Wa has reached a predetermined bonding strength. ..

Next, the control device 110 determines whether or not the tip of the pin member 1 has reached the first position based on the position information of the tip of the pin member 1 detected by the position detector (not shown). (Step S104). When the control device 110 determines that the tip of the pin member 1 has not reached the first position (No in step S104), until the tip of the pin member 1 reaches the first position. Each process of step S103 to step S104 is executed. On the other hand, when the control device 110 determines that the tip end portion of the pin member 1 has reached the first position (Yes in step S104), the control device 110 executes the process of step S105.

In step S105, the control device 110 drives the linear drive device 4 so as to pull out the tip portion 1a of the pin member 1 from the bonded portion Wa in a state where the pin member 1 is rotated. Then, the control device 110 stops the rotation drive 5 so as to stop the rotation of the pin member 1 when the tip portion 1a of the pin member 1 is pulled out from the joined portion Wa, and ends this program. .. When joining a plurality of joined portions Wa, the control device 110 may be configured to start joining the next joined portion Wa without stopping the rotation of the pin member 1. ..

In the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment configured in this way, the second softened portion 42 of the second member W2 is formed by performing friction stir welding with respect to the object W to be joined. An anchor effect can be obtained in which the first member W1 enters the first softened portion 41, the strength against tensile shear becomes high, and the peel strength becomes relatively high.

Further, in the friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment, the shoulder member 2 is configured so as not to rotate, and the control device 110 moves the tip portion of the pin member 1 to the first position. It is configured to drive the linear drive drive 4.

As a result, when the friction stir welding device 100 is normal, the first softened portion 41 pushed away by the press-fitting of the tip portion of the pin member 1 comes into contact with the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2, and the first The stamp 101 is stamped.

The friction stir welding device 100 is not in a normal state, such as when the tip of the pin member 1 is worn or when the position detector or the like of the linear motion drive 4 has a problem. In this case, even if the linear motion drive 4 is controlled so that the tip of the pin member 1 reaches the first position, the tip of the pin member 1 cannot reach the first position.

Therefore, the volumes of the first softened portion 41 and the second softened portion 42 extruded by press-fitting the tip portion of the pin member 1 become smaller than in the normal case, and the extruded first softened portion 41 and the shoulderer The contact of the member 2 with the tip surface 2a is insufficient. As a result, the first marking 101 is not sufficiently marked on the bonded portion Wa of the bonded object W.

Therefore, by detecting whether or not the first marking 101 is marked on the bonded portion Wa, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the bonded portion Wa has reached a predetermined bonding strength. ..

[Modification 1]
Next, a modified example of the friction stir welding device according to the first embodiment will be described.

The friction stir welding device of the first modification in the first embodiment further includes an adjuster configured to change the length dimension of the tip portion of the pin member protruding from the tip surface of the shoulder member.

Further, in the friction stir welding device of the present modification 1, the regulator may be configured to advance or retreat the pin member with respect to the shoulder member.

Hereinafter, an example of the friction stir welding apparatus of the present modification 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the friction stir welding device of the modified example 1 in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the friction stir welding device 100 of the present modification 1 has the same basic configuration as the friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment, but has a shoulder member at the tip of the pin member 1. The difference is that the regulator 9 is further provided, which is configured to change the length dimension protruding from the tip surface 2a of 2. In the present modification 1, the regulator 9 is configured to move the pin member 1 forward and backward with respect to the shoulder member 2. As the regulator 9, for example, a linear actuator may be used, an air cylinder or the like may be used, or an electric motor (servo motor) and a ball screw, a linear guide or the like may be used.

Even the friction stir welding device 100 of the present modification 1 configured in this way has the same function and effect as the friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment.

Further, the friction stir welding device 100 of the present modification 1 includes an adjuster 9 configured to change the length dimension of the tip portion of the pin member 1 protruding from the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2. ing. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the pin member 1 can be freely changed depending on the material (material) or the thickness dimension of the object to be joined, and the joining strength of the portion Wa to be joined can be changed.

[Modification 2]
In the friction stir welding device of the second modification in the first embodiment, the regulator is configured to advance and retreat the shoulder member with respect to the pin member.

