JP7614894B2 - WELDING METHOD, WELDING APPARATUS, AND WELDING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a welding method, a welding apparatus, and a welding system.

Galvanized steel sheets are used in structural components and building materials, including car bodies and the casings of office equipment. Laser welding is increasingly being used to weld thin steel sheets, as it allows for deep penetration welding at high speeds, has little thermal effect, and produces little distortion. When welding lapped galvanized steel sheets, it is necessary to take measures to allow zinc vapor to escape in order to prevent poor welding caused by the diffusion of zinc vapor melted by the laser heat into the base steel sheet and contamination caused by residual zinc. One method for this is to form a specified gap in the overlapping area of the galvanized steel sheets.

Typically, a spacer or a jig is used to provide a gap between the overlapping parts to be welded, allowing the steam to escape through the gap. Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a protrusion is formed on one zinc-plated steel sheet and a recess is formed on the other zinc-plated steel sheet, and the protrusion is fitted into the recess to form a gap between the two zinc-plated steel sheets, allowing the zinc steam to escape to the outside through this gap.

JP 2013-237053 A

However, using spacers or jigs to create a gap between overlapping parts to be welded increases costs and is difficult to maintain, making it difficult to maintain the quality of the weld. Furthermore, depending on the size of the gap between the parts to be welded, deformation of the parts due to the heat of welding can be tolerated, which poses the problem that high quality cannot be achieved in products that require design.

In addition, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves forming protrusions and depressions in steel plates to create gaps, making it difficult to apply when joining flat components to be welded, and there is a problem in that the shape of the components to be welded cannot be freely determined.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an easy, high-quality welding method, welding device, and welding system that allows the shape to be freely determined.

In order to achieve the above object, the welding method according to the present disclosure includes a welding positioning step of holding a first member having a groove formed therein and a second member with the surface of the first member having the groove formed in close contact with the surface of the second member, detecting a reference position indicating the position of the groove in the first member, and determining the position of a region to be welded of the first member and the second member, including the position of the groove, based on the reference position, and a melting step of melting the first member and the second member within the region to be welded determined by the welding positioning step. The reference position in the first member includes an end of the first member. At least one of the surface of the first member having the groove formed therein and the surface of the second member that comes into close contact with the first member has a coating layer, and the melting points of the base materials of the first member and the second member are higher than the boiling points of the coating layers.

According to the present disclosure, poor welding can be prevented by allowing the vapor evaporated by welding to escape into the space formed by the groove of the first member and the second member. As a result, the shape can be freely determined, and high-quality welding can be easily achieved.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a welding system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a processing device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a processing device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the processing device according to the embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a processing device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a welding device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a welding device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the welding device according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a welding device according to an embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing process executed by a processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) data stored in the processing device according to the embodiment; 1 is a development view of a first member to be processed by a processing device according to an embodiment; 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first member processed by a processing device according to an embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing position data measured by the processing device according to the embodiment; 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first member and a second member that are overlapped and welded by a welding device according to an embodiment; 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a first member and a second member that are overlapped and welded by a welding device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a welding process performed by a welding device according to an embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first member and a second member welded by a welding device according to an embodiment; 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a first member and a second member welded by a welding device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first member and a second member welded by the welding device according to the embodiment; 1A to 1C are enlarged cross-sectional views of a first member welded by a welding method according to a modified example. 1A to 1D are diagrams showing a first member to be welded by a welding method according to a modified example. 13A and 13B are partially enlarged views showing a first member to be welded by a welding method according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first member to be welded by a welding method according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first member and a second member that are overlapped and welded by a welding method according to a modified example.

The following describes the welding system, welding device, and welding method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the welding system 1 according to this embodiment includes a processing device 100 that forms a groove 11 in a first member 10, and a welding device 300 that irradiates a laser L onto the members to be welded, which are overlapping members of the first member 10 and the second member 20, to weld them.

For ease of understanding, mutually orthogonal xyz coordinates are set and referred to as appropriate. The direction in which the groove 11 formed in the first member 10 extends is set as the x direction, the direction perpendicular to the x direction and the thickness direction of the second member 20 is set as the y direction, and the thickness direction of the second member 20 is set as the z direction. The xy plane is a plane parallel to the third surface 21 of the second member 20.

2 and 3, the processing device 100 includes a base plate 110 for placing the first member 10, a processing unit 120 for forming a groove 11 in the first member 10, a moving mechanism 130 for moving the first member 10 relative to the base plate 110 and the processing unit 120, a linear position sensor 140 for measuring the position coordinates of the groove 11 formed in the first member 10, and a control unit 200 for controlling the moving mechanism 130, the processing unit 120, and the linear position sensor 140. A turret punch press is preferably used as the processing device 100.

The surface plate 110 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the top surface of the surface plate 110 is formed horizontally and smoothly so that the first member 10 is placed horizontally. The surface plate 110 is provided with a jig 111 for floating the first member 10 so that the first member 10 can be easily moved during processing. The surface plate 110 is an example of a holding part. The holding part is not limited to this, and may be a jig, as long as it can hold the surface of the first member 10 on which the grooves 11 are formed in close contact with the surface of the second member 20.

