Friction stir welding is a solid-state joining method in which a rotating tool is plunged into the seam between two workpieces and moved along the joint, using friction to heat and plasticize the surrounding metal without melting it, so the material is stirred together and fused as the tool passes. Developed at the Welding Institute in the United Kingdom in 1991, it produces a stronger, lower-distortion joint than conventional fusion welding for materials such as aluminum alloys that are otherwise difficult to weld well, and it has been widely adopted for aerospace structures, including aircraft fuselage panels and launch vehicle propellant tanks such as those used on SpaceX's Falcon rockets.
Facts
Core PrincipleA rotating, non-consumable tool generates frictional heat and mechanically intermixes two facing workpieces along a joint line, forging them together in a softened, solid state without melting either piece. 1 FAQs
Does friction stir welding need filler metal or shielding gas?
No. The process joins metal in the solid state and needs no filler metal, flux or shielding gas.
No. The Welding Institute (TWI), where the process was developed, lists the absence of filler metals, flux and shielding gas among its advantages. Because the metal stays solid and is never melted, the joint avoids many defects of melting and solidification, such as pores and solidification cracks, and the process generates no fumes, porosity or spatter. Peak temperatures are also lower than in fusion welding, which reduces distortion and shrinkage.
Connections
Associated With
Source Friction stir welding (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Aluminum, Materials Friction stir welding was developed to join aluminum alloys that are hard to fusion weld.
In Field
Source Friction stir welding (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Sources
1. Friction Stir Welding (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationlead paragraph, opening sentence
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that uses a non-consumable tool to join two facing workpieces without melting the workpiece material.
History section, sentence naming The Welding Institute
It was experimentally proven and commercialized at The Welding Institute (TWI) in the UK in 1991.
View the Source Friction stir welding (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Aluminum, Introduction
It is primarily used on wrought or extruded aluminium and particularly for structures which need very high weld strength.
In Group: Airframe Fabrication and Joining Methods, Intro
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that uses a non-consumable tool to join two facing workpieces without melting the workpiece material.
In Field: Aerospace Engineering, Introduction
In addition, joining of dissimilar metals, such as aluminium to magnesium alloys, has been recently achieved by FSW. Application of FSW can be found in modern shipbuilding, trains, and aerospace applications.
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