Method and system of inertia friction welding
First Claim
1. A method of forming inertia friction welds that results in work parts welded with a specified angular orientation with respect to each other, comprising:
- loading a sample work part into a rotating chuck attached to a spindle and loading another sample work part into a non-rotating chuck;
applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve a predetermined first rotational speed;
coasting the spindle to achieve a predetermined second rotational speed;
inertia friction welding together the sample work parts to form a sample weld;
measuring and storing data related to the deceleration of the spindle during the sample inertia friction weld;
removing the welded sample work parts from the rotating and the non-rotating chucks;
calculating a sample deceleration profile of the spindle from the data acquired during the formation of the sample weld;
loading a production work part into the rotating chuck and loading another production work part into the non-rotating chuck;
applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to the predetermined first rotational speed;
maintaining the predetermined first rotational speed until a rotary position of the spindle matches a calculated value;
inertia friction welding together the production work parts to form a production weld; and
controlling torque applied to the spindle during the inertia friction welding of the production work parts so that the spindle deceleration during the formation of the production weld matches the sample deceleration profile of the spindle during the formation of the sample weld and so that the production weld ends in the specified angular orientation of the work parts with respect to each other.
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Abstract
A method and system of inertia friction welding of work parts welded with a specified angular orientation with respect to each other. The method and apparatus comprises loading a sample work part into a rotating chuck attached to a spindle and loading another sample work part into a non-rotating chuck and then applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve a predetermined first rotational speed. Next, the sample work parts are inertia friction welded together to form a sample weld. Then, the system measures and stores data related to the deceleration of the spindle during the sample inertia friction weld. The welded sample work parts are removed from the rotating and the non-rotating chucks. The system then calculates a sample deceleration profile of the spindle from the data acquired during the formation of the sample weld. Next, a production work part is loaded into the rotating chuck and another production work part is loaded into the non-rotating chuck. The system applies torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to the predetermined first rotational speed which is maintained a rotary position of the spindle matches a calculated value. The system then inertia friction welds together the production work parts to form a production weld. During the formation of the production weld, the system controls torque applied to the spindle during the inertia friction welding of the production work parts so that the spindle deceleration during the formation of the production weld matches the sample deceleration profile of the spindle during the formation of the sample weld and so that the production weld ends in the specified angular orientation of the work parts with respect to each other.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of forming inertia friction welds that results in work parts welded with a specified angular orientation with respect to each other, comprising:
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loading a sample work part into a rotating chuck attached to a spindle and loading another sample work part into a non-rotating chuck;
applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve a predetermined first rotational speed;
coasting the spindle to achieve a predetermined second rotational speed;
inertia friction welding together the sample work parts to form a sample weld;
measuring and storing data related to the deceleration of the spindle during the sample inertia friction weld;
removing the welded sample work parts from the rotating and the non-rotating chucks;
calculating a sample deceleration profile of the spindle from the data acquired during the formation of the sample weld;
loading a production work part into the rotating chuck and loading another production work part into the non-rotating chuck;
applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to the predetermined first rotational speed;
maintaining the predetermined first rotational speed until a rotary position of the spindle matches a calculated value;
inertia friction welding together the production work parts to form a production weld; and
controlling torque applied to the spindle during the inertia friction welding of the production work parts so that the spindle deceleration during the formation of the production weld matches the sample deceleration profile of the spindle during the formation of the sample weld and so that the production weld ends in the specified angular orientation of the work parts with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of forming inertia friction welds that results in work parts welded with a specified angular orientation, comprising:
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(a) loading one of a pair of a sample work parts into a spindle and loading the other of the pair of sample work parts into a non-rotating chuck;
(b) applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve a predetermined first rotational speed;
(c) coasting the spindle to achieve a predetermined second rotational speed;
(d) inertia friction welding together the pair of sample work parts to form a sample weld;
(e) calculating a sample deceleration profile of the spindle subsequent the formation of the sample weld;
(f) removing the welded-together pair of sample work parts from the spindle and the non-rotating chuck; and
(g) forming a plurality of production welds by;
(i) loading one of a pair of production work parts into the spindle and loading the other of the pair of production work parts into the non-rotating chuck;
(ii) applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to the predetermined first rotational speed;
(iii) maintaining the predetermined first rotational speed until a rotary position of the spindle matches a calculated value;
(iv) inertia friction welding together the production work parts to form one of the plurality of production welds;
(v) controlling torque applied to the spindle during the inertia friction welding together of the production work parts so that the spindle deceleration during the formation of the production weld matches the sample deceleration profile of the spindle during the formation of the sample weld and so that the production weld ends in the specified angular orientation of the work parts with respect to each other;
(vi) removing the welded-together pair of production work parts from the spindle and non-rotating chuck; and
(vii) repeating (i)-(vi) above with other pairs of production work parts. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of forming inertia friction welds that results in work parts welded with a specified angular orientation, comprising:
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loading a sample work part into a spindle and loading another sample work part into a non-rotating chuck;
applying torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve a predetermined first rotational speed;
coasting the spindle to a predetermined second rotational speed;
contacting together the sample work parts to inertia friction weld together the sample work parts and to form a sample weld, the spindle decelerating and transferring energy as it decelerates to create the sample weld;
measuring and storing data related to the deceleration of the spindle during the sample inertia friction weld;
calculating a sample deceleration profile from the data acquired during the formation of the sample weld by measuring a rotational speed of the spindle and a rotary position of the spindle during the deceleration of the spindle;
removing the welded-together sample work parts from the spindle and the non-rotating chuck;
loading a production work part into the spindle and loading another production work part into the non-rotating chuck;
applying a torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve the predetermined first rotational speed;
maintaining the predetermined first rotational speed until a rotary position of the spindle matches a calculated value;
contacting together the production work parts to inertia friction weld together the production work parts and to form a production weld; and
controlling torque applied to the spindle during the inertia friction welding of the production work parts so that the spindle deceleration during the formation of the production weld matches the sample deceleration profile of the spindle during the formation of the sample weld and so that the production weld ends in the specified angular orientation of the work parts with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An inertia friction weld system, comprising:
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a spindle having a flywheel, the spindle being configured to engage one of a first pair of parts in a known orientation;
a drive operatively connected to the spindle to apply torque to the spindle to rotate the spindle;
a non-rotating chuck spaced from the spindle and configured to engage the other of the first pair of parts;
a slide configured to slide the non-rotating chuck toward the spindle to facilitate welding together of the first pair of parts;
a motion controller operatively connected to the drive, the motion controller being configured;
to engage the drive to apply torque to the spindle to accelerate the spindle to achieve a predetermined first rotational speed;
to disengage the drive to coast the spindle to a predetermined second rotational speed; and
to engage the drive and inertia friction weld together a second pair of parts;
a logic controller operatively connected to the motion controller, the logic controller being configured;
to initiate contact between the first pair of parts and the second pair of parts; and
to measure and store data related to the deceleration of the spindle during the sample inertia friction weld; and
a central processing unit operatively connected to the logic controller, the central processing unit configured;
to calculate a sample deceleration profile of the spindle from the data acquired during the formation of a sample weld of the first pair of work parts and to communicate with the motion controller which controls the torque applied to the spindle during formation of a production weld of the second pair of parts so that the spindle deceleration during the formation of the production weld matches the sample deceleration profile of the spindle during the formation of the sample weld and so that the production weld ends in the specified angular orientation of the second pair of parts with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification