Device and method for (ultra-high-speed) laser cladding

Abstract

A device, and method, for laser cladding, in particular for extreme-high-speed-laser cladding (EHLA), comprising: at least three drive columns; a workpiece support for a product to be manufactured, the support being positioned centrally between the drive columns, and/or a support plate for a welding head, which is movably connected to the drive columns in three spatial directions (x, y, z) via multiple tension-compression struts and revolute joints that are fixed on the ends thereof, wherein, each drive column has at least one inner guide rail facing the workpiece support and/or the support plate with an inner carriage running in said rail for moving the workpiece support and/or the support plate in the three spatial directions and has an outer guide rail with an outer carriage running therein for guiding a counterweight vertically in the opposite direction to the inner carriage; and a welding head.

Claims

1. A device for laser cladding, comprising: at least three drive columns, a workpiece support for a product to be manufactured, which is positioned centrally between the drive columns, and/or a support plate for a welding head, which is movably connected to the drive columns in three spatial directions (x, y, z) via multiple tension-compression struts and revolute joints that are fixed on the ends thereof, wherein each drive column has at least one inner guide rail facing the workpiece support and/or the support plate with an inner carriage running in said rail for moving the workpiece support and/or the support plate in the three spatial directions (x, y, z) and has an outer guide rail with an outer carriage running therein for guiding a counterweight vertically in the opposite direction to the inner carriage, and a welding head.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece support and/or the support plate are suspended at six points via in each case two parallel tension-compression struts of equal length, in each case two tension-compression struts being connected to in each case one inner carriage of a drive column.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the guidance of the carriages takes place via idlers for drive belts provided on the drive columns.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the carriages of the drive columns comprise drive belt clampings for a drive belt.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein each individual tension-compression strut of a drive column can be moved individually in the vertical direction within its own guide rail with its own independently vertically movable carriage.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the welding head is held by a support plate, which is arranged parallel to the workpiece support for the product to be manufactured, and that between the support plate and the workpiece support a wobble plate is suspended, which enables an axial offset of the welding head.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the suspension of the support plate for the welding head from a top plate takes place via an upper coupling socket gripping the fixtures from above and a coupling pin gripping from below.

8. The device according to claim 6 wherein the wobble plate is connected to the support plate via suspensions.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the welding head is held between the drive columns by a support plate, which is connected to the drive columns movably in three spatial directions (x, y, z) via further tension-compression struts and revolute joints attached to their ends.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the coupling of the tension-compression struts, which can be moved vertically in the drive columns, to the workpiece support or the support plate is effected either from the side or on the upper side or on the underside thereof.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein a rotation and pivot device is positioned below the support plate for the welding head in order to receive the product to be manufactured in the product receiving area.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein a nozzle is provided, namely a powder nozzle or a wire nozzle.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the welding head is a laser welding head or a soldering head.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein an additional axially movable milling head is provided for subsequent processing of the workpiece.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is designed to be immovable and the workpiece support is axially movable in the three spatial directions (x, y, z).

16. A method for manufacturing a product by laser cladding, particularly extreme-high-speed laser cladding (EHLA), in which a workpiece support for the product to be manufactured is moved via at least three drive columns in three spatial directions (x, y, z) along a welding head which is arranged parallel to the workpiece support for a product to be manufactured, wherein each drive column allows a path movement of the workpiece support via tension-compression struts connected thereto and a mass compensation via corresponding counterweights.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein an oscillating operation is applied for creating curves, lines and/or cavities.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein a support plate for a welding head is arranged above the workpiece support.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the support plate is held immovably and the workpiece support is moved individually in the three x, y, z spatial directions.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein amorphous and/or crystalline material compositions are used for manufacturing the product.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The invention is explained in more detail in the following drawings, wherein:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the device in the form of a tripod,

[0041] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the device in the form of a hexapod,

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a more advanced version with a wobble plate,

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a detailed representation of the wobble plate including the suspension of the welding head,

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a combined axis system for a movable workpiece support and a movable support plate,

[0045] FIG. 6 shows an alternative axis system for a movable workpiece support and a movable support plate,

[0046] FIG. 7 shows a combined solution with additional rotation and pivot device.

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an EHLA device with a workpiece support 1 for the product to be manufactured or processed and a central product receiver 28 for processing or manufacturing the product using the laser cladding method. The workpiece support 1 is suspended at six different points via tension-compression struts 15. Each tension-compression strut 15 is connected to a lower revolute joint 3 which is connected to the workpiece support 1 and to an upper revolute joint 4 which is coupled to a carriage 6. The workpiece support 1 is centrally arranged between three drive columns (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) and can be moved via the carriages 6 along one or more of the spatial directions x, y and/or z. A carriage 6 is moved vertically along inner guide rails 5, which are facing the workpiece support 1, in order to facilitate a path movement of the workpiece support 1 (or in another embodiment the support plate 20).

