Joining device and method for producing an exhaust gas system

Abstract

A joining device for producing an exhaust gas system for an internal combustion engine comprises a device base, a frame, and at least two joining units that can be operated simultaneously are fastened to the frame. The frame extends essentially vertically starting from the device base. In a method for producing the exhaust gas system, at least one joining unit of a joining device is oriented to a geometry of the exhaust gas system that is to be produced, at least three components or assemblies of the exhaust gas system are positioned in the joining device, and the components or assemblies are simultaneously connected.

Claims

1. A joining device for producing an exhaust gas system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprising: a device base that is configured to be positioned on a hall floor; a frame associated with the base; and at least two joining units that can be operated simultaneously fastened to the frame, wherein the frame extends essentially vertically starting from the device base, and wherein the at least two joining units are configured to connect exhuast components of the exhaust gas system to one another.

2. The joining device of claim 1 wherein the joining units comprise induction soldering units and each comprise an inductor.

3. The joining device of claim 1 wherein each of the joining units is positionable along a translational axis or multiple translational axes relative to the frame.

4. The joining device of claim 1 wherein each of the joining units is positionable rotationally about a rotational axis or multiple rotational axes relative to the frame.

5. The joining device of claim 1 wherein the joining units are arranged essentially one above the other in a vertical direction.

6. The joining device of claim 1 including one or multiple clamping units.

7. The joining device of claim 6 wherein each of the clamping units is adjustable in three rotational and three translational degrees of freedom.

8. The joining device of claim 6 wherein the clamping units are electrically actuated.

9. The joining device of claim 1 including a soldering current generator having multiple soldering current outputs, wherein each soldering current output is coupled to at least one of the two joining units.

10. The joining device of claim 1 wherein a number of joining units corresponds to a number of joining interfaces of the exhaust gas system.

11. The joining device of claim 1 wherein the at least two joining units comprise three to fifteen joining units.

12. The joining device of claim 3, wherein each of the joining units is connected to the frame via three linear drive units that operate perpendicular to one another and each of the linear drive units comprises an electrical drive unit.

13. The joining device of claim 4, wherein each of the joining units is connected via three electrically rotational adjustment drives having rotational axes that operate perpendicular to one another to the frame.

14. The joining device of claim 6, wherein a number of clamping units corresponds to at least a number of components or assemblies of the exhaust gas system that are to be joined.

15. The joining device of claim 8, wherein the clamping units are electrically activated and electrically deactivated.

16. The joining device of claim 9, wherein a number of soldering current outputs corresponds to a number of joining units.

17. The joining device of claim 11, wherein the at least two joining units comprise five to twelve joining units.

18. The joining device of claim 1, wherein the joining device connects exhaust components of the exhaust gas system to one another.

19. The joining device of claim 18, wherein the exhaust components are configured to receive exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine.

20. The joining device of claim 6, wherein a number of clamping units corresponds to at least a number of exhaust components or assemblies of the exhaust gas system that are to be joined, and wherein the exhaust components or assemblies are held in the joining device via the clamping units.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained below with reference to an exemplary embodiment that is illustrated in the attached drawings. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a joining device in accordance with the invention that may be used to perform a method in accordance with the invention for producing an exhaust gas system, and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates in an abstracted and slightly modified schematic sketch, the joining device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates a joining device 10 for producing an exhaust gas system 12. The exhaust gas system 12 is arranged in the joining device 10.

(5) The joining device 10 comprises a device base 14 that is configured to be positioned on a production hall floor (not further illustrated), and a frame 16 that extends essentially vertically (cf. ve) starting from the device base 14.

(6) In the illustrated embodiment, three joining units 18a, 18b, 18c that can be operated simultaneously are fastened on the frame 16 (cf. FIG. 2).

(7) The joining units 18a-18c are induction soldering units and each comprise an inductor 20a, 20b, 20c that is illustrated in a schematic manner.

(8) The joining units 18a-18c are arranged essentially one above the other in a vertical direction ve.

(9) The joining device 10 comprises a soldering current generator 22 having three soldering current outputs 24a, 24b, 24c for operating the joining units 18a-18c.

(10) Each of the soldering current outputs 24a-24c is coupled to one of the joining units 18a-18c. The number of the soldering current outputs 24a-24c in the illustrated embodiment therefore corresponds to the number of the joining units 18a-18c.

(11) The joining units 18a-18c may each be positioned along the three translational axes x, y, z relative to the frame 16. The joining unit 18a may be positioned along the translational axes xa, ya, za, the joining unit 18b may be positioned along the translational axes xb, yb, zb, and the joining unit 18c may be positioned along the translational axes xc, yc, zc.

(12) FIG. 2 illustrates schematically the translational axes x, y, z. These translational axes are arranged in pairs perpendicular to one another and are realized by virtue of linear drive units (not further illustrated) which each have an electrical drive.

(13) Each of the joining units 18a-18c may also be positioned rotationally about allocated rotational axes u, v, w relative to the frame 16.

(14) More precisely, the joining unit 18a may be positioned rotationally about the rotational axes ua, va, wa, the joining unit 18b may be positioned rotationally about the rotational axes ub, vb, wb, and the joining unit 18c may be positioned rotationally about the rotational axes uc, vc, wc.

(15) For this purpose, the joining units 18a-18c each comprise electrical rotational adjustment drives (not further illustrated).

(16) Moreover, clamping units 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e, 26f, 26g, 26h are provided in the joining device 10.

(17) These clamping units 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e, 26f, 26g, 26h may be electrically actuated. In other words, they may be electrically activated and electrically deactivated. These clamping units 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e, 26f, 26g, 26h are schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 as vacuum suction cups. Nevertheless, other clamping technologies are also possible.

(18) Each of the clamping units 26a-26h may also be adjusted in three rotational and three translational degrees of freedom to correspond with the joining units 18a-18c.

(19) This is illustrated for the clamping units 26a-26h in an exemplary manner via the axes xd, yd, zd and ud, vd, wd on the clamping unit 26d. The remaining clamping units 26a-26c and 26e-26h may be adjusted in the same manner.

(20) In order to produce the exhaust gas system 12 for an internal combustion engine (not illustrated) of a motor vehicle, initially the joining units 18a-18c of the joining device 10 are oriented to a geometry of the exhaust gas system 12 that is to be produced.

(21) This occurs along one or multiple of the translational axes and/or rotational axes, in other words along one or multiple of the axes xa, ya, za, xb, yb, zb, xc, yc, zc, ua, va, wa, ub, vb, wb, uc, vc, wc.

(22) The joining units 18a-18c are therefore oriented in six degrees of freedom within the space.

(23) The same applies for the clamping units 26a-26h that are oriented along the exemplary axes xd, yd, zd and about the axes ud, vd, wd in six degrees of freedom within the space.

(24) The components or assemblies of the exhaust gas systems are positioned in the joining device 10.

(25) The components or assemblies form joining interfaces between one another, wherein three joining interfaces 28a, 28b, 28c are illustrated in FIG. 2 in an exemplary manner.

(26) In the illustrated embodiment, the joining interfaces 28a-28c are arranged essentially vertically one above the other.

(27) The components or assemblies are subsequently connected at the joining interfaces 28a-28c using an induction soldering method.

(28) The number of joining units 18a-18c corresponds to the number of joining interfaces 28a-28c. It is therefore possible for all the joining interfaces 28a-28c to be processed simultaneously.

(29) Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.