Method for the edge-to-edge assembly of two panels using friction stir welding
A method for edge-to-edge welding of a first sheet metal panel to a second sheet metal panel on a bearing structure. The method comprises positioning and fixing the first panel to the bearing structure, positioning and fixing the second panel to the bearing structure with the second panel overlapping a raw edge of the first panel, jointly cutting the first panel and the second panel in the overlap area to form a connection edge of the first panel and a connection edge of the second panel, withdrawing scrap cuttings from the first panel and scrap cuttings from the second panel, and friction stir welding the connection edges.
1. A method for edge-to-edge welding of a first sheet metal panel to a second sheet metal panel, this method comprising:
positioning the first sheet metal panel;
positioning the second sheet metal panel with the second sheet metal panel overlapping a raw edge of the first sheet metal panel to form an overlap area of the first and second sheet metal panels;
jointly cutting the first sheet metal panel and the second sheet metal panel in the overlap area in order to form a connection edge of the first sheet metal panel and a connection edge of the second sheet metal panel;
friction stir welding the connection edges to edge-to-edge weld the first sheet metal panel to the second sheet metal panel;
wherein the cutting step is implemented using a laser cutting method; and
wherein a reflective chute is fitted under the overlap area of the first and second sheet metal panels to form a protection during the laser cutting step.
2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first sheet metal panel is positioned by being fixed to a bearing structure, and
wherein the second sheet metal panel is positioned by being fixed to this bearing structure.
3. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first sheet metal panel is positioned on a mounting of an apparatus, and
wherein the second sheet metal panel is positioned with respect to the first sheet metal panel by being borne by a handling unit.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting step is implemented using a laser water jet cutting method.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting step produces a cut having a width less than three tenths of a millimeter.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective chute is dimensioned to collect scrap cuttings from the first sheet metal panel at an end of the cutting step.
7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing structure includes frames, each comprising a notch receiving the reflective chute.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second sheet metal panels are incurved and wherein the frames bearing the first and second sheet metal panels are curved.