Methods of manufacturing elongate weldments
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPaul Stevenson Gregg, Kirk B. Kajita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of manufacture include welding two or more elongate members together to define an elongate weldment, wherein the welding results in a weld region that is in tension and regions adjacent to the weld region that are in compression, and longitudinally stretching the elongate weldment. Tools and systems for manufacturing elongate weldments, as well as apparatuses, such as aircraft, that include elongate weldments, also are disclosed.
Claims20
A method of manufacture, comprising:
- welding two or more elongate members together to define an elongate weldment, wherein the welding results in a weld region that is in tension and regions adjacent to the weld region that are in compression;
- and
- longitudinally stretching the elongate weldment, wherein the longitudinally stretching includes applying an applied tension to the elongate weldment, wherein the applied tension is greater than a plastic yield strength of the weld region, and wherein the applied tension is less than a plastic yield strength of the two or more elongate members prior to the welding.
The method of 1, wherein the welding further results in one or more of twisting, buckling, and/or bowing of the elongate weldment, and wherein the longitudinally stretching includes straightening the elongate weldment.
A system for manufacturing an elongate weldment, the system comprising:
- a stock of two or more ribbons of material;
- a welder positioned to operatively weld together the two or more ribbons to define an elongate weldment;
- a stretcher positioned and configured to stretch the elongate weldment;
- and
- a cutter positioned and configured to cut the elongate weldment into a plurality of elongate weldments after the elongate weldment has been stretched by the stretcher.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.