Patent ID: 11938558
Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 11:
12. A method of operating a double-action friction stir joining system provided with a double-action friction stir joining device, a cleaning mechanism having a dressing member, and a robot,
wherein the double-action friction stir joining device includes:
a pin member formed in a cylindrical shape and configured to be rotatable on an axis and reciprocatable in a direction along the axis;
a shoulder member formed in a cylindrical shape, into which the pin member is inserted, and configured to be rotatable on the axis and reciprocatable in a direction along the axis;
a first rotary driver configured to rotate the pin member and the shoulder member on the axis; and
a tool driver configured to reciprocate the pin member and the shoulder member along the axis, respectively,

wherein the method comprises the steps of:
(A) operating the tool driver so that the pin member is thrusted into the shoulder member;
(B) operating the first rotary driver so that the shoulder member rotates;

(C) operating the robot so that the robot holds the double-action friction stir joining device and the dressing member contacts an inner circumferential surface of the shoulder member, and
wherein (A) during a cleaning process includes:
(A1) operating the tool driver so that a tip-end face of the pin member is moved to a first position set in advance; and
(A2) operating the tool driver so that the tip-end face of the pin member is moved to a second position set in advance, after (A1), at a larger speed than in (A1).