Hitachi, Ltd.

Kazushige Fukuyori

Masakuni Ezumi

Tetsuya Matsunaga

Akihiro Satou

Tsuyoshi Mizusaki

Hisanori Okamura

Norihisa Okada

Takeshi Yano

Ryooji Ishida

Koji Hamada

Osamu Okafuji

Face platesandof a hollow shape memberare abutted against face platesandof a hollow shape member. Groovesformed to said face platesandat the abutted region receive projectionsformed to said face platesand. A connecting plateorthogonal to said face platesandis provided to the hollow shape member. There is no connecting plate orthogonal to face platesanddisposed on the end of the hollow shape member. Friction stir welding heat causes the face plate() to move toward the thickness direction of hollow shape membersand, but such movement is suppressed by the grooveand projection. Thereby, the abutted region is welded flatly. Since the hollow shape memberrequires no connecting plate corresponding to plate, the welded members are light in weight.

Friction stir welding method, and hollow shape member for friction stir welding

The invention provides a shape member manufacturing apparatus and a shape member manufacturing method which aims at cutting and grinding a joint projectionB formed when a plurality of shape members are joined together by welding or friction stir welding, in a short time with high accuracy. A plurality of mountshaving a side structureplaced thereon are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the side structure. A joint projectionB of a welded portion or a friction stir welded joint is formed on the surface of the side structurein its longitudinal direction. A carriertravels in the longitudinal direction of the side structure. Columnsare installed in a girderof the carrier, and a milling cutter deviceand a grinding deviceare installed in lower portions of the columns. A milling surface of a milling cutterof the milling cutter devicehas a circular-arc shape with a radius R. The milling cutterperforms cutting at an angle &#x3b8;tilted with respect to a vertical line. Further, the milling cutter device is provided with sliding plates. The milling cutter device performs cutting with the sliding platesbrought into contact with the surfaces of the extruded shape members.

Shape member manufacturing apparatus and shape member manufacturing method

The end of a hollow memberis abutted against the end of a hollow member. The end of a face plateis supported on a protrusion. A small-diameter portionof a rotary toolis inserted into the abutted area, and the toolis moved along the abutted region while being rotated in a clockwise direction as observed from the large-diameter potion. Thus, the pressure of mobilized metal is greater on the right side of the axial center of the rotary tool. The thickness of the member from the tip of the inserted small-diameter portionto the hollow areasandis thicker at the right side where the pressure is higher, thus preventing metal from flowing out into the hollow region

Friction stir welding method

A cutting toolcuts along the butted portion between two members. A filling materialis inserted to the gapformed by said cutting, and a rollerpresses protrusionsandto crimp said protrusionsandso as to fix said filling material to position. Next, friction stir welding is performed to the protrusionsand the filling materialusing a rotary tool. In another example, instead of cutting, the filling material can be welded and filled to the gap. In yet another example, cutting can be performed so as to approximate the two members before performing the friction stir welding step.

Friction stir welding method, and method for manufacturing car body

Two membersandare welded together by cutting a groovehaving a determined cross-sectional shape using a cutting toolalong the abutted portion between the two membersand, inserting a filler membersubstantially having the same cross-sectional shape to the groove so as to substantially eliminate the gap at the abutted portion, temporarily welding together the projectionsand the filler member, and thereafter, friction stir welding the membersand the filler membertogether completely using a rotary tool

Method and apparatus for friction stir welding

Grooves formed to face plates and of a hollow shape member at an abutted region with hollow shape member receive projections formed to face plates and of member . A connecting plate orthogonal to the face plates and is provided to the hollow shape member . There is no connecting plate orthogonal to face plates and disposed on the end of the hollow shape member . Friction stir welding heat causes the face plate ( ) to wove toward the thickness direction of hollow shape members and , but such movement is suppressed by the groove and projection . Thereby, the abutted region is welded flatly.

