Method for controlling a mechanical joining or forming process

Abstract

Methods and devices for controlling a mechanical joining or forming process, in particular friction drilling in thin-walled materials, apply several reverse pulses acting on a process parameter to bring the course of an actual curve of the parameter more into line with the course of a predetermined nominal curve of the process parameter. The number and length of the reverse pulses and the length of the intervals between the pulses are determined as a function of at least one immediately detectable variable associated with the process parameter.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A method for controlling a mechanical joining or forming process, the method including: (a) applying a first fluid pressure to a fluid pressure-driven actuator to generate a process parameter over an actual course for the process parameter, the actual course for the process parameter corresponding over time with a nominal course for the process parameter wherein the nominal course for the process parameter includes a nominal process parameter change from a first nominal process parameter value to a second nominal process parameter value; (b) while applying the first fluid pressure to generate the process parameter, applying a number of reverse pulses acting on the process parameter in opposition to the first fluid pressure at least over a portion of the actual course for the process parameter corresponding in time to a portion of the nominal course for the process parameter which encompasses the nominal process change; and (c) wherein the number and length of the reverse pulses and the length of intervals between the reverse pulses are determined as a function of at least one immediately detectable variable associated with the process parameter.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the mechanical joining or forming process comprises friction drilling in thin-walled materials and wherein the fluid pressure-drive actuator is a pneumatic cylinder-type actuator.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one immediately detectable variable associated with the process parameter is chosen from the variables force, distance, pressure, speed, torque, time, position, rotational speed, angle of rotation, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein: (a) the fluid pressure-driven actuator includes a pneumatic cylinder and piston with the first fluid pressure applied to a first side of the piston; and (b) the reverse pulses are generated in the pneumatic cylinder through a buildup of pressure on a second side of the piston, opposite to the first side of the piston.

14. The method of claim 13 further including for each respective reverse pulse, actuating a valve connected to the pneumatic cylinder on the second side of the piston to generate the respective reverse pulse by introducing pressurized gas into the pneumatic cylinder on the second side of the piston for the duration of the respective reverse pulse.

15. The method of claim 13 further including opening an outlet valve connected to the pneumatic cylinder on the second side of the piston to relieve the pressure built up for a respective reverse pulse, the outlet valve being opened in a pulsed manner to relieve the pressure.

16. The method of claim 13 further including, during the interval between each respective adjacent pair of reverse pulses, venting pressure from the pneumatic cylinder on the second side of the piston.

17. An apparatus for controlling a mechanical joining or forming process, the apparatus including: (a) a cylinder with a piston mounted therein, the piston having a first surface facing a first side of the cylinder and a second surface opposite to the first surface and facing a second side of the cylinder; (b) a proportionally controllable valve operatively connected between a first side pressure source and the first side of the cylinder for applying a first fluid pressure on the first side of the cylinder to generate a process parameter over an actual course for the process parameter, the actual course for the process parameter corresponding over time with a nominal course for the process parameter wherein the nominal course for the process parameter includes a nominal process parameter change from a first nominal process parameter value to a second nominal process parameter value; (c) a discrete position valve arrangement operatively connected between a second side pressure force and the second side of the cylinder for, while the proportionately controllable valve is operated to apply the first fluid pressure to generate the process parameter, applying a number of reverse pulses acting on the process parameter in opposition to the first fluid pressure at least over a portion of the actual course for the process parameter corresponding in time to a portion of the nominal course for the process parameter which encompasses the nominal process change; and (c) wherein the number and length of the reverse pulses and the length of intervals between the reverse pulses are determined as a function of at least one immediately detectable variable associated with the process parameter.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the mechanical joining or forming process comprises friction drilling in thin-walled materials and wherein the cylinder comprises a pneumatic cylinder.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further including an evaluation and control device operable for actuating the discrete position valve arrangement in a pulsed manner as a function of the at least one immediately detectable variable associated with the process parameter.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the at least one immediately detectable variable associated with the process parameter is chosen from the variables force, distance, pressure, speed, torque, time, position, rotational speed, angle of rotation, and combinations thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing example reverse pulses which may be applied in accordance with the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 a force-time graph of the course of a joining or forming process according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The setup represented in FIG. 1 shows, by way of example, an apparatus for performing a method according to the invention for controlling a mechanical joining or forming process, in particular friction drilling.