Hereinafter, an example of the friction stir welding apparatus of the present modification 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the friction stir welding device of the modification 2 of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the friction stir welding device 100 of the present modification 2 has the same basic configuration as the friction stir welding device 100 of the modification 1 in the first embodiment, but the regulator 9 is a pin member. The difference is that the shoulder member 2 is configured to move forward and backward with respect to 1.

Even the friction stir welding device 100 of the present modification 2 configured in this way has the same function and effect as the friction stir welding device 100 of the modification 1 in the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 2)
The friction stir welding device according to the second embodiment has a pin member formed in a cylindrical shape and configured to be capable of rotating around an axis and moving forward and backward along the axis, and a cylindrical shape. A shoulder member that is formed in the above and has a pin member inserted inside so that it can move forward and backward along the axis, a rotary drive that rotates the pin member around the axis, and a pin. A linear drive that moves the member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis, and a control device are provided. A first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member, and the control device rotates the pin member. In this state, when the linear drive and the rotary drive are controlled so that the tip of the pin member presses the bonded portion of the object to be joined (A), the first marking is made on the bonded portion of the object to be welded. As marked, the pin member is operated for a predetermined first time set in advance (B1), and after (B1), the pin member is rotated. And (C), which controls the linear drive and the rotary drive so as to pull out the shoulder member from the joined portion, is configured to be executed.

Hereinafter, an example of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Since the friction stir welding apparatus according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the friction stir welding apparatus according to the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[Operation and effect of friction stir welding device]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the second embodiment.

First, similarly to the friction stir welding device 100 according to the first embodiment, the operator places the object to be joined W on the upper surface of the backing member 7. Then, the operator operates an input device (not shown) to input the joining execution of the object to be joined W to the control device 110.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the control device 110 drives the rotation drive 5 to rotate the pin member 1 at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 500 to 3000 rpm) (step S201). Next, the control device 110 drives the linear drive device 4 in a state where the pin member 1 is rotated to advance the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2, and the tip surface 1a of the pin member 1 is joined to the object to be joined. It is brought into contact with the point joint Wa of W (step S202).

Next, the control device 110 drives the linear motion drive 4 so that the tip end portion of the pin member 1 is press-fitted into the bonded portion Wa of the bonded object W (step S203). At this time, the control device 110 controls the linear motion drive 4 so that the pin member 1 presses the object to be joined W with a predetermined pressing force (for example, 4 kN to 70 kN) set in advance.

As a result, while the pin member 1 rotates, it comes into contact with the bonded portion Wa of the object to be joined W, and frictional heat is generated due to the friction between the tip end portion of the pin member 1 and the bonded portion Wa, and the bonded object W is generated. The bonded portion Wa is softened, and plastic flow is generated.

Then, the tip portion of the pin member 1 is press-fitted into the inside of the bonded portion Wa, so that the second softened portion 42, which is a softened portion of the second member W2, is the first softened portion of the first member W1. It enters the softened portion 41.

Next, the control device 110 acquires from the clock unit the time elapsed since the linear drive unit 4 was driven in step S203 (step S204). Next, the control device 110 determines whether or not the time acquired in step S204 (the time elapsed since the linear drive drive 4 is driven) has elapsed the preset first time (step S205). ).

Here, in the first time, when the friction stir welding device 100 is in a normal state, the tips of the pin member 1 and the shoulder member 2 are used until the first marking 101 is marked on the bonded portion Wa of the bonded object W. It is the time it takes for the part to move. In other words, the first time is the time required for the tip end portion of the pin member 1 to reach the first position. The first time can be set in advance by an experiment or the like.

When the control device 110 determines that the time acquired in step S204 has not elapsed the first time (No in step S205), the time acquired in step S204 is until the first time elapses. The processing of step S204 and step S205 is executed. On the other hand, when the control device 110 determines that the time acquired in step S204 has elapsed the first time (Yes in step S205), the control device 110 executes the process of step S206.