The processing unit 120 forms a groove 11 in the first member 10, cuts the end of the first member 10, and bends the first member 10. The processing unit 120 has a cutting unit that forms the groove 11, an upper die 121 that is a punch that cuts the first member 10, a lower die 122 that is a die, a turret key 123 that positions the upper die 121 in the rotation direction, a lifter 124 that holds the upper die 121, a die holder 125 that holds the lower die 122, an upper turret 126 that holds the lifter 124, a lower turret 127 that holds the die holder 125, a striker 128 that transmits the driving force of the press to the die, a press unit 129 that applies force to the striker 128, and a bending unit that bends the first member 10. The press unit 129 uses a mechanical press or a hydraulic press. The cutting unit and the bending unit are not shown.

The movement mechanism 130 has a mechanism for moving the first member 10 in the front-back, left-right and up-down directions, i.e., in the x, y and z axial directions, relative to the base plate 110, the processing section 120 and the linear position sensor 140. The movement mechanism 130 is provided with a clamp 131 that holds the first member 10.

The linear position sensor 140 measures the position of the machined groove 11 with the end of the first member 10 as the reference position. The linear position sensor 140 also outputs position information of the groove 11 formed in the first member 10 to the control unit 200. The reference position indicates the position of the groove 11 in the first member 10.

4, the control unit 200 has a processor 210 that performs processing for controlling the processing device 100, a main memory unit 220 that is used as a working area for the processor 210, an auxiliary memory unit 230 that stores various data and programs used in the processing of the processor 210, and a communication unit 240 for communicating with external devices. The main memory unit 220, the auxiliary memory unit 230, and the communication unit 240 are all connected to the processor 210 via a bus 250.

The processor 210 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The processor 210 executes programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 230 to realize various functions of the processing device 100.

The main memory unit 220 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory). Programs are loaded into the main memory unit 220 from the auxiliary memory unit 230. The main memory unit 220 is used as a working area for the processor 210.

The auxiliary storage unit 230 includes a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). In addition to programs, the auxiliary storage unit 230 stores various data used in the processing of the processor 210. In accordance with instructions from the processor 210, the auxiliary storage unit 230 supplies the processor 210 with data used by the processor 210, and stores the data supplied from the processor 210.

The communication unit 240 includes a network interface circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication unit 240 receives a signal from the external device and outputs data indicated by this signal to the processor 210. The communication unit 240 also transmits a signal indicating the data output from the processor 210 to the external device.

By executing the programs stored in the auxiliary memory unit 230, the control unit 200 functions as a groove processing control unit 201, a cutting processing control unit 202, a groove position measurement unit 203, and a bending processing control unit 204, as shown in FIG. 5.

The groove machining control unit 201 controls the machining unit 120 and the moving mechanism 130, and executes a groove forming process for forming a pair of linear grooves 11 along the x-direction on the first surface 12 based on prestored CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) data 260. The CAM data 260 is data required for generating an NC (Numerically Control) program for implementing computer-aided manufacturing.

The cutting process control unit 202 controls the processing unit 120 based on the CAM data 260 to sandwich the first member 10 between the upper metal mold 121, which is a punch, and the lower metal mold 122, which is a die, and performs a cutting process in which the first member 10 is cut to the dimensions of the reinforcing member by applying pressure and performing blanking processing.

The groove position measurement unit 203 controls the linear position sensor 140 to execute a groove position measurement process in which the inflection point of the end 10b of the first member 10 shown in FIG. 13 is set as the reference position X, and the position of the groove 11 including the length L1 from the reference position X to the end 11b of the groove 11 is measured for each position coordinate in the x direction. The position data 270 shown in FIG. 14 includes the position of the groove 11, the position of the end 10b which is the reference position X, and the length L1. The obtained position data 270 is stored in the auxiliary memory unit 230. In addition, the groove position measurement unit 203 transmits the position data 270 to the control unit 400 of the welding device 300.

The bending control unit 204 executes a bending process in which the first member 10 is bent into a hat shape. In detail, the valley fold line 14 shown in FIG. 12 is bent at a right angle to the valley fold, and the mountain fold line 15 is bent at a right angle to the mountain fold. This makes it possible to obtain the first member 10 having the hat-shaped cross section shown in FIG. 1.

6 and 7, the welding device 300 includes a base plate 310 for placing the first member 10 and the second member 20, a welding head 320 for welding the first member 10 and the second member 20, a pressure device 330 for pressurizing the first member 10 against the second member 20, a moving mechanism 340 for moving the welding head 320, a first laser displacement sensor 350 for measuring the position of the first member 10 before welding, a second laser displacement sensor 360 for measuring the position of the first member 10 after welding, and a control unit 400 for controlling the welding head 320, the moving mechanism 340, the first laser displacement sensor 350, and the second laser displacement sensor 360. In addition, the welding device 300 preferably includes an image recognition processing device for monitoring the welding result such as the welding position or welding state (not shown), and various sensors for acquiring the data. In addition, the control unit 400 preferably stores CAM data for performing computer-aided manufacturing necessary for generating an NC program, as well as various data acquired from various sensors, and controls the welding head unit 320, the movement mechanism 340, the first laser displacement sensor 350, and the second laser displacement sensor 360 based on the recognition results of the image recognition processing device.

The surface plate 310 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the upper surface is formed to be horizontal and smooth. The first member 10 and the second member 20 are placed on the surface plate 310 in a superimposed state. In addition, a jig (not shown) is placed on the upper surface of the surface plate 310. The jig determines the horizontal position of the first member 10 and the second member 20 placed on the surface plate 310.

