US 11,897,048 B2
Friction stir welding apparatus and friction stir welding method
Koichi Ishiguro, Hitachi (JP); Shun Shinohara, Hitachi (JP); Kohei Funahara, Hitachi (JP); Shouzou Miyabe, Hitachi (JP); and Iwao Nakajima, Hitachi (JP)
Assigned to Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd., Hitachi (JP)
Filed by Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd., Hitachi (JP)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/451,575.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-180346 (JP), filed on Oct. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0126394 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B23K 20/00 (2006.01); B23K 20/12 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 20/123 (2013.01) [B23K 20/125 (2013.01); B23K 20/1255 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A friction stir welding apparatus comprising:
a welding tool that includes a shoulder and a probe supported by the shoulder, is inserted into a plurality of welding target members, and moves while rotating to weld the plurality of welding target members;
a spindle motor that is coupled to the welding tool to rotate the welding tool in a predetermined direction;
a welding head that supports the spindle motor; and
an apparatus body that supports the welding head, applies a drive signal to the spindle motor, and moves the welding tool along a welding line while rotating the welding tool, wherein
the apparatus body has a first correction mode in which a welding tool position indicating a position of the welding tool in a Z-axis direction is corrected based on a variable correction quantity calculated by a predetermined operational expression according to a fluctuation quantity of a state quantity indicating a control quantity of the welding head in a Z-axis upper direction or a Z-axis lower direction when friction stir welding is performed on the welding target members by the welding tool, and a second correction mode in which the welding tool position is corrected based on a preset fixed correction quantity according to the fluctuation quantity.