Welding methods for making die cast mould part and actuator housing

Abstract

A welding method includes welding a die cast mould part made of an AlMgFe alloy in a fluid-tight manner to at least one other metal part. A Mg content of 4%Mg4.6% and an Fe content of 1.31%Fe1.7% are used for the aluminum alloy, as well as an admixture content of additional alloying constituents comprising a maximum of 0.2% Si. A blue diode laser is used for welding. No filler metal is used. The welding method may be used to construct an actuator housing.

Claims

1. A welding method, comprising: welding a die cast mould part made of an AlMgFe alloy in a fluid-tight manner to at least one other metal part, wherein for the AlMgFe alloy a Mg content of 4%Mg4.6% and an Fe content of 1.31%Fe1.7% are used, wherein the Fe content comprises an AlMgFe eutectic and a hypereutectic composition of alloy constituents Fe and Mg, as well as an admixture content of additional alloy constituents, which comprises a maximum of 0.2% Si, and wherein a blue diode laser and no welding filler material is used for welding.

2. The welding method of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the blue diode laser is in a range of 450 nm30 nm in the welding step.

3. The welding method of claim 2, wherein the wavelength of the blue diode laser is 450 nm in the welding step.

4. The welding method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other metal part includes at least one of: an AlFe die cast mould part, a pure aluminum part, a wrought aluminum alloy part, and a copper material part.

5. The welding method of claim 3, wherein the at least one other metal part includes at least one of: an AlFe die cast mould part, a pure aluminum part, a wrought aluminum alloy part, and a copper material part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated in and constitutes a part of this specification, illustrates one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, explains the one or more embodiments of the invention.

(2) The FIGURE illustrates the proposed AlMgFe alloy, specifically with a two-substance diagram for Castaduct-42, AlMg4Fe2 at 4.5% Mg, which is also contained in the above-referenced manualon page 29.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) This two-dimensional graphic in the FIGURE represents a vertical section through a so-called three-dimensional three-substance diagramalso known as a ternary phase or state diagramwhich graphically depicts the composition of the die casting alloy Castaduct-42 with regard to its essential alloying constituents: aluminum (Al; main constituent), magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe) as well as individual phases of this die casting alloy.

(4) The section in question is at a Mg content of 4.5%. The area claimed with respect to the Fe content comprises the AlMgFe eutectic as well as a hypereutectic composition of the two alloying components Fe and Mg (in the FIGURE, the area for the Fe content of 1.31%Fe1.7%, i.e., the ascending area to the right of the eutectic point).

(5) This die casting alloy comprises an admixture content of additional alloying elements as shown below (see also the above-referenced manual on page 28).

(6) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Chemical composition of Castaduct-42, AlMg4Fe2 in the ingot (in mass %). [%] Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Zn Ti other min. 1.5 4.0 max. 0.2 1.7 0.2 0.15 4.6 0.3 0.2 Be

(7) These individual components or additional elements Si, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ti and others (cf. Table 1) of said admixture content can be understood among each other in the context of this disclosure in the sense of a and/or linkage.

(8) The mentioned experiments are also based on a blue diode laser commercially available from Laserline GmbH (so called LDMblue series) with a power of up to 2 kW cw (cw=continuous wave).

(9) TABLE-US-00002 Optical specifications Max. output power 500 W 1.000 W.sup.1 1.000 W 1.500 W.sup.1 Beam quality 60 mm 60 mm 100 mm 100 mm mrad mrad mrad mrad Light guide cable 600 m 600 m 1.000 m 1.000 m [NA 0.2] [NA 0.2] [NA 0.2] [NA 0.2] Min. focus at 600 m 600 m 1.000 m 1.000 m f = 100 mm Fiber plug LLK-D/Auto Fiber length 5 m, 10 m 5 m 5 m 5 m Power stability <+/2% over 2 hours Wavelength range 400 nm to 500 nm

(10) TABLE-US-00003 Mechanical specifications VG5H.sup.2 weight approx. 50 kg, dimensions: 19-inch rack, 5 HE (220 mm), 636 mm deep VG7H weight approx. 110 kg, dimensions: 19-inch rack, 7U (312 mm), 672 mm deep

(11) TABLE-US-00004 Connection data Power supply 400-480 V, 3 phases, PE, 50 or 60 Hz Connected load 4.0 kW 6.7 kW 5.4 kW 9.6 kW Recommended 3.5 kW 5.7 kW 4.4 kW 8.1 kW cooling capacity Hardware Digital 24 V, analog power setting 0-10 V, interfaces safety interfaces

(12) TABLE-US-00005 Ambient conditions Temperature 10-45 C. in operation, otherwise 5-65 C. Humidity maximum 70% @ 25 C., non-condensing Protection class IP54 Protection class Laser protection class 1 according to DIN EN 60825-1

(13) TABLE-US-00006 Options Interfaces Profibus DP, Ethernet, RS232 (VG5H) Optics Special Laserline optics for 450 nm Anwendungen other Teleservice, pilot laser, CMOS-camera, software for PC
Table 2: Specification of the LDMblue Laser Series (Excerpt from a Laserline GmbH Manual)

(14) Compared to a fiber laser or disk laser, the welding energy of such a diode laser can advantageously be introduced almost rectangularly, i.e., more uniformly, into the weld over the entire width of its laser beam profile. Such an avoidance of energy peaks thereby favors the energy input.

(15) The resulting welded joint is not only fluidically tight, but also meets electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements.

(16) The embodiments described above are only descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various variations and modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the design of the present invention. The variations and modifications should all fall within the claimed scope defined by the claims of the present invention.