The welding head 320 welds the first member 10 and the second member 20. Specifically, the welding head 320 includes a laser irradiation unit 321. The laser irradiation unit 321 irradiates the first member 10 with a laser L, and includes a laser oscillator, a mirror or optical fiber that transmits the laser L oscillated by the laser oscillator, and an optical system including a focusing lens that focuses the transmitted laser L. Welding with the laser L can obtain a narrow bead and a deep penetration shape due to the steep energy density distribution that is a characteristic of the laser L. For this reason, even with thin steel plates, regardless of the material such as steel plate members or stainless steel materials, high speed and precise heat input control can be performed. Therefore, the thermal effect on the welded members is small, and the external surface can be welded with low distortion. In addition, since laser welding equipment is easy to automate, welding can be performed more efficiently, so it is preferable to adopt welding with the laser L.

The pressure device 330 is equipped with rollers and is moved in the y and z directions relative to the welding head portion 320 by a roller movement mechanism 331 to press the first member 10 against the second member 20.

The moving mechanism 340 has a first moving mechanism 341 that moves the welding head 320 relative to the base plate 310, and a second moving mechanism 342 that moves the first moving mechanism 341 relative to the base plate 310. The first moving mechanism 341 has a beam 343 extending in the y direction, a rail 344 arranged on the beam 343 and extending in the y direction, a first driving unit 345 that moves the welding head 320 along the rail 344, a second driving unit 346 that moves the welding head 320 in the x direction, and a third driving unit 347 that moves the welding head 320 in the z direction. That is, the moving mechanism 340 has a mechanism that moves the welding head 320 in each of the x direction, y direction, and z direction relative to the base plate 310. In addition, the second moving mechanism 342 has a columnar part 348 that supports the beam 343.

The first laser displacement sensor 350 measures the position of the end of the first member 10 as a reference position before welding. The first laser displacement sensor 350 outputs the measured position information of the end of the first member 10 to the control unit 400. The first laser displacement sensor 350 is attached to the welding head unit 320 by a sensor movement mechanism 351 that moves in the x and y directions relative to the welding head unit 320, and a support body 352 that connects the sensor movement mechanism 351 and the first laser displacement sensor 350. The first laser displacement sensor 350 is an example of a reference position detection unit. The reference position detection unit may use a detector other than the first laser displacement sensor 350 as long as it can detect the reference position.

The second laser displacement sensor 360 measures the position of the end of the first member 10 and the welding position after welding. The second laser displacement sensor 360 outputs position information of the end of the first member 10 and welding position information to the control unit 400.

8, the control unit 400 has a processor 410 that performs processing for controlling the welding device 300, a main memory unit 420 used as a working area for the processor 410, an auxiliary memory unit 430 that stores various data and programs used in the processing of the processor 410, and a communication unit 440 for communicating with external devices. The main memory unit 420, the auxiliary memory unit 430, and the communication unit 440 are all connected to the processor 410 via a bus 450. The processor 410, the main memory unit 420, the auxiliary memory unit 430, the communication unit 440, and the bus 450 have the same configurations as the processor 210, the main memory unit 220, the auxiliary memory unit 230, the communication unit 240, and the bus 250 provided in the control unit 200, respectively. The auxiliary memory unit 430 also stores computer-aided manufacturing CAM data required for generating an NC program.

The control unit 400 executes the program stored in the auxiliary memory unit 430, and functions as a welding positioning unit 401, a welding head control unit 402, and a welding position measurement unit 403, as shown in FIG. 9.

The welding positioning unit 401 controls the first laser displacement sensor 350 to detect the position coordinates of the end 10b of the first member 10, which is the reference position X, and executes a welding positioning process to determine the position of the welding target region R based on the position information indicated by the position data 270 shown in FIG. 14 measured by the processing device 100. The position data 270 includes the position of the end 10b, which is the reference position X, the position of the groove 11, and the length L1 from the reference position X to the end 11b of the groove 11, for each position coordinate in the x direction. The position data 270 is transmitted from the processing device 100 and stored in the auxiliary memory unit 430 of the control unit 400.

The welding head control unit 402 executes a melting process to melt the welding target region R of the first member 10 and the second member 20. In detail, the welding head control unit 402 controls the moving mechanism 340 to correct the trajectory of the welding head unit 320 based on the position coordinates of the end portion 10b of the first member 10 detected in the welding positioning process, position the irradiation position of the laser L at the center of the groove 11, and the laser L irradiated from the welding head unit 320 melts the welding target region R.

The welding position measurement unit 403 controls the second laser displacement sensor 360 to detect the end 10b of the first member 10, which is the reference position X shown in FIG. 18, and the welded portion 30, and performs a welding position measurement process to compare the position information of the groove 11 formed in the first member 10 measured by the processing device 100 and measure whether the welded portion 30 is formed at the position of the groove 11.

Next, we will explain the processing process in which the processing device 100 having the above configuration processes the first member 10 shown in Figure 1.

In response to a user's instruction to start processing, the processing device 100 starts the processing process shown in FIG. 10. The processing process executed by the control unit 200 of the processing device 100 will be described below with reference to a flowchart.

