In the welding process of aluminum honeycomb panels, preventing deformation and cracking requires a systematic approach from multiple dimensions, including optimizing welding parameters, structural reinforcement design, thermal stress control, and meticulous process management, to ensure a balance between the strength of the weld joints and the overall stability of the panel.
Precise control of welding parameters is fundamental to avoiding deformation and cracking of aluminum honeycomb panels. During welding, the current, voltage, and welding speed must be strictly matched to the thickness and material properties of the panel. Excessive current or welding speed can lead to overheating and uneven shrinkage due to excessive local heat input; conversely, insufficient parameters may result in incomplete fusion or weak welds. For example, when butt welding medium-thick plates, the current range must be set according to the process evaluation to avoid neglecting parameter matching in pursuit of efficiency, which could lead to insufficient weld strength or panel warping. Furthermore, interpass temperature control is equally crucial. In multi-layer welding, excessively long intervals without reheating can easily cause cold cracks; excessively short intervals can lead to excessively high interpass temperatures, causing grain coarsening and reducing toughness and plasticity.
Structural reinforcement design is the core method for eliminating welding thermal stress in aluminum honeycomb panels. Traditional welding methods, without edge reinforcement, cannot effectively transfer thermal stress to supporting structures such as angle irons, leading to weak edge strength and deformation. For example, adding edge ribs at the edge of the panel can enhance local stiffness and absorb minor thermal stresses caused by temperature differences, preventing overall panel distortion. Furthermore, the connection between the central rib and the frame should employ a floating design to ensure the panel can freely expand and contract under temperature changes or seismic forces, avoiding cracking due to rigid constraints. For irregularly shaped aluminum honeycomb panels, the layout of the edge ribs needs to be optimized based on stress distribution simulation results to ensure the reinforcement effect covers high-stress areas.
Thermal stress control must be implemented throughout the entire aluminum honeycomb panel welding process. Before welding, embedded parts must be strictly aligned with the baseline and securely connected to the formwork and reinforcing bars through binding or welding to prevent positional displacement during concrete pouring. During welding, segmented back-welding and skip welding methods should be used to disperse heat and avoid localized heat concentration. For example, when welding large structures, welds at different locations should be welded alternately to prevent heat accumulation and deformation. After welding, slow cooling through post-heat treatment or insulation measures is necessary to reduce residual stress. For high-precision aluminum honeycomb panels, a reverse deformation process can be used, pre-setting a pre-camber amount opposite to the expected deformation to offset welding shrinkage.
Managing process details significantly impacts the welding quality of aluminum honeycomb panels. Before applying adhesive, gaps between panels must be thoroughly cleaned and dried to prevent impurities from affecting bonding strength; deep adhesive seams should be filled with PVC foam to form two-sided adhesion, avoiding stress concentration caused by three-sided adhesion. Furthermore, the humidity of the welding environment must be controlled within a reasonable range to prevent water vapor condensation and porosity. For drilling operations, a dedicated pneumatic RAM drill must be used to avoid hole deformation due to improper speed or force, which could lead to instability in the three-in-one connector. Finished product protection is equally crucial; after welding, any adhering substances on the panel surface must be removed immediately, and protective tape or plastic film should be applied to easily contaminated areas to prevent surface scratches or corrosion.
Material selection and pretreatment are prerequisites for the aluminum honeycomb panel welding process. The materials of the panel and the honeycomb core must be compatible. For example, when using a composite brazing board as the panel, the molten brazing filler metal on its surface can increase the amount of liquid metal, reducing the impact of assembly accuracy on brazing formation. Before welding, the board must undergo deoxidation treatment to ensure the bonding surface is clean. For irregularly shaped boards, production using an autoclave or a continuous flatbed thermal bonding machine is necessary to improve flatness.
In the aluminum honeycomb panel welding process, the prevention and control of board deformation and cracking must be based on scientific parameter control, combined with structural reinforcement, thermal stress management, process detail optimization, and material pretreatment to form a systematic solution.
