Installation for the continuous butt joining and welding of at least two sheet blanks by means of a laser beam
AssigneeSollac
InventorsGilles Peru, Francis Sauvage, Yvon Le Roy, Charles Sion
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The installation comprises a zone A for positioning a first sheet blank (2) to be welded, a zone B for bringing the two sheet blanks (2, 3) to be welded into edge to edge relation, a zone C for guiding, transferring and welding the two sheet blanks (2, 3), and a zone D for discharging the two welded sheet blanks (2, 3). The invention is applicable to installations for welding by means of a laser beam sheet blanks of different geometrical and/or different thicknesses, for example for the automobile industry.
Claims25
Installation for the continuous butt joining and welding of edges of at least two sheet blanks by means of a laser beam, characterized in that said installation comprises in combination:
- a first zone for positioning a first sheet blank of said at least two sheet blanks to be welded comprising in combination:
- a device for feeding said first sheet blank longitudinally of said installation toward said laser beam and including means for supporting and longitudinally positioning said sheet blank in a horizontal reference plane and movable horizontally in a direction toward said laser beam,
- means for laterally positioning an edge to be welded of said first sheet blank on an axis of said laser beam,
- means for maintaining a longitudinal and lateral relative positioning of said first sheet blank,
- and means for maintaining said edge to be welded of said first sheet blank on said axis of said laser beam;
- a second zone for making a butt joint between edges of said at least two sheet blanks to be welded and comprising in combination:
- longitudinal means for supporting said first sheet blank in a horizontal reference plane,
- means for maintaining a longitudinal and lateral relative positioning of said first sheet blank,
- means for maintaining said edge to be welded of said first sheet blank on said axis of said laser beam,
- a device for feeding a second sheet blank of said at least two sheet blanks and including longitudinal means for supporting said second sheet blank in a horizontal reference plane and positioning an edge to be welded of said second sheet blank against said edge to be welded of said first sheet blank and horizontally movable in synchronism with said means for maintaining said longitudinal and lateral relative positioning of said first sheet blank,
- and means for maintaining a longitudinal and lateral relative positioning of said second sheet blank;
- a third zone for guiding, transferring and welding said edges of said first and second sheet blanks, comprising in combination:
- longitudinal means for supporting said first and second sheet blanks in a horizontal reference plane,
- means for maintaining a longitudinal and lateral relative positioning of said first and second sheet blanks and horizontally movable,
- means for maintaining said edge to be welded of said first sheet blank on said axis of said laser beam,
- means for producing a lateral pressure between said edges to be welded of said first and second sheet blanks,
- and a laser beam welding unit;
- a fourth zone for discharging the welded first and second sheet blanks, comprising longitudinal means for supporting said welded sheet blanks and means for removing said welded sheet blanks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.