When the processing is started, the groove processing control unit 201 controls the processing unit 120 and the moving mechanism 130, and executes a groove forming process to form a pair of linear grooves 11 along the x direction on the first surface 12, as shown in FIG. 12, based on the pre-stored CAM data 260 shown in FIG. 11 (step S101). The processing unit 120 forms the groove 11 with a width larger than the width at which the first member 10 and the second member 20 are expected to melt in the melting process described later. The CAM data 260 is data necessary for generating an NC program for implementing computer-aided manufacturing. The end 11a of the groove 11 is formed at a position that does not reach the end 10a of the first member 10. This is to make the space between the groove 11 and the second member 20 a closed space when the first member 10 is overlapped on the second member 20. Therefore, the length L2 of the groove 11 in the x direction is shorter than the length L3 of the first member 10 in the x direction. As shown in FIG. 13, the first member 10 is a steel plate base material mainly made of iron, coated on both sides with zinc or zinc-based zinc-plated layers 12a, 13a. The boiling point of zinc is about 900°C, which is lower than the melting temperature of steel plate, which is about 1500°C. The thickness t1 of the first member 10 is sufficient to ensure the strength required for use as a reinforcing member, and is preferably 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The groove 11 is formed by scraping the first surface 12 with a groove processing tip. The cross section of the groove 11 is rectangular. At this time, the zinc-plated layer 12a in the portion where the groove 11 is formed is removed. When a closed space is formed, if a zinc-plated layer 21a is formed on the second member 20 shown in FIG. 16 described later, zinc vapor will remain in the groove 11, providing a sacrificial anticorrosive effect.

The lower limit of the depth h1 of the groove 11 is equal to or greater than the thickness of the zinc-plated layer 12a, and is a depth that allows the zinc-plated layer 21a of the second member 20 to escape the vapor evaporated from the groove 11 into the space between the groove 11 and the second member 20 when the first member 10 and the second member 20 are stacked. The upper limit of the depth h1 of the groove 11 is a depth that allows the second member 20 to penetrate 0.1 mm or more. Specifically, for a plate thickness of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, the depth h1 is preferably 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm, and more preferably 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm. In addition, the lower limit of the width w1 of the groove 11 is preferably greater than the width at which the first member 10 melts in the melting process described below. This allows the zinc-plated layer 21a to escape the vapor evaporated from the groove 11. The upper limit of the width w1 of the groove 11 is preferably 5 times, and more preferably 3 times, the width at which the first member 10 melts in the melting process. This reduces the area where the zinc plating layer 12a is removed. By reducing the area where the zinc plating is removed, corrosion can be prevented. Specifically, the width w1 is preferably 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less.

Next, the cutting control unit 202 controls the processing unit 120 based on the CAM data 260 shown in FIG. 11 to sandwich the first member 10 between the upper mold 121, which is a punch, and the lower mold 122, which is a die, and applies pressure to punch out the cut pieces 17 shown in FIG. 12 by blanking, thereby executing a cutting process in which the first member 10 is cut to the dimensions of the reinforcing member (step S102). At this time, as shown in the enlarged portion A of FIG. 12, the end 10b is slightly misaligned each time the blanking process is performed. In this embodiment, as described later, the position of the end 10b is precisely measured, so that the length L1 to the groove 11 can be accurately determined.

Next, the groove position measurement unit 203 controls the linear position sensor 140 to execute a groove position measurement process in which the inflection point of the end 10b of the first member 10 is set as the reference position X, and the position of the groove 11 including the length L1 from the reference position X to the end 11b of the groove 11 is measured for each position coordinate in the x direction (step S103). As a result, the position data 270 shown in FIG. 14 is obtained. The position data 270 includes the position of the groove 11, the position coordinate of the end 10b which is the reference position X, and the length L1. The position data 270 also includes the position coordinates in the x direction and y direction of the ends 10a, 10b and the groove 11 of the first member 10. The obtained position data 270 is stored in the auxiliary memory unit 230. The position data 270 is also transmitted to the control unit 400 of the welding device 300.

Next, the bending control unit 204 executes a bending process in which the first member 10 is bent into a hat shape (step S104). In detail, the valley fold line 14 shown in FIG. 12 is bent at a right angle to the valley fold, and the mountain fold line 15 is bent at a right angle to the mountain fold. This makes it possible to obtain the first member 10 having the hat-shaped cross section shown in FIG. 1. Then, the processing process ends. Note that, for efficient manufacturing, the processing device 100 may successively execute the groove forming process (step S101), cutting process (step S102), and bending process (step S104).

Next, we will explain the welding process in which the welding device 300 welds the first member 10 and the second member 20.

Before starting the welding process, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the overlapped first member 10 and second member 20 are held on the platen 310 of the welding device 300 shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The second member 20, like the first member 10, is a steel plate base material mainly made of iron, with zinc or zinc-based zinc plating layers 21a, 22a coated on both sides. The second member 20 is a design panel used for the landing door, car door, or car wall of an elevator facility, and has a third surface 21 that is in close contact with the first surface 12 of the first member 10, and a fourth surface 22 that is the back surface of the third surface 21. The fourth surface 22 is a design surface that appears on the exterior of the product. The thickness t2 of the second member 20 only needs to have a thickness that ensures the strength to be used as a design panel, and is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. In detail, first, the second member 20 is placed at a position where the fourth surface 22 of the second member 20 contacts the surface plate 310 of the welding device 300. Next, the first member 10 is placed at a position where the third surface 21 of the second member 20 contacts the first surface 12 of the first member 10, by aligning the second surface 13 on the back side of the first surface 12 with the mounting position of the second member 20. Then, the second surface 13 is pressed and held in close contact with the first surface 12 of the first member 10. As a result, the first surface 12 of the first member 10 and the third surface 21 of the second member 20 are in close contact with each other, and a space 16 is formed by the groove 11 of the first member 10 and the third surface 21 of the second member 20. Since the end 11a of the groove 11 is formed at a position that does not reach the end 10a of the first member 10, the space 16 is a closed space. It is preferable that the volume of the space 16 is such that the pressure inside the space 16 does not exceed a reference value due to the vapor generated by the irradiation of the laser L. The reference value is a pressure that does not cause blowholes or spatters due to the pressure of the vapor of the zinc plating layer 21a evaporated by welding, and is, for example, 2 atmospheres. The area suitable for welding is the welding target area R defined along the groove 11 of the first member 10.

