Solid State Extrusion and Bonding Method

Abstract

A solid-state method of bonding an extruded bead of metal material (4) onto the surface of a metal substrate (6) is provided. The method comprises deforming the surface of the substrate; extruding extrusion material to form extrudate; and depositing the extrudate on the surface of the substrate to form a bead of material on the substrate which is bonded to the substrate. A solid-state method of joining two metal components (30, 31) is also provided. The method comprises: extruding metal extrusion material to form extrudate (32); depositing extrudate between the two components such that it contacts each of the components to form an initial joint between the components; deforming a surface of the initial joint; and depositing further extrudate (38) on the initial joint between the two components.

Claims

1. A solid-state method of bonding an extruded bead of metal material onto the surface of a metal substrate, the method comprising: deforming a first area of the surface of the substrate; extruding extrusion material to form extrudate; and depositing the extrudate on the surface of the substrate to form a first bead of material on the substrate which is metallically bonded to the substrate, deforming a second area of the surface of the substrate; depositing extrudate on the second area of the surface of the substrate to form a second bead of material on the substrate which is bonded to the substrate, wherein the second area is spaced from the first area of the surface of the substrate such that the second bead of material is spaced from the first bead of material to form a channel therebetween, deforming the surfaces of the channel; and depositing extrudate in the channel to form a third bead of material on the substrate which is bonded to the substrate and the first and second beads of material.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein when the extrudate is deposited to form the first bead of material it bonds only to the substrate onto which it has been extruded.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is a plate and the extruded beads are bonded to a planar surface of the plate.

4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the step of deforming the surface of the substrate is done before the extrudate is deposited onto the surface of the substrate such that the extrudate is deposited onto a deformed surface of the substrate.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the first, second and third beads form an extruded plate on the surface of the substrate.

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the steps of depositing layers of material on the substrate which are spaced apart is repeated more than two times so as to create a series of channels, and wherein the series of channels are each deformed and have extrudate extruded therein to form a surface plate on the substrate.

7. A solid-state extrusion and bonding additive layer manufacturing method of bonding an extruded bead of metal material onto the surface of a metal substrate, the method comprising: deforming a surface of the substrate; extruding extrusion material to form extrudate; and depositing the extrudate on the surface of the substrate to form a first bead of material on the substrate which is metallically bonded to the substrate; deforming a surface of the first bead of material on the surface of the substrate; and depositing extrudate on surface of the first bead of material on the substrate to form a second bead of material on the first bead of material on the substrate.

8. A method according to claim 7, comprising deforming a surface of the second bead of material bonded to the first bead of material; and depositing extrudate on surface of the second bead of material to form a third bead of material on the second bead of material.

9. A method of using an extrusion and bonding tool to perform the method of any preceding claim.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the method comprises changing an extruder head of the tool.

11. A solid-state method of joining two metal components, the method comprising: extruding metal extrusion material to form extrudate; depositing extrudate between the two components such that it contacts each of the components to form an initial joint between the components; deforming a surface of the initial joint; and depositing further extrudate on the initial joint between the two components.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the further extrudate forms a first bead on the initial joint.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the first bead forms a first channel between itself and one of the two components and a second channel between itself and the other of the two components.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the method comprises: deforming the surfaces of the first channel; depositing extrudate in the first channel to form a second bead which is bonded to the initial joint, one of the components and the first bead of extrudate; deforming the surfaces of the second channel; and depositing extrudate in the second channel to form a third bead which is bonded to the initial joint, the other of the two components and the first bead of extrudate.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the initial joint, and the first, second and third beads together form a multi-pass joint between to the two components.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the first, second and third beads together form a second layer on the initial joint which forms a first layer.

17. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the two components are arranged to have a gap therebetween which is V-shaped.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the initial joint is formed in the narrowest part of the V-shaped gap.

19. A method of using an extrusion and bonding tool to perform the method of any preceding claim.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the method comprises changing an extruder head of the tool.

21. A method according to any of claims 11 to 20, wherein the initial joint is formed using a fillet join extruder head.

22. A method according to any of claims 11 to 21, when dependent on claim 12, wherein the first bead is formed using a bead-on-plate extruder head.

23. A method according to any of claims 11 to 22, when dependent on claim 14, wherein the second and third beads are formed using a butt joining extruder head.

