1. A friction stir welding system comprising:
a FSW mill including a pin tool;
a sensor system including one or more sensors configured and arranged to detect physical parameters of a FSW process performed by the FSW mill; and
a controller connected to the sensor system and the FSW mill, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to control one or more operational parameters of the FSW mill during the FSW process.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises one or more temperature sensors configured and arranged to detect a temperature of the pin tool or the weld region.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to compare a detected temperature to a desired temperature or temperature range.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to provide a control signal to the FSW mill to adjust the plunge depth of the pin tool of the FSW mill.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises one or more load sensors configured and arranged to detect a forge andor travel load during a FSW process.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to compare a detected load value to a desired load or load range.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to provide a control signal to the FSW mill to adjust the spindle rotation speed of the pin tool of the FSW mill.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise a thermocouple connected to the pin tool.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a radio collar connected to the spindle and electrically connected to the thermocouple and configured and arranged to transmit a temperature signal indicating the temperature detected by the thermocouple.
10. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more temperature sensors comprise an infrared detector configured and arranged to detect a desired range of infrared wavelengths.
11. A FSW control method comprising:
monitoring a physical parameter of a FSW process;
comparing a detected value of the physical parameter to a desired value or range and effecting a comparison;
producing a control signal based on the comparison; and
controlling an operational parameter of the FSW process by the control signal.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical parameter of the FSW process is temperature of the pin tool.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical parameter of the FSW process is temperature of the weld produced during the FSW process.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical parameter of the FSW process is forge load.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical parameter of the FSW process is pinch load for self-reacting FSW.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical parameter of the FSW process is travel load.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the operational parameter of the FSW process is plunge depth of the pin tool.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the operational parameter of the FSW process is the distance between the upper and lower shoulders for self-reacting FSW.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the operational parameter of the FSW process is plunge depth of the pin tool.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein the operational parameter of the FSW process is rotation speed of the FSW spindle.
21. The method of claim 15, wherein the operational parameter of the FSW process is rotation speed of the FSW spindle.
22. The method of claim 11, wherein the FSW process includes FSW of one or more high-temperature alloys.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the FSW process includes FSW of a titanium alloy.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the titanium alloy comprises Ti-6AL-V4
25. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more high-temperature alloys comprise a superalloy.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A scanner unit comprising:
a carriage provided with a frame extending in a first direction along a document surface of a document set substantially horizontal, and an optical member mounted on the frame for illuminating the document surface and guiding light reflected from the document surface to light receiving means;
a rail extending along the document surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and mounting thereon the frame such that the frame can slide in the second direction;
a first inhibiting element having a slit which receives a part of the frame when the carriage has slid along the rail to a hold position, said first inhibiting element inhibiting a movement of the frame when the carriage has slid to the hold position in the first and second directions; and
a second inhibiting element for holding another part of the frame together with the rail when the carriage has slid to the hold position, thereby inhibiting a vertically upward movement of the frame.
2. The scanner unit according to claim 1, wherein the second inhibiting element includes a plurality of inhibiting elements arranged in the second direction.
3. The scanner unit according to claim 2, wherein the second inhibiting elements are provided along opposite sides of the frame, which extend in the first direction.
4. The scanner unit according to claim 2, wherein the first inhibiting element is provided in one of the second inhibiting elements, which is located at a most upstream side in the direction in which the carriage slides toward the hold position.
5. The scanner unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second inhibiting elements are located in positions in which the first and second inhibiting elements do not interrupt the frame when the frame is situated in a position other than the hold position.
6. The scanner unit according to claim 1, wherein the first inhibiting element has a spring structure for preventing the part of the frame from moving in the first direction, and the second inhibiting element has a spring structure for pressing said another part of the frame against the rail to hold the frame.
7. A scanner unit comprising:
a first carriage provided with a first frame extending in a first direction along a document surface of a document set substantially horizontal, and an optical member mounted on the first frame for illuminating the document surface and guiding light reflected from the document surface;
a second carriage provided with a second frame extending in the first direction along a document surface of a document set substantially horizontal, and an optical member mounted on the second frame for guiding, to light receiving means, light guided from the document surface via the optical member mounted on the first frame;
a first rail extending along the document surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and mounting thereon the first frame such that the first frame can slide in the second direction;
a second rail extending in the second direction and supporting the second frame such that the second frame can slide in the second direction;
a fixing member that fixes the second frame at one end side of the second rail;
a coupling member coupling the first and second frames such that the first frame can be driven by the second frame, or vice versa, the first carriage being driven by the second carriage and slid to a hold position when the second frame is fixed in a predetermined position by the fixing member;
a first inhibiting element having a slit which receives a part of the first frame when the first carriage has slid along the first rail to the hold position, said first inhibiting element inhibiting a movement of the first frame when the first carriage has slid to the hold position in the first and second directions; and
a second inhibiting element for holding another part of the first frame together with the first rail when the first carriage has slid to the hold position, thereby inhibiting a vertically upward movement of the first frame.