Next, the welding device 300 responds to a user's instruction to start the process and starts the welding process shown in FIG. 17. The welding process executed by the control unit 400 is described below using a flowchart.

15, the welding positioning unit 401 controls the first laser displacement sensor 350 to detect the position coordinates of the end 10b of the first member 10, which is the reference position X, and executes a welding positioning process to determine the position of the welding target region R based on the position information indicated by the position data 270 shown in FIG. 14 measured by the processing device 100 (step S201). The position data 270 includes the position of the end 10b, which is the reference position X, the position of the groove 11, and the length L1 from the reference position X to the end 11b of the groove 11, for each position coordinate in the x direction. The position data 270 also includes the position coordinates in the x direction and y direction of the ends 10a, 10b of the first member 10 and the groove 11. The position data 270 is transmitted from the processing device 100 and stored in the auxiliary memory unit 430 of the control unit 400. Additionally, the auxiliary memory unit 430 stores computer-aided manufacturing CAM data required to generate an NC program required to automatically melt the welding target area R of the first member 10 and the second member 20 with a laser L using numerical control.

Next, the welding head control unit 402 executes a melting process to melt the welding target region R of the first member 10 and the second member 20 (step S202). In detail, the welding head control unit 402 controls the moving mechanism 340 to correct the trajectory of the welding head unit 320 based on the position coordinates of the end portion 10b of the first member 10 detected in the welding positioning process, position the irradiation position of the laser L at the center of the groove 11, and the laser L irradiated from the welding head unit 320 melts the welding target region R.

In detail, the laser L is continuously or intermittently irradiated to the welding target area R of the second surface 13 of the first member 10 on the first member 10 and the second member 20 placed on the platen 310 of the welding device 300. The output of the laser L is controlled to an output that does not cause welding marks on the fourth surface 22 of the second member 20. Preferably, the penetration depth of the second member 20 is controlled to 0.1 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. In addition, in order to further improve the welding quality, the welding device 300 may also have a function of measuring the thickness of the first member 10 and the second member 20 and irradiating the welding laser L with an output suitable for the thickness. When the laser L is irradiated, the steel plate base material in the welding target area R melts, and since the boiling point of zinc is lower than the melting point of the steel plate base material, the zinc plating layers 12a, 13a, and 21a evaporate. When the zinc-plated layer 13a disposed on the second surface 13 of the first member 10 evaporates, it diffuses in the z direction. Since the zinc-plated layer 12a disposed on the first surface 12 of the first member 10 is removed when the groove 11 is formed, no zinc vapor is generated. Even if the zinc-plated layer 12a remains on the first surface 12, the evaporated vapor moves in the x direction or the −x direction inside the space 16, and the pressure is relieved by the vapor escaping to the space 16, thereby preventing poor welding. The evaporated vapor of the zinc-plated layer 21a disposed on the third surface 21 of the second member 20 moves in the x direction or the −x direction inside the space 16, and the pressure is relieved by the vapor escaping to the space 16, thereby preventing poor welding. Since the space 16 is a closed space, the vapor from the evaporated zinc-plated layer 21a remains without being released to the outside, and when the temperature drops, it adheres to the part of the groove 11 from which the zinc has been removed, thereby preventing corrosion. The zinc plating layer 22a arranged on the fourth surface 22 of the second member 20 does not evaporate because the steel plate base material does not melt up to that part. When the temperature of the welding target area R of the first member 10 and the second member 20 rises due to the irradiation of the laser L, the welding target area R melts partially as shown in Figures 18 and 19, and when the temperature drops and solidifies, it becomes a welded part 30. When melted, the melted first member 10 and the second member 20 protrude into the groove 11, and a protruding part 31 is also formed.

The welding position measuring unit 403 controls the second laser displacement sensor 360 to detect the end 10b of the first member 10, which is the reference position X, and the welded portion 30, and performs a welding position measuring process (step S203) to compare the position information of the groove 11 formed in the first member 10 measured by the processing device 100 and measure whether the welded portion 30 is formed at the position of the groove 11. The welding position measuring unit 403 also determines whether the welded portion 30 is formed at the position of the groove 11, and stores the determined determination data in the auxiliary memory unit 430 of the control unit 400. If the irradiation position of the welding laser L in the CAM data does not correspond to the region R to be welded, the length L1 from the end 10b of the first member 10 to the end 11b of the groove 11 after processing by the processing device 100 is compared with the position coordinate information of the end 10b of the first member 10 measured by the first laser displacement sensor 350 before welding, and the irradiation position information of the welding laser L in the CAM data is updated to correct the trajectory of the welding head 320 so that the irradiation position of the welding laser L is the center of the groove 11.

Then, the welding process is completed, resulting in the plate-like member 40 shown in FIG. 20, in which the first member 10 and the second member 20 are welded together.