24. A method of joining two components, the method comprising: performing the method of any of claims 11 to 23 from a first direction to form a first joint between the components; and repeating the method of any of claims 11 to 23 from a second direction to form a second joint between the components.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the first joint and second joint together form a double sided joint.

26. An extrusion and bonding tool which is arranged to perform the method of any preceding claim.

Description

[0143] Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0144] FIG. 1 shows bead-on-plate deposition;

[0145] FIG. 2 shows another view of bead-on-plate deposition;

[0146] FIG. 3 shows an extruder head for bead-on-plate deposition;

[0147] FIG. 4 shows a surface plating technique;

[0148] FIG. 5 shows an extruder head for butt joining;

[0149] FIG. 6 shows the extruder head for butt joining being used;

[0150] FIG. 7 shows additive layer manufacturing;

[0151] FIG. 8 shows another view of additive layer manufacturing;

[0152] FIG. 9 shows an extruder head for additive layer manufacturing;

[0153] FIG. 10 shows a first stage of multi-pass joining;

[0154] FIG. 11 shows an extruder head for the first stage of multi-pass joining;

[0155] FIG. 12 shows a second stage of multi-pass joining;

[0156] FIG. 13 shows another view of the second stage of multi-pass joining;

[0157] FIG. 14 shows an extruder head for the second stage of multi-pass joining;

[0158] FIG. 15 shows a third stage of multi-pass joining;

[0159] FIG. 16 shows an extruder head for the third stage of multi-pass joining;

[0160] FIG. 17 shows a completed multi-pass joint;

[0161] FIG. 18 shows a double sided multi-pass joint; and

[0162] FIG. 19 shows a hybrid bonding and extrusion tool with an extruder head connected to a drive mechanism.

[0163] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a bead-on-plate deposition method which is a method of bonding an extruded bead 4 of material onto the surface of a substrate 6. An extruder head 8 for this method is shown in FIG. 3. In this method a bead-on-plate extruder head 8 is used to extrude and deposit a bead of metal material 4 on a metal substrate 6. The method comprises deforming the surface of the substrate 6. This may be achieved by using a part of the extruder head 8 (such as a rotating spindle 10) to deform the substrate 6 ahead of where the extrudate is deposited or alternatively or additionally the force of the extrudate being deposited may deform the substrate 6. The method also comprises extruding extrusion material to form extrudate and depositing the extrudate on the surface of the substrate 6 to form a bead 4 of material on the substrate 6 which is bonded to the substrate 6.

[0164] FIG. 3 shows a partial cross section of an extruder head for bead-on-plate deposition. The extrusion material may be fed through an extrusion chamber 12 around the rotating spindle 10 and forced backwards (compared to the direction of travel of the tool) through a rear facing channel 14 to form the bead 4. When a plurality of beads 4 are being deposited as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bead-on-plate extruder head 8 may comprise a recess 16. The recess 16 is sized to accommodate the already deposited adjacent bead 4 and can be used to space each bead 4 a set distance from an adjacent bead 4.

[0165] It may be desirable to deposit a plurality of beads 4 on a substrate 6 so that a surface plating technique can be performed as shown in FIG. 4. Once a plurality of beads 4 have been deposited on a substrate 6, a butt joining extruder head 18 may be used to deform and extrude extrusion material into the channels between the deposited beads 4 to form a butt joint 5 between adjacent beads. Once this is repeated for each of the channels an extruded plate is formed on, and bonded to the substrate 6.

[0166] FIG. 5 shows an extruder head 18 for butt joining that may be used in the surface plating technique to join adjacent deposited beads 4. The butt joining extruder head 18 comprises a rotating spindle 20 with a spindle tip 21 that contacts and deforms the base and sides of the channel before extrusion material is extruded into the channel. The butt joining extruder head 18 also comprises a sealing protrusion 22 that is located in the channel in use to prevent flash leakage ahead of the tool.

[0167] FIG. 6 shows another view of the butt joining extruder head 18 being used to perform a butt joint.

[0168] FIGS. 7 and 8 show an additive layer manufacturing extruder head 24 being used to perform additive layer manufacturing. The additive layer manufacturing extruder head 24 is shown in FIG. 9.

[0169] In this technique an extruded bead 7 is deposited on an already deposited extruded bead 4.

