Weld deformation control based on programmable multi-point flexible support

T-joint titanium alloy structures are commonly used in aircraft manufacturing, and their laser welding process is relatively mature, but due to the strict requirements of the airplane production, the angular deformation caused by uneven heat input across the sheet is still not negligible, so active control needs to be imposed. In this paper, an active deformation control method based on programmable multi-point flexible support is proposed and validated. In response to the problem that the traditional rigid clamping and pre-stressing are not adapted to the T-structure thin sheet, this study has designed a multi-point flexible support with microcontroller and electric actuators, which can monitor the stress state of the current support position in real time during the welding process and make dynamic adjustment,so that the weld deformation could be effectively reduced in this way.