The plate-like member 40 comprises a first member 10 which is a reinforcing member, a second member 20 which is a decorative panel, and a welded portion 30 which joins the first member 10 and the second member 20.

The first member 10 has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape, and has a pair of grooves 11 extending in the x-direction on the first surface 12. The first surface 12 around the grooves 11 is flat and is in close contact with the third surface 21 of the second member 20. The other configurations of the first member 10 are similar to those described above.

The second member 20, like the first member 10, is a steel plate base material mainly made of iron, coated on both sides with zinc or zinc-based zinc plating layers 21a, 22a. The second member 20 is a design panel used for elevator doors, car doors, or car interior walls, and has a third surface 21 that is in close contact with the first surface 12 of the first member 10, and a fourth surface 22 that is the back surface of the third surface 21. The third surface 21 is a flat surface that can be in close contact with the first surface 12 of the first member 10. The fourth surface 22 is a design surface that appears on the exterior. The thickness t2 of the second member 20 only needs to have a thickness that ensures the strength required for use as a design panel. The elevator facility is installed inside the building. For this reason, the design panel used in the elevator facility is required to be in harmony with the interior of the building, and a variety of appearances are required to match the indoor equipment. For example, it can be manufactured by various means, such as painting the fourth surface 22, attaching a stainless steel material and applying a hairline, etching, or mirror finish.

The welded portion 30 is a portion where the first member 10 and the second member 20 melt due to irradiation with the laser L, and then the temperature drops and solidifies, and includes a protruding portion 31. The protruding portion 31 is formed when the first member 10 and the second member 20 melt when irradiated with the laser L and protrude into the groove 11, and the first member 10 and the second member 20 that protrude into the groove 11 solidifies. The joint cross section between the welded portion 30 and the first member 10 and the second member 20 is larger than when the protruding portion 31 is not present, and the joint strength between the first member 10 and the second member 20 is also greater.

As described above, according to the welding method and plate-like member 40 of this embodiment, by forming the groove 11 in the first member 10, a space 16 is formed between the first member 10 and the second member 20, and the vapor of the zinc plating layer 21a evaporated by irradiation with the laser L moves in the x direction or the -x direction inside the space 16, and the pressure is relieved by escaping to the space 16, thereby suppressing welding defects. Since the space 16 is a closed space, the vapor evaporated from the zinc plating layer 21a is not released to the outside but remains there, and when the temperature drops, it adheres to the inner wall of the space 16, and thus the zinc plating layer 12a is reformed in the part where the zinc plating layer 12a was removed when the groove 11 was formed, thereby preventing corrosion. In addition, since welding defects are suppressed by forming the groove 11 in the first member 10, it can be easily performed at low cost.

In addition, if there is a misalignment between the first member 10 and the second member 20 when the overlapped first member 10 and the second member 20 are held on the platen 310 of the welding device 300, and the irradiation position of the welding laser L deviates from the welding target area R defined along the groove 11 of the first member 10, which is an area suitable for welding, the length L1 from the end 10b of the cutting process of the first member 10 after processing by the processing device 100 to the end 11b of the groove 11 is compared with the position coordinate information of the end 11b of the first member 10 measured by the first laser displacement sensor 350 before welding, and the trajectory of the welding head 320 is corrected so that the irradiation position of the welding laser L is the center of the groove 11, thereby improving the welding accuracy.

In addition, the first member 10 and the second member 20 melted by the irradiation of the laser L protrude into the groove 11, forming a protruding portion 31. This increases the joint cross section compared to a joint without the groove 11, and increases the joint strength between the first member 10 and the second member 20. In particular, when the depth h1 of the groove 11 is 0.02 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less for a plate thickness of 1.0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, the joint strength is stably high, and when the depth h1 of the groove 11 is 0.05 mm or more and 0.1 mm or less, the joint strength is even higher. In addition, by setting the depth h1 of the groove 11 to a depth that does not deform the first member 10, it is possible to prevent the first member 10 from being deformed by the heat during welding.