[0170] Thus, the method comprises deforming the surface of a substrate (which in the examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a surface plate that has been deposited according to the method described in connection with FIG. 4), extruding extrusion material to form extrudate and depositing the extrudate on the surface of the substrate to form a first bead 4 of material on the substrate which is bonded to the substrate. This first step may be the same as the bead-on-plate deposition method described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0171] Next, the method may comprise deforming a surface of the first bead 4 of material on the surface of the substrate and depositing extrudate on surface of the first bead 4 of material on the substrate to form a second bead 7 of material on the first bead 4 of material on the substrate. This process of deforming the surface of a deposited bead and depositing extrudate on surface of the bead may be repeated to form a stack of beads 7 on top of each other as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0172] The additive layer manufacturing extruder head 24 may comprise a guiding protrusion 26 on either side of an extrusion channel 28. These guiding protrusions 26 may be used to ensure that the bead 7 being deposited is correctly deposited on the already deposited bead of material.

[0173] FIGS. 10, 12, 13 and 15 show a multi pass joining technique. This technique may be used to join thick plates 30, 31 when a single pass cannot form an adequate joint between the two plates 30, 31.

[0174] As a first stage (shown for example in FIG. 10) an initial joint 32 is formed between the two plates 30, 31. Given the V-shaped geometry of the gap between the two plates 30, 31, this initial joint is a fillet joint. Thus, this initial joint 32 is formed using a fillet join extruder head 34.

[0175] The method of joining two thick components 30, 31 comprises deforming the surface of each of the components 30, 31 which are to be joined. This may be achieved using a rotating spindle 36 which has a tapered tip to be received in the gap between the two components 30, 31. The extruder head 34 is then used to extrude extrusion material to form extrudate and depositing the extrudate between the two components such that it contacts the surface of each of the components 30, 31 to form an initial joint 32 between the components 30, 31.

[0176] Once the initial joint 32 has been formed, a bead 38 may be deposited on the initial joint 32 in a gap between the two components 30, 31. The method may comprise deforming a surface of the initial joint 32 and depositing further extrudate on the initial joint 32 between the two components 30, 31 to form a bead 38 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The bead 38 may be extruded and deposited by a bead-on-plate extruder head 40.

[0177] The bead 38 may be located in the centre of the gap between the two components 30, 31 so as to leave a channel on either side of the bead 38.

[0178] The bead-on-plate extruder head 40 may be specially designed to have angled sides (see for example FIGS. 11 and 12) to allow it to deposit bead 38 on the initial joint 32 in the gap between the two components 30, 31.

[0179] Once the bead 38 has been deposited, a butt joint extruder head 42 may be used to deform and deposit extrudate into the channels formed on either side of the bead 38. First one channel is filled and then the other channel is filled. This fills the channels with second and third beads 44 which are each bonded to the first bead 38, the initial joint 32 and a respective one of the components (30 or 31).

[0180] Once the second and third beads 44 have been extruded and deposited into the channels a completed multi-pass joint is formed as shown in FIG. 17.

[0181] In the case of thick components 30a, and 31a to be joined and/or or when it is desirable the surface quality of the join on each side to be carefully controlled, a double-sided joint may be formed in which a first joint 46 is formed from a first side of the two components and a second joint 48 is formed from an opposite second side of the two components.

[0182] In the case of particularly thick components 30a, 31a to be joined, the joint on each side may be a multi-pass joint formed by the method described in connection with FIGS. 10 to 17.

[0183] Thus, the method of joining two thick components 30a, 31a may comprise deforming at least part of the surface of each of the components 30a, 31a which are to be joined, extruding extrusion material to form extrudate, depositing extrudate from a first direction between the two components 30a, 31a such that it contacts the surface of each of the components which has been deformed to form an initial joint 32 between the components, and depositing further extrudate from a second direction between the two components to form an additional joint 32 between the components 30a, 31a. The direction of the deposition of extrudate may be changed by moving the extrusion tool and/or the two components to be joined.

[0184] FIG. 19 shows a tool 50 for performing the above described methods. The tool 50 comprises a drive mechanism 52 and extruder head 18 (shaded in grey for clarity). Whilst the tool 50 is shown with a butt joining extruder head 18, the extruder head may be interchangeable with any of the above described extruder heads 8, 18, 24, 34, 40, and/or 42. The method may comprise changing the extruder head between steps of the method being performed. For example, in the case of the surface plating method, initially the bead on plate extruder head 8 may be used to deposit a plurality of equally spaced beads 4 with channels therebetween and then the butt join extruder head 18 may be used to butt join adjacent beads 4 together to form a surface plate.