Patent ID: 6491210
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
A method of butt welding, comprising the steps of:pressing first and second blank materials onto first and second loading bases respectively by first and second clamping devices, thereby fixing the first and second blank materials; shearing end surfaces of the first and second blank materials by an upper blade and a lower blade of a first shearing machine and by an upper blade and a lower blade of a second shearing machine which are stationary in a manner such that the first and second blank materials are maintained in fixed state where the first and second blank materials are continuously pressed by the first and second clamping devices during the shearing operation, thereby forming joint surfaces wherein the first clamping device clamps the first blank material in a vicinity of the upper blade and a lower blade of a first shearing machine and the second clamping device clamps the second blank material in a vicinity of the upper blade and a lower blade of a second shearing machine so that no wrinkle may occur in the first and second blank materials due to Influence of plastic deformation; transferring the first and second blank materials respectively in a first and a second directions from the first and second shearing machines to a butt welding machine by the first and second loading bases in a manner such that the first and second blank materials are maintained in fixed state where the first and second blank materials are continuously pressed by the clamping devices during the transferring operation; moving the first and second blank materials respectively in third and fourth directions perpendicular to the first and second directions in a manner such that the first and second blank materials are maintained in fixed state where the first and second blank materials are continuously pressed by the clamping devices during the moving operation, thereby butting the joint surfaces of the first and second blank materials; and performing butt welding by a butt welding machine on each of the joint surfaces of the first and second blank materials in a manner such that the first and second blank materials are maintained in fixed state where the first and second blank materials are continuously pressed by the clamping devices during the butt welding operation, wherein the first and second blank materials are continuously clamped in such a manner that the clamping devices press the upper faces of the blank materials on the first and second loading bases through the lower faces of the blank materials so that the blank materials are restrained from moving relatively to the clamping devices and the first and second loading bases throughout the whole of the shearing operation performed by the first and the second shearing machines, the transferring operation in the first and second directions, the moving operation in the third and fourth directions, and the butt welding operation.