In addition, the groove 11 is formed in the first member 10, and the shape can be freely determined as long as the first member 10 and the second member 20 can be overlapped. Therefore, welding is possible even when the second member 20 is required to be flat. In addition, the depth h1 of the groove 11 determines the gap for escaping the vapor evaporated from the zinc plating layer 21a, so that the gap for escaping the vapor is easy to manage. In addition, since the groove 11 can be formed in the first member 10 by the processing tip, the groove forming process (step S101), the cutting process (step S102), and the bending process (step S104) can be performed consecutively by a machine tool including a turret punch press, so that the process can be consolidated and the process can be simplified. As described above, high-quality welding can be easily achieved at low cost.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the welding positioning unit 401 of the welding device 300 detects the position coordinates of the end 10b of the first member 10, which is the reference position X, and executes a welding positioning process to determine the position of the welding target region R based on the position information indicated by the position data 270 measured by the processing device 100. The welding positioning unit 401 only needs to detect the position coordinates of the reference position X and determine the position of the welding target region R, and may store position data indicating the position coordinates of the end 10b of the first member 10, which is the reference position X, and the position coordinates of the groove 11 in advance, and determine the position of the welding target region R based on this position data. If the position of the groove 11 can be manufactured with a small error, this can omit measuring the position of the groove 11 by the processing device 100. In addition, although an example has been described in which the reference position X is the end 10b, the reference position X is not limited to the end 10b as long as it is a position that serves as a reference for the first member 10, and may be a mark formed on the second surface 13 of the first member 10, or the like.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the first member 10 is a reinforcing member having a hat-shaped cross section, and the second member 20 is a decorative panel for elevator equipment. The shapes of the first member 10 and the second member 20 are not particularly limited as long as they can be welded together while overlapping each other. The shapes of the first member 10 and the second member 20 may include curved shapes as long as they can be welded together while overlapping each other.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the cross section of the groove 11 of the first member 10 is rectangular, but as long as a space 16 is formed, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 11 is not limited. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 11 may be triangular as shown in FIG. 21(A), semicircular as shown in FIG. 21(B), or trapezoidal as shown in FIG. 21(C). In this way, the shape of the space 16 can be made to allow steam from the zinc plating layer 21a to escape more easily.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the groove 11 is formed in a straight line has been described. The groove 11 may be formed in a zigzag shape as shown in FIG. 22(A), or in a serpentine shape as shown in FIG. 22(B). In this way, the length of the welded portion 30 can be increased, and the first member 10 and the second member 20 can be joined more strongly. In addition, the groove 11 may be formed in a rectangular shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 22(C), or in a shape in which a pair of semicircles are connected by a pair of straight lines in plan view as shown in FIG. 22(D). Even in these cases, the length of the welded portion 30 can be increased, and the first member 10 and the second member 20 can be joined more strongly. The grooves 11 shown in Figures 22(C) and 22(D) are arranged along closed linear shapes, which allows the volume of the space 16 to be increased and the steam pressure of the zinc plating layer 21a to be relatively small.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which there is no mark on the second surface 13 of the first member 10 indicating the position of the groove 11. A mark 18 indicating the position of the groove 11 may be provided on the second surface 13. As shown in FIG. 23(A), the mark 18 may be provided at a position indicating the end 11a of the groove 11. Also, as shown in FIG. 23(B), a linear mark 18 may be provided along the groove 11. The mark 18 is provided by laser marking, engraving, or press processing using a mold. The mark 18 clarifies the position of the groove 11 and serves as a mark indicating the position when the laser L is irradiated to the welding target region R. Furthermore, if the mark 18 is photographed by a camera and image recognized, automatic welding can be easily performed.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the end 11a of the groove 11 is formed at a position that does not reach the end 10a of the first member 10. The groove 11 only needs to be able to release the steam from the zinc plating layer 21a, and as shown in FIG. 24, the groove 11 may be formed at a position where the end 11a of the groove 11 reaches the end 10a of the first member 10. In this case, as shown in FIG. 25, the space 16 formed by overlapping the first member 10 with the second member 20 reaches the end 10a and is an open space. This allows the steam from the zinc plating layer 21a to be released to the outside, further reducing the steam pressure.

In the above embodiment, the first member 10 and the second member 20 are described as being made of a steel plate base material mainly made of iron, and both sides of the base material are coated with zinc or zinc-based zinc-plated layers 12a, 13a, 21a, 22a. The first member 10 and the second member 20 may have a zinc-plated layer on at least one of the first surface 12 of the first member 10 and the third surface 21 of the second member 20. The first member 10 may have a zinc-plated layer 12a on the first surface 12, and the second member 20 may be a member without a coating layer. In this case, the zinc-plated layer 12a in the welding target region R is removed by the formation of the groove 11, so that the generation of zinc vapor can be suppressed and welding defects can be suppressed. In addition, the second member 20 may have a zinc-plated layer 21a on the third surface 21, and the first member 10 may be a member without a coating layer. In this case, the effect of allowing the vapor of the zinc plating layer 21a to escape more effectively into the space 16 can be obtained. Also, the first member 10 and the second member 20 may have another coating layer instead of the zinc plating layer. If the melting point of the base material of the first member 10 and the second member 20 is higher than the boiling point of the coating layer, the effect of allowing the vapor of the coating layer to escape more effectively into the space 16 can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the groove 11 is formed by cutting away the first surface 12 with a groove machining tip in the groove forming process (step S101). As long as a specified groove 11 can be formed in the groove forming process (step S101), the method of forming the groove 11 is not limited, and the groove 11 may be formed by pressing. In this case, corrosion can be further prevented because the coating layer is not removed.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the first member 10 is bent into a shape having a hat-shaped cross section in the bending process (step S104). In addition to the bending process (step S104), processes other than bending may be performed, and one or more processes including bending, cutting, and drilling may be performed.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the melting step (step S202) is performed using a laser L. As long as the welding target region R of the first member 10 and the second member 20 can be melted, the welding target region R may be melted by another method.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the plate-shaped member 40 is used as a decorative panel for elevator equipment. According to the present disclosure, no welding marks remain on the surface of the decorative panel, and the appearance of the material is not marred. It also has excellent fire resistance. There are no limitations on the equipment in which the plate-shaped member 40 is used, and the plate-shaped member 40 may be used in freestanding panels such as distribution boards and control panels, indoor and outdoor units installed in air conditioning equipment, water heaters, and lighting equipment.

