Method for designing a weld fixture based on predicted stresses and distortions

• US 6,627,841 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Zhishang, Martin, Edward T., Tanner, Wayne, Dong, Yi, Chen, Xiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDMONDSON, LYNNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US09/851,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 228/102-104, 219/109, 219/110, 219/119, 219/114, 219/117.1, 219/617, 703/1-6
• US Class Current: 219/110
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/003 relating to controlling of welding distortion
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/02 relating to soldering or welding dip or wave soldering in the manufacture of printed circuits H05K3/34
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/04 for holding or positioning work
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0426 Fixtures for other work

Abstract

A method for designing a weld fixture. The method includes modeling a set of distortions produced by applied mechanical forces on a material to be welded, modeling a set of distortions produced by applied thermal forces on the material to be welded, determining a set of reaction forces at a series of locations on a simulated weld fixture as a function of the modeled distortions, and designing a weld fixture as a function of the set of reaction forces.

Claims

1. A method for designing a weld fixture, including the steps of:

modeling a set of distortions produced by applied mechanical forces on a material to be welded;

modeling a set of further distortions produced by applied thermal forces on the material to be welded;

determining a set of maximum reaction forces at a series of locations on a simulated weld fixture as a function of the modeled distortions; and

designing a weld fixture as a function of the set of maximum reaction forces.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the applied mechanical forces include forces produced by pre-cambering distortions on the material to be welded.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein pre-cambering distortions include distortions induced by bending the material to be welded into a temporary distorted shape.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the applied thermal forces include forces produced by heat generated during a weld process.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein determining a set of maximum reaction forces at a series of locations on a simulated weld fixture includes the step of determining a maximum reaction force for each desired location over a period of time.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein a period of time includes a duration of a simulated weld process of the material to be welded.

7. A method for designing a fixture to hold a material to be welded during a weld process, including the steps of:

modeling a set of distortions produced by pre-cambering of the material to be welded;

modeling a further set of distortions produced by thermal forces on the material during the weld process;

determining a set of maximum reaction forces at a series of locations on a simulated weld fixture as a function of the modeled distortions; and

designing a weld fixture as a function of the set of maximum reaction forces.

8. A method for designing a fixture to hold a material to be welded during a weld process, including the steps of:

modeling the weld process of the material to be welded;

determining a set of distortions produced by the weld process in the model;

determining a set of reaction forces to the distortions at a plurality of locations on a simulated weld fixture; and

responsively designing a weld fixture as a function of maximum values of the reaction forces.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the set of distortions include mechanical distortions produced by pre-cambering of the material to be welded.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the set of distortions further include thermal distortions produced by the weld process.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the modeled thermal distortions are coupled to the modeled mechanical distortions during the modeled weld process.