On a main shaft of a numeric control type machine tool, a rotary tool is installed. The main shaft is not inclined in the machine tool. A first member and a second member to be subjected to friction stir welding are fixed on a table . Relative to an axial center of the rotary tool , a non-linear welding portion of the first member and the second member is inclined by inclining the table . Then, by rotating the table and relatively moving the portion to be welded into contact with the rotary tool , welding of the first member to the second member is carried out according to friction stir welding. The above-stated inclination is the inclination required for the friction stir welding. In this way, welding along a path of ring shape or circular shape (including a circular arc) using friction stir welding can be carried out easily.

A rotary tool ( ) having on the end surface of a large-diameter portion ( ) facing a small-diameter portion ( ) grooves ( ) formed in arc-like shapes, and performing friction stir weld by inserting the end surface of the large-diameter portion ( ) and the small-diameter portion to members and rotating the tool ( ). By the rotation, the metal of the members moves along the grooves ( ) to the center axis direction of the rotary tool ( ). The arc-shaped grooves ( )are formed to curve toward the direction of rotation. Since the metal material of the members is moved toward the center, a good weld is realized even when only one of the members to be welded has a projection, or when a large gap is formed therebetween.

Friction stir welding method and rotary tool

A rim member forming an entrance and a plate ( ) are friction stir welded by moving a rotary tool along the rim member . The rotary tool is tilted along the direction of movement. Welding is started at right block R, and when the tool reaches corner portion P between the right block R and a center block C, the tool is pulled out of the rim member and plate ( ). Next, the tool is tilted toward the direction of movement along center block C. Thereafter, the tool is lowered and inserted to position, and friction stir welding is restarted. According to the invention, the direction of the rotary tool is not changed while the tool is inserted to the rim member . This prevents generation of excessive friction heat, and thereby realizes a good weld.

Plural extrusion members , each having plural ribs formed on one surface of a face plate , are mounted on a frame with the surface not having the ribs facing downward, and with the end regions of the adjacent members being butted to each other. Then, the end regions of said members are welded using friction stir welding from the upper direction with a rotary body , and then a hairline finish is applied to said surface not having the ribs, which constitutes the exterior surface of the vehicle body. In this way, there is substantially no need to cut off the joint bead, which improves the appearance of the vehicle body and reduces the manufacturing cost.

Method of manufacturing structural body and structural body

A cutting tool cuts along the butted portion between two members . A filling material is inserted to the gap formed by said cutting, and a roller presses protrusions and to crimp said protrusions and so as to fix said filling material to position. Next, friction stir welding is performed to the protrusions and the filling material using a rotary tool . In another example, instead of cutting, the filling material can be welded and filled to the gap. In yet another example, cutting can be performed so as to approximate the two members before performing the friction stir welding step.

Face plates and of a hollow shape member are abutted against face plates and of a hollow shape member . Grooves formed to said face plates and at the abutted region receive projections formed to said face plates and . A connecting plate orthogonal to said face plates and is provided to the hollow shape member . There is no connecting plate orthogonal to face plates and disposed on the end of the hollow shape member . Friction stir welding heat causes the face plate ( ) to move toward the thickness direction of hollow shape members and , but such movement is suppressed by the groove and projection . Thereby, the abutted region is welded flatly. Since the hollow shape member requires no connecting plate corresponding to plate , the welded members are light in weight.

A cutting tool cuts along the butted portion between two members A filling material is inserted to the gap formed by said cutting, and a roller presses protrusions and to crimp said protrusions and so as to fix said filling material to position. Next, friction stir welding is performed to the protrusions and the filling material using a rotary tool In another example, instead of cutting, the filling material can be welded and filled to the gap. In yet another example, cutting can be performed so as to approximate the two members before performing the friction stir welding step.

A face plate is butted against a frame , from which a segment for overlapping with the rear surface of a face plate is projected. The frame includes a raised portion . A friction stir welding is performed by inserting a rotary tool into the raised portion . The rotary tool is rotated clockwise as seen from the large-diameter portion , so that the pressure of fluidized metal is higher at the right-hand side of the axial center of the rotary tool . There exists the overlapping surface of the face plate and the projecting segment at the side with high pressure of metal. The raised portion exists at the left-hand side of the axial center of the rotary tool . Thus, the occurrence of continuous metal oxide or a notch at the overlapping surface can be restrained.

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Kudamatsu, Japan

Kazushige Fukuyori