Laser welding Al and Fe members with Zn filler

• US 8,492,675 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wakisaka, Taisei, Okumura, Tokuji, Suzuki, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoner, Kiley
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAMINO, CARLOS J
• Application Number:
  US12/933,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20110020666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.63, 219/121.64
• US Class Current: 219/121.64
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/0056 soldering by means of beams, e.g. lasers, E.B.
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/14 specially adapted for soldering seams making tubes involving operations other than soldering B21C
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/19 taking account of the properties of the materials to be soldered
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/20 Ferrous alloys and aluminium or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/24 Seam welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/28 with the principal constituent melting at less than 950 degrees C
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/282 Zn as the principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/3053 Fe as the principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/01 all layers being exclusively metallic making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12736 Al-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12757 Fe

Abstract

In joining an Fe-based metallic member comprising an Fe-based material and an Al-based metallic member comprising an Al-based material by a Zn-based filler metal, a joined part of the Fe-based metallic member is heated at a temperature higher than a melting point of the Fe-based material.

Claims

1. A method for joining metal members, comprising:

joining an Fe-based metallic member containing an Fe-based material and an Al-based metallic member containing an Al-based material by interposing a Zn-based filler metal between the Fe-based metallic member and the Al-based metallic member;

forming a groove between the Fe-based metallic member and the Al-based metallic member;

disposing the Zn-based filler metal on the groove; and

heating a joined part of the Fe-based metallic member at a temperature higher than a melting point of the Fe-based metallic member by positioning a center line of a laser beam at a Fe-based metallic member side relative to a center line of the groove, such that a portion of the Fe-based metallic member is directly irradiated by the laser beam, and a size of the portion of the Fe-based metallic member directly irradiated by the laser beam is greater than a size of a portion of the Al-based metallic member directly irradiated by the laser beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein heating the joined part of the Fe-based metallic member includes irradiating a single laser beam which directly impinges on and irradiates at least the portion of the Fe-based metallic member and the Zn-based filler metal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the single laser beam directly impinges on and irradiates the portion of the Fe-based metallic member, the portion of the Al-based metallic member, and the Zn-based filler metal.

4. A method for joining metallic members comprising:

joining an Fe-based metallic member containing an Fe-based material and an Al-based metallic member containing an Al-based material by interposing a filler metal containing only Zn, Si and unavoidable impurities between the Fe-based metallic member and the Al-based metallic member.

5. The method according to claim 4,

wherein the filler metal contains 0.25 to 2.5% by weight of Si, and the remainder being Zn and unavoidable impurities.

6. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

heating a joined part of the Fe-based metallic member at a temperature higher than a melting point of the Fe-based material.

7. The method according to claim 5 further comprising:

heating a joined part of the Fe-based metallic member at a temperature higher than a melting point of the Fe-based material.