In step S206, the control device 110 drives the linear drive device 4 so as to pull out the tip portion 1a of the pin member 1 from the bonded portion Wa in a state where the pin member 1 is rotated. Then, the control device 110 stops the rotation drive 5 so as to stop the rotation of the pin member 1 when the tip portion 1a of the pin member 1 is pulled out from the joined portion Wa, and ends this program. .. When joining a plurality of joined portions Wa, the control device 110 may be configured to start joining the next joined portion Wa without stopping the rotation of the pin member 1. ..

Even the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment, which is configured in this way, has the same effect as the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
The friction stir welding device according to the third embodiment is the friction stir welding device according to the first embodiment (including a modification) or the second embodiment, in which a recess is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member. A second marking is formed on the bottom surface of the recess.

Hereinafter, an example of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[Structure of friction stir welding device]
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the friction stir welding apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of a front end surface (lower end surface) of a pin member and a shoulder member in the friction stir welding device shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, hatching is shown to make it easier to understand the bottom surface of the recess.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment has the same basic configuration as the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, but has the same basic configuration as the tip of the shoulder member 2. The difference is that the recess 20 is formed on the surface 2a, and the second marking 102 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 20. In the third embodiment, the recesses 20 are formed in two places.

The depth dimension of the recess 20 can be set in advance by an experiment or the like. The depth dimension of the recess 20 may be, for example, 0.5 mm or more because the wear of the tip portion of the pin member 1 is detected at an early stage, and the viewpoint of detecting the time when maintenance such as replacement of the pin member 1 is performed. Therefore, it may be 3.0 mm.

The second marking 102 may be formed of at least one of a character, a figure, a symbol, and a three-dimensional shape, and may be formed of a shape different from that of the first marking 101. In the third embodiment, the second marking 102 is composed of a square shape and a character shape of OK2.

Even the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment, which is configured in this way, has the same effect as the friction stir welding apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.

Further, in the friction stir welding device 100 according to the third embodiment, a recess 20 is formed on the tip surface 2a of the shoulder member 2, and a second marking 102 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 20.

As a result, when the first marking 101 and the second marking 102 are marked on the joined portion Wa of the object to be joined W, it is possible to accurately determine that the joining strength of the joined portion Wa is sufficient. At the same time, it can be determined that maintenance does not have to be performed, such as when the tip of the pin member 1 is not worn.

Further, when the first marking 101 is marked on the joined portion Wa of the object to be joined W and the second marking 102 is not marked, it is accurately determined that the joining strength of the joined portion Wa is sufficient. It can be determined and it can be determined that maintenance needs to be performed.

From the above description, many improvements or other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be construed as an example only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of its structure and / or function can be substantially changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by an appropriate combination of the plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiment.

Since the friction stir welding apparatus and the operation method thereof of the present invention have a simple configuration, it can accurately determine whether or not a predetermined bonding strength is reached as compared with the conventional friction stir welding apparatus. It is useful.

1 Pin member 1a Tip surface 2 Shoulder member 2a Tip surface 3 Tool fixture 4 Linear drive 5 Rotational drive 6 Support member 7 Backing member 8 Robot 9 Regulator 20 Recess 41 1st softening part 42 2nd softening part 100 Friction stir welding device 101 1st marking 102 2nd marking 110 Control device H 1st protrusion amount W1 1st member W2 2nd member Xr axis

Claims (14)

