US 5,591,360 A · Method of butt welding

Abstract

A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam for butt welding a pair of sheets while minimizing and preferably eliminating edge preparation required before welding and the use of filler metal during welding. In preparation for welding, the sheets are placed with edges facing each other in a butt-joint arrangement. To minimize and preferably eliminate edge preparation, surface mismatch is introduced between the sheets with a portion of the edge of the mismatched sheet being above the weld interface of the sheets and preferably exposed to the beam during welding. To further assist flow of molten metal from the mismatched sheet into the weld interface region, the sheets are preferably angled from the horizontal such that the weld interface plane is acutely angled relative to the direction of gravity so that flow of molten sheet material is influenced by gravity. Preferably, the sheets can also be inclined relative to the horizontal plane such that the weld line between the sheets is at least slightly downwardly sloped in the direction of welding so that the molten weld nugget in the weld interface region is influenced by the direction of gravity for suitably minimizing concavities and other weld defects in the resultant butt weld. If desired, the sheets can be angled both in a direction transverse and tangent to the welding direction. After welding is completed, the sheets preferably form a blank that can be shaped, formed, or otherwise three dimensionally contoured.

Claims52

Dependent claims

A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam comprising:

(a) providing a pair of sheets with top and bottom surfaces and having sheet edges to be welded together and a high energy density radiation beam source capable of generating a high energy density radiation beam and focusing the beam onto at least one of the sheets;
(b) positioning one sheet in close proximity to the other sheet with their sheet edges adjacent to and facing each other in a butt-joint arrangement, defining a work plane generally tangent to one of the top surfaces of one of the sheets, and their top surfaces exposed toward the high energy density radiation source;
(c) orienting the sheets such that the workplane is acutely angled relative to a horizontal plane that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the local gravity;
(d) mismatching one of the sheets relative to the other of the sheets by offsetting a top surface of one sheet relative to a top surface of the other sheet such that the top surfaces of the sheets are not substantially coplanar and having an amount of mismatch between the mismatched sheet and the other sheet of at least about 10% of the cross sectional thickness of the thinnest sheet;
and
(e) training at least a portion of a high energy density radiation beam onto the mismatched sheet for joining the sheets together by a butt-weld such that molten sheet material from the mismatched sheet fills in a joint fit-up gap between the sheet edges.

3 more elements

A method of welding using a high energy density radiation beam comprising:

(a) providing a pair of sheets having top surfaces and sheet edges to be welded together, and a high energy density radiation beam source capable of generating and focusing a high energy density radiation beam onto at least one of the sheets;
(b) positioning one sheet in close proximity to the other sheet with their sheet edges generally facing toward each other forming a butt-joint arrangement having (1) a joint fit-up gap between the sheet edges, (2) defining a weld line between the sheet edges, and (3) having at least one of their top surfaces generally exposed toward the high energy density radiation source;
(c) mismatching one of the sheets relative to the other of the sheets by offsetting a top surface of one sheet relative to a top surface of the other sheet such that the top surfaces of the sheets are not substantially coplanar;
(d) orienting at least one of the sheets such that the sheets form a work plane generally tangent to a top surface of one of the sheets which is oriented at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the local gravity such that the trigonometric tangent of the angle of inclination of the work plane relative to the horizontal plane is equal to or greater than about the result of the maximum joint fit-up gap along the weld line divided by the amount of mismatch between the sheets;
and
(e) training at least a portion of a high energy density radiation beam onto the mismatched sheet for joining the sheets together.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of butt welding

Life of this patent

Method of butt welding

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims52