US 7,255,258 B2Granted

System and associated friction stir welding (FSW) assembly, controller and method for performing a friction stir welding operation

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsDwight A. Burford, Edwin H. Fenn, Danny R. High, Robert M. Kay

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Abstract

A system and associated friction stir welding (FSW) assembly, controller and method for performing a friction stir welding operation are provided. The friction stir welding system includes a FSW device, such as a CNC machine, that includes an actuator capable of moving a FSW tool relative to a workpiece. The system also includes a controller capable of controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator to move the FSW tool. In this regard, the actuator is capable of being driven such that the FSW tool is capable of performing a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece. The controller is capable of monitoring a torque of the actuator to thereby control the FSW device to drive the actuator such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A friction stir welding system comprising:

a friction stir welding (FSW) device comprising an actuator configured for moving a FSW tool relative to a workpiece, wherein the actuator comprises a plunge actuator configured for moving the FSW tool along a plunge axis;
and
a controller configured for controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator to move the FSW relative to the workpiece such that the FSW tool is configured for performing a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece, wherein the controller is configured for monitoring a torque of the actuator in accordance with one or more numerical control instructions designed for machining components, wherein the controller is configured for controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting, and wherein the controller is configured for controlling the FSW device such that the plunge actuator is driven to move the FSW tool into further contact with the workpiece when the torque decreases below a range about a plunge torque setting, and driven to move the FSW tool into reduced contact with the workpiece when the torque increases above the range about the plunge torque setting.

A friction stir welding (FSW) assembly comprising:

a FSW tool configured for performing a friction stir welding operation on a workpiece;
and
a friction stir welding (FSW) device comprising an actuator, wherein the actuator is configured for being driven to move the FSW tool relative to the workpiece such that the FSW tool is configured for performing the friction stir welding operation, wherein the actuator comprises a plunge actuator configured for being driven to move the FSW tool along a plunge axis, wherein a torque of the actuator is configured for being monitored in accordance with one or more numerical control instructions designed for machining components, wherein the actuator is configured for being driven such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting, and wherein the plunge actuator is configured for being driven to move the FSW tool into further contact with the workpiece when the torque decreases below a range about a plunge torque setting, and driven to move the FSW tool into reduced contact with the workpiece when the torque increases above the range about the plunge torque setting.

A controller comprising:

a processing element configured for driving an actuator to move a friction stir welding (FSW) tool relative to a workpiece such that the FSW tool is configured for performing a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece, wherein the actuator comprises a plunge actuator configured for moving the FSW tool along a plunge axis, wherein the controller is configured for monitoring a torque of the actuator in accordance with one or more numerical control instructions designed for machining components, wherein the controller is configured for driving the actuator such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting, and wherein the processing element is configured for driving the plunge actuator to move the FSW tool into further contact with the workpiece when the torque decreases below a range about a plunge torque setting, and driving the plunge actuator to move the FSW tool into reduced contact with the workpiece when the torque increases above the range about the plunge torque setting.

A method of friction stir welding a workpiece comprising:

driving an actuator to move a friction stir welding (FSW) tool relative to the workpiece such that the FSW tool performs a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece, wherein the actuator comprises a plunge actuator configured for moving the FSW tool along a plunge axis;
monitoring a torque of the actuator in accordance with one or more numerical control instructions designed for machining components;
and
controlling the torque such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting as the actuator is driven to move the FSW tool, wherein controlling a torque comprises controlling a torque of the plunge actuator such that the plunge actuator is driven to move the FSW tool into further contact with the workpiece when the torque decreases below a range about a plunge torque setting, and driven to move the FSW tool into reduced contact with the workpiece when the torque increases above the range about the plunge torque setting.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.