Method for producing coaxial cables having a thin-walled, radially closed outer conductor

1 . A method for continuous production of coaxial cables having a radially closed outer conductor of a nonferrous metal that has a wall thickness of less than 0.15 mm, comprising:

supplying a flat strip of the nonferrous metal at a first supply rate to a shaping apparatus, wherein a thickness of the flat strip corresponds to the wall thickness of a hollow profile of the outer conductor to be produced;

supplying an inner conductor encased with a dielectric;

in a shaping operation, continuously shaping the supplied flat strip into a form corresponding to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, wherein after the shaping operation two opposite edges of the flat strip lie flush against one another in a contact region extending in a longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, and wherein before closing of the hollow profile forming the outer conductor, the inner conductor encased by the dielectric is supplied, with a result that the inner conductor encased by the dielectric lies in the hollow profile;

in a welding operation, continuously welding the edges that lie flush against one another in the contact region, wherein the edges to be welded are guided at the first supply rate past a welding region that is stationary in relation to an apparatus which implements the method, and wherein a point in the welding region is heated by means of a laser which radiates light having a wavelength smaller than 600 nm to dispense with preparation of the welding region to reduce optical reflections, and wherein the heated point has a diameter which is less than 20% of a cross-sectional dimension of the hollow profile;

drawing off the welded coaxial cable from the welding region;

in a corrugating operation, introducing a helical or parallel corrugation into the outer conductor of the coaxial cable without reducing the cross-sectional dimension and/or the wall thickness prior the corrugating operation, by a drawing process that follows the welding; and

in a receiving operation, receiving the coaxial cable in a receiving device.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least the welding region is flowed around or covered by an inert shielding gas during the heating.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

inspecting the weld seam by means of ultrasound, eddy current measurement and/or x-rays.

4 . A method for continuous production of coaxial cables having a radially closed outer conductor of a nonferrous metal that has a wall thickness of less than 0.15 mm, comprising:

supplying a flat strip of the nonferrous metal at a first supply rate to a shaping apparatus, wherein a thickness of the flat strip corresponds to the wall thickness of a hollow profile of the outer conductor to be produced;

supplying an inner conductor encased with a dielectric;

in a shaping operation, continuously shaping the supplied flat strip into a form corresponding to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, wherein after the shaping operation two opposite edges of the flat strip lie flush against one another in a contact region extending in a longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, and wherein before closing of the hollow profile forming the outer conductor, the inner conductor encased by the dielectric is supplied, with a result that the inner conductor encased by the dielectric lies in the hollow profile;

in a welding operation, continuously welding the edges that lie flush against one another in the contact region without prior treatment to reduce optical reflections, wherein the edges to be welded are guided at the first supply rate past a welding region that is stationary in relation to an apparatus which implements the method, and wherein a point in the welding region is heated by means of a laser which radiates light having a wavelength smaller than 600 nm, and wherein the heated point has a diameter which is less than 20% of a cross-sectional dimension of the hollow profile;

drawing off the welded coaxial cable from the welding region;

in a corrugating operation, introducing a helical or parallel corrugation into the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, without reducing the cross-sectional dimension and/or the wall thickness prior to the corrugating operation, by a drawing process that follows the welding; in a receiving operation, receiving the coaxial cable in a receiving device; and

trimming one or two of the edges of the flat strip of nonferrous metal before the shaping operation.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising:

measuring a width of the trimmed strip of nonferrous metal prior to the welding and/or measuring at least one dimension of the coaxial cable after the welding, and

controlling the width in closed-loop fashion and/or controlling an apparatus for the purpose of shaping in a manner dependent on the measuring of the width and/or measuring the at least one dimension and a specification value.

6 . A method for continuous production of coaxial cables having a radially closed outer conductor of a nonferrous metal that has a wall thickness of less than 0.15 mm, comprising:

supplying a flat strip of the nonferrous metal at a first supply rate to a shaping apparatus, wherein a thickness of the flat strip corresponds to the wall thickness of a hollow profile of the outer conductor to be produced;

supplying an inner conductor encased with a dielectric;

in a shaping operation, continuously shaping the supplied flat strip into a form corresponding to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, wherein after the shaping operation two opposite edges of the flat strip lie flush against one another in a contact region extending in a longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, and wherein before the closing of the hollow profile forming the outer conductor, the inner conductor encased by the dielectric is supplied, with a result that the inner conductor encased by the dielectric lies in the hollow profile;

in a welding operation, continuously welding the edges that lie flush against one another in the contact region without prior treatment to reduce optical reflections, wherein the edges to be welded are guided at the first supply rate past a welding region that is stationary in relation to an apparatus which implements the method, and wherein a point in the welding region is heated by means of a laser which radiates light having a wavelength smaller than 600 nm, and wherein the heated point has a diameter which is less than 20% of a cross-sectional dimension of the hollow profile;

drawing off the welded coaxial cable from the welding region;

in a corrugating operation, introducing a helical or parallel corrugation into the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, without reducing the cross-sectional dimension and/or the wall thickness prior to the corrugating operation, by a drawing process that follows the welding; in a receiving operation, receiving the coaxial cable in a receiving device; and

measuring a temperature profile transversely with respect to the weld seam and controlling energy introduced into the welding region in open-loop fashion in a manner dependent on a comparison of the temperature profile with a specification profile.

7 . A method for continuous production of coaxial cables having a radially closed outer conductor of a nonferrous metal that has a wall thickness of less than 0.15 mm, comprising:

supplying a flat strip of the nonferrous metal at a first supply rate to a shaping apparatus, wherein a thickness of the flat strip corresponds to the wall thickness of a hollow profile of the outer conductor to be produced;

supplying an inner conductor encased with a dielectric;

in a shaping operation, continuously shaping the supplied flat strip into a form corresponding to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, wherein after the shaping operation two opposite edges of the flat strip lie flush against one another in a contact region extending in a longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, and wherein before the closing of the hollow profile forming the outer conductor, the inner conductor encased by the dielectric is supplied, with a result that the inner conductor encased by the dielectric lies in the hollow profile;

in a welding operation, continuously welding the edges that lie flush against one another in the contact region without prior treatment to reduce optical reflections, wherein the edges to be welded are guided at the first supply rate past a welding region that is stationary in relation to an apparatus which implements the method, and wherein a point in the welding region is heated by means of a laser which radiates light having a wavelength smaller than 600 nm, and wherein the heated point has a diameter which is less than 20% of a cross-sectional dimension of the hollow profile;

drawing off the welded coaxial cable from the welding region;

in a corrugating operation, introducing a helical or parallel corrugation into the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, without reducing the cross-sectional dimension and/or the wall thickness prior to the corrugating operation, by a drawing process that follows the welding;

in a receiving operation, receiving the coaxial cable in a receiving device;

determining a tensile force on the flat strip of the nonferrous metal and/or the welded coaxial cable; and

controlling, in closed-loop fashion, drives that supply the flat strip and/or the welded coaxial cable to the shaping operation, the welding operation, the corrugating operation and/or the receiving operation in a receiving apparatus.