A pin member that is formed in a columnar shape and is configured to be able to rotate around an axis and move forward and backward along the axis.
A shoulder member which is formed in a cylindrical shape, has the pin member inserted therein, and is configured to be able to move forward and backward in a direction along the axis.
A rotary drive that rotates the pin member around the axis, and
A linear drive that moves the pin member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis, and
Equipped with a control device,
A first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member.
The control device controls the linear drive and the rotation drive so that the tip of the pin member presses the joined portion of the object to be joined while the pin member is rotated (A). )When,
When the linear drive and the rotary drive are controlled so that the tip of the pin member reaches the first position (B),
After the (B), the linear drive and the rotation drive are controlled so as to pull out the pin member and the shoulder member from the joined portion in a state where the pin member is rotated (C). And is configured to run,
The first position is a friction stir welding device in which the first mark is marked on the bonded portion of the object to be bonded when the tip end portion of the pin member reaches the position. A pin member that is formed in a columnar shape and is configured to be able to rotate around an axis and move forward and backward along the axis.
A shoulder member which is formed in a cylindrical shape, has the pin member inserted therein, and is configured to be able to move forward and backward in a direction along the axis.
A rotary drive that rotates the pin member around the axis, and
A linear drive that moves the pin member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis, and
Equipped with a control device,
A first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member.
The control device controls the linear drive and the rotation drive so that the tip of the pin member presses the joined portion of the object to be joined while the pin member is rotated (A). )When,
When the linear drive and the rotary drive are operated (B1) for a predetermined first time set in advance so that the first mark is marked on the jointed portion of the object to be joined.
After the (B1), the linear drive and the rotary drive are controlled so as to pull out the pin member and the shoulder member from the joined portion in a state where the pin member is rotated (C). And, a friction stir welding device configured to perform. The friction stir welding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tip portion of the pin member is formed so as to protrude from the tip surface of the shoulder member. The friction stir welding apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an adjuster configured to change the length dimension of the tip portion of the pin member so as to project from the tip surface of the shoulder member. The friction stir welding device according to claim 4, wherein the regulator is configured to advance and retreat the pin member with respect to the shoulder member. The friction stir welding device according to claim 4, wherein the regulator is configured to advance and retreat the shoulder member with respect to the pin member. A recess is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member.
The friction stir welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a second marking is formed on the bottom surface of the recess. It is an operation method of a friction stir welding device that joins by softening the object to be joined by frictional heat.
The friction stir welding device is
A pin member that is formed in a columnar shape and is configured to be able to rotate around an axis and move forward and backward along the axis.
A shoulder member which is formed in a cylindrical shape, has the pin member inserted therein, and is configured to be able to move forward and backward in a direction along the axis.
A rotary drive that rotates the pin member around the axis, and
A linear drive that moves the pin member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis is provided.
A first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member.
(A), the linear drive and the rotary drive operate so that the tip of the pin member presses the joined portion of the object to be joined in a state where the pin member is rotated.
When the linear drive and the rotary drive operate (B) so that the tip of the pin member reaches the first position,
After the (B), the linear drive and the rotary drive operate so as to pull out the pin member and the shoulder member from the joined portion in a state where the pin member is rotated (C). And, with
The operation method of the friction stir welding apparatus, wherein the first position is a position where the first mark is marked on the bonded portion of the bonded object when the tip end portion of the pin member reaches the position. It is an operation method of a friction stir welding device that joins by softening the object to be joined by frictional heat.
The friction stir welding device is
A pin member that is formed in a columnar shape and is configured to be able to rotate around an axis and move forward and backward along the axis.
A shoulder member which is formed in a cylindrical shape, has the pin member inserted therein, and is configured to be able to move forward and backward in a direction along the axis.
A rotary drive that rotates the pin member around the axis, and
A linear drive that moves the pin member and the shoulder member forward and backward along the axis is provided.
A first marking is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member.
(A), the linear drive and the rotary drive operate so that the tip of the pin member presses the joined portion of the object to be joined in a state where the pin member is rotated.
When the linear drive and the rotary drive are operated for a predetermined first time set in advance so that the first mark is marked on the jointed portion of the object to be joined (B1).
After the (B1), the linear drive and the rotary drive operate so as to pull out the pin member and the shoulder member from the joined portion in a state where the pin member is rotated (C). A method of operating a friction stir welding device. The operation method of the friction stir welding device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the tip portion of the pin member is formed so as to protrude from the tip surface of the shoulder member. The method for operating a friction stir welding apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an adjuster, which is configured to change the length dimension of the tip portion of the pin member so as to project from the tip surface of the shoulder member. The method for operating a friction stir welding device according to claim 11, wherein the regulator is configured to advance and retreat the pin member with respect to the shoulder member. The operation method of the friction stir welding device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the regulator is configured to advance and retreat the shoulder member with respect to the pin member. A recess is formed on the tip surface of the shoulder member.
The method for operating a friction stir welding device according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein a second marking is formed on the bottom surface of the recess.

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