Flexible cable routing of the welding head of a friction stir welding machine

Profile:

• Plant: Friction stir welding machine
• Operating time: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Industry: Machine tools
• Customer requirement: Very small installation space, low maintenance, requires rotation of +/-720 degrees
• Our solution: twisterband HD, closed energy tube of the R4 series.

FSW process - Friction Stir Welding:

The FSW process can be used to create media-tight connections, for example when welding heat exchangers and coolers. Since the material is welded in the plastic area, there is no structural change as in thermal welding. This makes FSW ideal for the production of battery trays for electric vehicles. This is how the process works: A wear-resistant, rotating tool is immersed in the material to be joined. This creates frictional heat, which makes the metal malleable. The two workpieces are stirred and compacted by the forward movement of the tool along the seam, so that a firm connection is created.

Since the tool has to dip in and out of the material with every seam, the welding process should take place with as little interruption as possible. For some components, this requires a high degree of mobility of the welding head, for example when the FSW system applies meandering sealing welds to a component the size of an A4 sheet of paper. The welding head must then rotate at least 360° several times within 60 seconds, plus start-up and shut-down movements and contours within the component. Which ultimately requires a rotation of +/-720 degrees. And all this with a very small installation space – a challenge for the energy supply system.

igus solution:

The direct coupling of two twister bands HD with two R4 energy chains and chainflex cables. The up to nine chainflex cables for the energy supply as well as the other media cables, such as cooling, sensors, servo and encoder cables, which all have to follow these rotational movements, are routed through energy chain tubes of the R4.28 series and the twisterbband HD of type TBHD.30. The twisterband HD is a stable, at the same time very compact, spiral-shaped energy chain for circular movements, with rotations of up to 20 times around its own axis. With the twisterband, rotational movements of up to 7,000 degrees horizontally and 3,000 degrees vertically are possible in the tightest of spaces, even at speeds of up to 180°/s. Media lines and bus signals can be guided easily, uninterruptedly and cost-effectively with the system. In the HD version, the individual chain links are connected to each other by a bolt-hook principle. This creates a defined bending radius with higher stability at the same time. In addition, the 24/7 design of the components ensures low-maintenance and low-wear operation. In the event of service, a simple and quick replacement is possible.