[0032] For this purpose, the device has a pneumatic cylinder 1, the piston 3 of which is pressurized (gas or air) via a connection 5 on its front side, that is, its drive side to the left of the piston 3 in the orientation of FIG. 1. The pressure applied in cylinder 1 in the volume to the left of the left surface of piston 3 applies a force to the piston tending to move it to the right in the figure.

[0033] On the opposite side of the cylinder 1, the side to the right of the piston 3 there is a further connection 7, in order to generate a reverse pulse (counterpressure) on the opposite side of the cylinder 1 acting on the right surface of the piston 3 in opposition to the force applied from the pressure on the left side of piston 3.

[0034] The connection 5 is connected to a pressure source 8 in FIG. 1, wherein the pressure is regulated via a control valve 9 according to the desired requirements.

[0035] The connection 7 is in turn connected to pressure source 8, wherein the pressure for generating the opposing force in the form of pulses is controlled via a pneumatic valve 11 with the states open and closed. Although the apparatus in FIG. 1 shows both valves 9 and 11 connected to the same pressure source 8, other embodiments may include separate pressure sources for each valve 9 and 11.

[0036] The pneumatic valve 11 can advantageously be formed as a 3-port valve, with the result that via it not only can be controlled to effect the buildup of pressure on the opposite side of the cylinder 1 to the right the piston 3, but also to effect the venting of that pressure to form the intervals between pulses.

[0037] At the cylinder 1, the pressure 13 and thus the force 15 to which the piston 3 and thus the component, in particular the friction drilling screwnot represented in more detail in the drawingis exposed can be measured in a manner not represented in more detail.

[0038] At the cylinder 1 or piston 3 or piston rod 17, a distance measurement can also be carried out using a distance measurement device 19 in order additionally to monitor and/or to control the method according to the invention. In particular, an evaluation and control device such as that shown at 18 in FIG. 1 may be connected to receive distance measurement information from device 19 and/or other process variable measuring devices (not shown), and then control valve 11 based on that variable information.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows different types of example pulse sequences which the valve 11 may be controlled (opened and closed) to produce.

[0040] These pulse sequences exhibit uniform pulse lengths for the opening (buildup of pressure) and uniform intervals between the pulses for the closing or switching over to vent the valve 11.

[0041] Instead of uniform pulses and intervals it is of course also conceivable to vary the length of the pulses and intervals, if required.

[0042] In the following, a typical method procedure is explained with reference to the process of introducing a friction drilling screw into a workpiece.

[0043] The graph represented in FIG. 3 shows an ideal nominal curve 21 for the process of a friction drilling screw with force on the screw as a process parameter plotted against time for a total duration of, for example, 3000 ms.

[0044] Furthermore, in FIG. 3 a typical course 23 of the process without reverse pulses according to the invention is represented, as well as the course 25 of the process with the reverse pulses according to the invention.

[0045] At the start of the process (first perpendicular or almost perpendicular upward slope of the curves 21, 23 and 25), the screw is lying with its tip on the surface of the workpiece or of the material and a constant force (in the longitudinal direction of the screw) of, for example, 500 newtons (N) acts on it (in a rotating manner).

[0046] For this purpose, the valve 9 is correspondingly regulated in order to generate a pressure (for example 1 bar) on the front side (drive side) of the cylinder 1 producing this force.

[0047] If the tip of the screw pierces the material, an increased frictional force must be overcome. For this purpose, the valve 9 is correspondingly regulated until the desired force of, for example, 1000 N (or also 2000 N) is reached.

[0048] If the screw penetrates through the thin-walled material and, as a result of that, the thread is formed, the force has to decrease from the higher nominal force (1000 N to 2000 N) to a desired lower nominal force of, for example, 500 N (falling slope 33 in the nominal curve) and persist until a predefined (parametrizable) torque, in particular tightening torque, is reached and/or until the screw head meets the surface. When the screw head meets the surface and/or the predefined torque is reached, the process is ended 31 (last perpendicular or almost perpendicular falling slope of the curves 21, 23 and 25).