8. The scanner unit according to claim 7, wherein the second inhibiting element includes a plurality of inhibiting elements arranged in the second direction.
9. The scanner unit according to claim 8, wherein the second inhibiting elements are provided along these opposite side of the first frame, which extend in the first direction.
10. The scanner unit according to claim 8, wherein the first inhibiting element is provided in that one of the second inhibiting elements, which is located at a most upstream side in the direction in which the first carriage slides toward the hold position.
11. The scanner unit according to claim 7, wherein the first and second inhibiting elements are located in positions in which the first and second inhibiting elements do not interrupt the first frame when the first frame is released from a fixed state by the fixing member and slides along the first rail to a position other than the hold position.
12. The scanner unit according to claim 7, wherein the first inhibiting element has a spring structure for preventing the part of the first frame from moving in the first direction, and the second inhibiting element has a spring structure for pressing said another part of the first frame against the first rail to hold the frame.
13. A scanner unit comprising:
a carriage provided with a frame extending in a first direction along a document surface of a document set substantially horizontal, and an optical member mounted on the frame to illuminate the document surface and guide light reflected from the document surface to a light receiving element;
a rail extending along the document surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and mounting thereon the frame such that the frame can slide in the second direction;
a first inhibiting element having a slit which receives a part of the frame when the carriage has slid along the rail to a hold a position, said first inhibiting element inhibiting a movement of the frame when the carriage has slid to the hold position in the first and second directions; and
a second inhibiting element which holds another part of the frame together with the rail when the carriage has slid to the hold position to inhibit a vertically upward movement of the frame.
14. The scanner unit according to claim 13, wherein the second inhibiting element includes a plurality of inhibiting elements arranged in the second direction.
15. The scanner unit according to claim 14, wherein the second inhibiting elements are provided along opposite sides of the frame, which extend in the first direction.
16. The scanner unit according to claim 14, wherein the first inhibiting element is provided in one of the second inhibiting elements, which is located at a most upstream side in the direction in which the carriage slides toward the hold position.
17. The scanner unit according to claim 13, wherein the first and second inhibiting elements are located in positions in which the first and second inhibiting elements do not interrupt the frame when the frame is situated in a position other than the hold position.
18. The scanner unit according to claim 13, wherein the first inhibiting element has a spring structure which prevents the part of the frame from moving in the first direction, and the second inhibiting element has a spring structure which presses said another part of the frame against the rail to hold the frame.
19. A scanner unit comprising:
a first carriage provided with a first frame extending in a first direction along a document surface of a document set substantially horizontal, and an optical member mounted on the first frame which illuminates the document surface and guides light reflected from the document surface;
a second carriage provided with a second frame extending in the first direction along the document surface of the document set substantially horizontal, and an optical member rounded on the second frame which guides, to a light receiving element, light guided from the document surface via the optical member mounted on the first frame;
a first rail extending along the document surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and mounting thereon the first frame such that the first frame can slide in the second direction;
a second rail extending in the second direction and supporting the second frame such that the second frame can slide in the second direction;
a fixing member that fixes the second frame at one end side of the second rail;
a coupling member coupling the first and second frames such that the first frame can be driven by the second frame, or vice versa, the first carriage being driven by the second carriage and slid to a hold position when the second frame is fixed in a predetermined position by the fixing member;
a first inhibiting element having a slit which receives a part of the first frame when the first carriage has slid along the first rail to the hold position, said first inhibiting element inhibiting a movement of the first frame when the first carriage has slid to the hold position in the first and second directions; and
a second inhibiting element which holds another part of the first frame together with the first rail when the first carriage has slid to the hold position to inhibit a vertically upward movement of the first frame.
20. The scanner unit according to claim 19, wherein the second inhibiting element includes a plurality of inhibiting elements arranged in the second direction.
21. The scanner unit according to claim 20, wherein the second inhibiting elements are provided along opposite sides of the first frame, which extend in the first direction.
22. The scanner unit according to claim 20, wherein the first inhibiting element is provided in that one of the second inhibiting elements, which is located at a most upstream side in the direction in which the first carriage slides toward the hold position.
23. The scanner unit according to claim 19, wherein the first and second inhibiting elements are located in positions in which the first and second inhibiting elements do not interrupt the first frame when the first frame is released from a fixed state by the fixing member and slides along the first rail to a position other than the hold position.
24. The scanner unit according to claim 19, wherein the first inhibiting element has a spring structure which prevents the part of the first frame from moving in the first direction, and the second inhibiting element has a spring structure which presses said another part of the first frame against the first rail to hold the frame.