Friction weld vibration quality monitoring system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames GROOMS, Charles William CARRIER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Friction welding systems and methods including a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld, a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed for applying a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece, and a sensor arranged and disposed to measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter.
Claims19
A friction welding system comprising:
- a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld;
- a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed for applying a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece;
- and
- a sensor arranged and disposed to measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter.
A friction welding system comprising:
- a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld;
- a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed to provide a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece;
- a sensor arranged and disposed to measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter;
- a controller configured to adjust the force provided by the force providing mechanism in response to the measured parameter;
- and
- wherein the sensor is configured to measure the vibration of the welding arrangement, and
- wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the force provided by the force providing mechanism by providing pressure pulses or variation in the pressure circuit based upon the measured parameter.
A method of friction welding comprising:
- providing a friction welding system comprising:
- a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld;
- a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed for applying a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece;
- and
- a sensor arranged and disposed measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter;
- and
- monitoring the force applied by the force providing mechanism;
- determining the amount of vibration in response to the measured parameter;
- comparing the amount of vibration to a predetermined amount of vibration;
- and
- generating a signal in response to the amount of vibration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.