November 20, 2023
Rivet fastening process
Rivet fastening process is a commonly used and mature connection technology. Most rivet guns on the market, whether manual or semi-automatic, pneumatic or electric, require manual operation or manual insertion of rivets, and cannot be directly installed and applied to equipment to achieve true production line automation. Only relying on compressed air to generate backward pulling force to deform and break the rivets, due to different requirements for output, it is impossible to simultaneously achieve automatic riveting, pre-tensioning, and rivet breaking actions. Even if the actions are implemented, there may be coaxial deviation of the rivets or a decrease in the pre-tightening force and torque of the rivet nuts, resulting in incomplete riveting and potential risks to product reliability.
This leads to the inability to directly use a rivet gun in some connection processes that require high precision. Instead, methods such as laser welding are used to achieve fusion welding or sealing between two components. For example, in the production process of power batteries, processes such as sealing of battery injection holes and welding of explosion-proof valves.
Although laser welding has high maturity and advantages, it generates high temperatures during the welding process. The metal surface is heated to a high temperature, causing the material to reach its boiling point and vaporize. At this time, the laser energy is transferred from the metal surface to the inside of the metal, forming a molten pool. When the molten pool approaches the sealing element, there is a risk of instant vaporization of the sealing element, and the internal pressure of the battery sprays out axially, which may result in cracks or explosions in the battery.
To solve the welding processes that require high precision and product safety, such as sealing of battery injection holes, RobustMotion has been deeply involved in lithium battery production for a long time. It has collaborated with leading battery manufacturers worldwide to develop a SoftForce® precision force-controlled electric rivet gun for fully automated production equipment.
No need for manual operation, a truly fully automated electric rivet gun
Daring to challenge industry pain points and break industry limits!
The SoftForce® precision force-controlled electric rivet gun can be flexibly installed on production line equipment according to the working conditions. With the assistance of a vision system, a single mechanism can achieve a series of continuous actions including riveting, pre-tightening, rivet pulling, and rivet removal in a fully automated manner, without the need for manual intervention, greatly reducing the impact of unstable manual operations and labor costs.
This rivet gun is equipped with RobustMotion's unique SoftForce® precision force control technology and efficient algorithms. The integrated drive and control system is completely built into the mechanism, using efficient direct-drive motor drive. It can achieve precise and small non-destructive pre-tightening of rivets, accurately positioning them in the rivet holes, and then exerting a huge instantaneous force to pull the rivets apart, and finally retracting the broken rivets. The instantaneous maximum pulling force can reach thousands of Newtons.
While ensuring a wide dynamic output range, the control of force is precise and stable, ensuring that the riveting action is well completed, the rivets are not deformed, and the sealing and consistency are good.
The product has high rigidity, compact overall structure, minimal equipment space occupation, easy installation, and is suitable for various production line equipment. The gun body is made of high-quality alloy steel, and the gun body hardness is higher after heat treatment, making it durable. The rivet head is made of high-quality steel material, which is more wear-resistant and less prone to deformation.
At the same time, the product supports multiple control modes and bus protocols, can maintain synchronization and consistency with PLC, vision systems, and other equipment, and can real-time monitor force, position, and speed data. The production efficiency is much higher than laser welding.
Safer, cost-effective, and more efficient.
This patent's riveting process technology is suitable for handling key processes in the production of power batteries, such as sealing the battery injection hole. It not only reduces variables in the battery production process but also makes the production process safer, ensuring the battery's sealing and improving its production stability and safety reliability. It can also simplify the sealing process of the battery injection port, effectively reducing the overall manufacturing cost of the battery. In the process of power battery manufacturing and other industrial automation production lines, it further meets the technological and intelligent equipment requirements of low cost, high quality, and high efficiency for enterprises.