[0049] As can be seen from FIG. 3, the course 23 without reverse pulse is far away from the ideal course of the curve 21, particularly along portions adjacent to the falling slope 33. Thus, in the case of a process course without reverse pulse, the buildup of pressure must already be interrupted some time before a penetration (at falling slop 33 in nominal curve 21) in order that formation of the thread is made possible at all after the penetration 33, since otherwise a (feed) force that is too high acts on the friction drilling screw after the penetration 33.

[0050] In contrast, the curve 23 of the actual process with reverse pulses according to the invention can be brought even more into line with the ideal curve 21.

[0051] Thus, instead of being regulated down some time, for example 100 ms, before the penetration at falling slope 33 of the nominal curve 21, the valve 9 can be regulated down only after the actual penetration 33, since a stronger drop in the force is generated by a reverse pulse, for example of 80 ms duration, on the opposite side of the cylinder 1 or the opposite side of the piston 3 (to the right of piston 3 in the FIG. 1).

[0052] Before the reduced force desired for the formation of the thread is reached, this pulse (perpendicular line 27) is ended and the opposite side of the cylinder is vented for a short duration of a few milliseconds (ms) before a new, shorter reverse pulse is generated.

[0053] Through several such short reverse pulses, the actual curve 25 can be brought much more into line with the ideal curve 21 without falling below a minimum force, for example of 500 N, required for the formation of the thread in this area.

[0054] Of course, it is also conceivable, instead of forming the valve 11 as a 3-port valve, to provide an additional valve for the venting, with the result that venting can be effected not only in the intervals between two pulses.

[0055] It becomes clear, with reference to the above-mentioned example, that pulsed reverse pulses in a pneumatic system suppress the undesired run-on to the extent that a much quicker control and even a close approximation to an ideal nominal curve 21 or regulation around such a curve are made possible.

[0056] As becomes clear from the example explained above, the reverse pulses (thus opening of the valve 11 and buildup of pressure to generate an opposing force on the opposite side of the cylinder 1) can be coupled in number and length to further physical variables of a process (distance, speed, time, position, acceleration, pressure, force, torque, etc.), in order to achieve the optimum results depending on requirements.

[0057] Likewise, the length of the intervals between the pulses can be individually adapted to the requirements, in particular in order to enable a quick venting between the pulses.

[0058] When an additional valve is used for the venting (rather than venting through a vent port of a multi-port valve), the venting can also already be started before the end of a pulse, with the result that sawtooth-shaped pulses or even peak-like pulses (short peaks) are formed from rather rectangular pulses.

[0059] The length and number of the reverse pulses and of the intervals can optionally also be calculated in advance, for example from the downward slope of the force reduction combined with the difference in force parametrized in the program (forming a characteristic curve for the reverse pulse length and/or number as well as interval length between pulses).

[0060] As used herein, whether in the above description or the following claims, the terms comprising, including, carrying, having, containing, involving, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Also, it should be understood that the terms about, substantially, and like terms used herein when referring to a dimension or characteristic of a component indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude variations therefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter would include variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.

[0061] Any use of ordinal terms such as first, second, third, etc., in the following claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).

[0062] The term each may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term each is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as each having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term each is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.

[0063] The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. More generally, the various features described herein may be used in any working combination.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0064] 1 pneumatic cylinder [0065] 3 piston [0066] 5 connection (front side) [0067] 7 further connection [0068] 8 pressure source [0069] 9 control valve [0070] 11 pneumatic valve [0071] 13 pressure measurement [0072] 15 force measurement [0073] 17 piston rod [0074] 18 evaluation and control device [0075] 19 distance measurement [0076] 21 nominal curve [0077] 23 course without reverse pulse [0078] 25 course with reverse pulse [0079] 27 perpendicular line [0080] 29 process start [0081] 31 process end [0082] 33 falling slope (penetration through the material)