[0048] The carriage 6 is connected to a drive belt clamping 7, which in turn couples the tension-compression struts 15 via the revolute joints 4. The vertical movement of the inner carriage 6 is effected by a drive belt 12, preferably a toothed belt. At the back of each drive column 2 (i.e. opposite the inner guide rail 5) there is an outer guide rail 8 in which an outer carriage 11 is guided. In addition, a counter weight 9 is provided for mass compensation. The outer carriage 11 also has a drive belt clamping 10. For guiding the drive belt 12, two idlers 13, 14 are provided at the top and bottom of each drive column. The tension-compression struts 15 hold the workpiece support 1 from above.

[0049] In FIG. 2 a more advanced embodiment is provided, wherein each individual tension-compression strut 15.1, 15.2 etc. of a drive column 2.1, 2.2 etc. runs in its own guide rail 5.1, 5.2 etc. via carriages 6.1, 6.2 etc. In this variant, each individual tension-compression strut 15.1, 15.2 etc. can be moved individually. Each axis has its own counterweights 9.1, 9.2 etc., which are guided vertically by their own carriages 11.1, 11.2 etc. in the opposite direction to the inner carriages 6.1, 6.2 etc. Here again the workpiece support 1 is suspended from above via the tension-compression struts 15.

[0050] In FIG. 3 the three drive columns 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 are held by a base plate 17 and a top plate 16. The support plate 20 for the welding head 22 is held by fixtures 30 which are connected to the top plate 16. Additionally a wobble plate 21 is provided to allow an axial offset of the welding head 22.

[0051] In FIG. 4 the structure of the wobble plate/construction is shown in more detail. The support plate 20 for the welding head 22 is held on the fixture 30 by an upper coupling socket 24, an upper coupling pin 25 and a lower coupling socket 26. The workpiece support 1 for the product to be manufactured also includes lower coupling pins 23, which are arranged between two tension-compression struts 15 on the surface of the workpiece support 1. The wobble plate 21 is connected to the support plate 20 via suspension 27. This allows an axial offset of 1°-3°.

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment, which comprises both a support plate 20 with a welding head 22 and a workpiece support 1 for a product to be manufactured or processed. In this variant, tension-compression struts 15 are connected from above to said workpiece support 1 and support plate 20 at six defined suspension points. According to the invention, it is now provided that the upper support plate 20 can be moved in three spatial directions by its own carriages 6.2. Thereby, the carriage 6.1 of the workpiece support 1 and the carriage 6.2 of the support plate 20 run in the same guide rail 5 of a drive column 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 respectively.

[0053] FIG. 6 shows a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, wherein the tension-compression struts 15 are coupled to the workpiece support 1 from below. Here again the individual tension-compression struts 15.1, 15.2 etc. for the workpiece support 1 and the support plate 20 can be moved individually in three spatial directions.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment with an additional rotation and pivot device. This comprises a pivot device 31 and a revolute joint 33 for tilting and rotating a product receiving area 32 for the product to be produced or processed.

[0055] With the devices and methods according to the invention, speeds of >200 m/min, but preferably up to 1,000 m/min and accelerations of up to 100 m/s.sup.2 can be achieved for carrying out an EHLA application process. In doing so, high accuracies are achieved with low coating thicknesses.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0056] 1 workpiece support [0057] 2 drive column [0058] 3 lower revolute joint (product plate) [0059] 4 upper revolute joint (drive column) [0060] 5 inner guide rail [0061] 6 inner carriage [0062] 7 drive belt clamping [0063] 8 outer guide rail [0064] 9 counter weight [0065] 10 drive belt clamping [0066] 11 outer carriage [0067] 12 drive belt [0068] 13 upper idler for drive belt [0069] 14 lower idler for drive belt [0070] 15 tension-compression struts [0071] 16 top plate [0072] 17 base plate [0073] 18 upper mount for drive column [0074] 19 lower mount for drive column [0075] 20 support plate [0076] 21 wobble plate [0077] 22 welding head [0078] 23 lower coupling pin [0079] 24 upper coupling socket [0080] 25 upper coupling pin [0081] 26 lower coupling socket [0082] 27 suspension [0083] 28 product receiver [0084] 29 opening for welding head [0085] 30 fixture [0086] 31 pivot device [0087] 32 product receiving area [0088] 33 revolute joint