Various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Furthermore, various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

10 first member, 10a, 10b end, 11 groove, 11a, 11b end, 12 first surface, 12a, 13a, 21a, 22a zinc plating layer, 13 second surface, 14 valley fold line, 15 mountain fold line, 16 space, 17 cut piece, 18 mark, 20 second member, 21 third surface, 22 fourth surface, 30 welded portion, 31 protruding portion, 40 plate-shaped member, 100 processing device, 110, 310 surface plate, 120 processing portion, 121 upper die, 122 lower die, 123 turret key, 124 lifter, 125 die holder, 126 upper turret, 127 lower turret, 128 striker, 129 press portion, 130 moving mechanism, 131 Clamp, 140 Linear position sensor, 200, 400 Control unit, 210, 410 Processor, 220, 420 Main memory unit, 230, 430 Auxiliary memory unit, 240, 440 Communication unit, 250, 450 Bus, 260 CAM data, 270 Position data, 201 Groove processing control unit, 202 Cutting processing control unit, 203 Groove position measurement unit, 204 Bending processing control unit, 300 Welding device, 320 Welding head unit, 321 Laser irradiation unit, 330 Pressurizing device, 331 Roller movement mechanism, 340 Movement mechanism, 341 First movement mechanism, 342 Second movement mechanism, 343 Beam portion, 344 Rail, 345 First drive unit, 346 Second drive unit, 347 Drive unit, 348 Column portion, 350 First laser displacement sensor, 351 sensor movement mechanism, 360 second laser displacement sensor, 401 welding positioning unit, 402 welding head control unit, 403 welding position measurement unit, R welding target area, X reference position.

Claims (10)

a welding positioning step of holding a first member having a groove formed therein and a second member such that the surface of the first member having the groove formed therein is in close contact with the surface of the second member, detecting a reference position indicating the position of the groove in the first member, and determining the positions of areas to be welded of the first member and the second member, including the position of the groove, based on the reference position;
a melting step of melting the first member and the second member within the welding target area determined by the welding positioning step;
Equipped with
the reference position on the first member includes an end of the first member,
a coating layer is provided on at least one of a surface of the first member in which the groove is formed and a surface of the second member that is in close contact with the first member;
The melting point of the base material of the first member and the second member is higher than the boiling point of the coating layer;
Welding method. In the melting step, a laser irradiation position is determined within the region to be welded determined in the welding positioning step, and the laser is irradiated onto a surface of the first member opposite to the surface on which the groove is formed, thereby melting the region to be welded.
The welding method according to claim 1 . a groove forming step of forming the groove in the first member;
a groove position measuring step of measuring a position of the groove with respect to the reference position of the first member;
Equipped with
In the welding positioning step, positions of areas to be welded of the first member and the second member are determined based on a position of the groove relative to the reference position of the first member measured in the groove position measuring step.
The welding method according to claim 1 or 2 . a welding positioning step of holding a first member having a groove formed therein and a second member such that the surface of the first member having the groove formed therein is in close contact with the surface of the second member, detecting a reference position indicating the position of the groove in the first member, and determining the positions of areas to be welded of the first member and the second member, including the position of the groove, based on the reference position;
a melting step of melting the first member and the second member within the welding target area determined by the welding positioning step;
Equipped with
a coating layer is provided on at least one of a surface of the first member in which the groove is formed and a surface of the second member that is in close contact with the first member;
the melting point of the base material of the first member and the second member is higher than the boiling point of the coating layer;
further comprising a groove forming step of forming the groove in the first member;
a groove position measuring step of measuring a position of the groove with respect to the reference position of the first member;
Equipped with
In the welding positioning step, positions of areas to be welded of the first member and the second member are determined based on a position of the groove relative to the reference position of the first member measured in the groove position measuring step;
In the groove forming step, the groove is formed to have a width larger than a width that is expected to be reached when the first member and the second member are melted in the melting step.
Welding method. The reference position on the first member includes an end of the first member.
The welding method according to claim 4 . the welding positioning step includes a step of holding the surface of the first member, on which the groove is formed, in close contact with the second member, thereby forming a closed space between the groove of the first member and the second member,
The welding method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . A welding device for overlapping and welding a first member and a second member, comprising:
a reference position detection unit that detects the reference position from the first member having a groove and a reference position indicating the position of the groove, and the second member that is held in close contact with the surface of the first member on which the groove is formed;
a welding positioning unit that determines the positions of areas to be welded of the first member and the second member, including the position of the groove, based on the reference position detected by the reference position detection unit; and
a welding head control unit that melts the first member and the second member within the welding target area determined by the welding positioning unit;
Equipped with
the reference position on the first member includes an end of the first member,
a coating layer is provided on at least one of a surface of the first member in which the groove is formed and a surface of the second member that is in close contact with the first member;
The melting point of the base material of the first member and the second member is higher than the boiling point of the coating layer;
Welding equipment. a welding head unit having a laser irradiation unit;
the welding head control unit determines a laser irradiation position within the welding target area determined by the welding positioning unit, controls the welding head unit, and irradiates the laser onto a surface of the first member opposite to the surface on which the groove is formed, thereby melting the welding target area.
8. The welding apparatus of claim 7 . a holding portion that holds the surface of the first member, on which the groove is formed, in close contact with the second member;
9. A welding device according to claim 7 or 8 . A welding system comprising the welding device according to any one of claims 7 to 9 and a processing device,
The processing device includes:
A processing unit that forms the groove in the first member;
a groove position measuring unit that measures a position of the groove with respect to the reference position of the first member;
Equipped with
the welding positioning unit of the welding device determines positions of areas to be welded of the first member and the second member based on a position of the groove with respect to the reference position of the first member measured by the groove position measuring unit and the reference position of the first member detected by the reference position detection unit;
Welding system.

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