Friction Stir Welding

[jeffm]

I didn't know about this process until a few months ago...

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?lastnode_id=124&node_id=948565

I think the "Miller EconoStir" is some distance down the road, but interesting nonetheless. It combines metals on a molecular level, leaving just a wave pattern on the surface to polish off. Don't suppose anyone's seen it in person?

[Stoney]

At the last American Welding Society show I attended (in Cleveland, 2001), ESAB had one of these machines available to look at. I even brought home a sample peice they had welded together. If it was painted you would not even be able to tell it was two pieces. Was just looking for that sample a couple of weeks ago, couldn't track it down. Anyways, the two guys demonstrating the equipment were from Northern Europe, (Sweden?), which I think is still where ESAB is headquartered.

ESAB has been the world's leading developer of FSW equipment since the process was first commercialised in 1992, with a large number of SuperStir™ machines now in operation worldwide. But whereas all SuperStir™ equipment are designed to suit a particular application, the new LEGIO™ modular concept allows customers to specify a machine that is assembled from FSW machine modules. In essence, the customer determines the working area, the bed configuration, the clamping arrangement, and the number of heads; several other options are also available to match the customer application and requirements. The included control system has been developed specifically to handle the Friction Stir process.

As well as welding two components of the same grade of aluminium, the FSW process can also join dissimilar alloys or even join two completely different metals; in many cases FSW can be used to join materials that cannot be welded by any other means. The LEGIO™ machines are suitable for welding parts ranging in thickness from 1.2 to 65 mm from one side, depending on the materials, and the process requires no special surface preparation. Now that the highly competitively priced LEGIO™ machines are available, fabricators will be able to consider FSW even for small batches of products. Industries that will benefit from the new equipment include automotive, aerospace, marine, architectural, construction and general engineering

(ripped from one of their European pages)

Steve

[Guest]

And a couple more FSW sites

http://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/NEWSROOM/background/facts/Friction_Stir_Welding.PDF

http://www.twi.co.uk/j32k/unprotected/band_1/fswintro.html

There's tons more info on the net.

[morpheus]

A buddy of mine used to work at a local Dana truck parts facility and they made the big, telescoping hydraulic cylinders for the big 18 wheeler dump trucks. they took these pieces of 3-4" in diameter tube with at least a 1/2" wall and would have one piece all clamped up in this jig and another piece would be in this other thing that spun it up to several thousand RPM and then the two pieces were forced together. I never saw it in person but he brought me a short piece of scrap that had been welded together in that fashion. Was only a slight bump where the two pieces met.

- jack

[Hobart Expert Rock]

COOL...........I TO HAVE HEARD OF THIS, BUT LIKE THE GUY THE OTHER DAY WITH THE FLEXABLE COUPLING ON A HIGH RPM HYDRO MAHCINE...........PLEASE DON'T GET OUT OF BALANCE AND HIT THE TRIP STOPS...................... .... WOULD HAVE A BAD DAY THEN.....................................ROCK
[email protected]

[Albin]

Some of the largest friction stir welders in the country:

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/space/delta_iv/d4_mfg_03.htm

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/...d/inde0299.pdf (go to page 5 of 6)

Another pic of the welder:

http://boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/space/delta_iv/d4_mfg_03.htm

Tomorrow when I get back to work, I'll post pics of some of the largest pieces of material ever welded via the FSW process.

Thanks,

Albin

[Albin]

OK, here's a pic of 2 27 foot diameter aluminum barrels joined by the FSW process:

http://boeingnews.web.boeing.com/archive/09_03/091603/030916p_phantom_photo.html

Someone let me know when HF has this welder on sale!

Thanks,

Albin

[pontiac]

http://www.memagazine.org/medes03/coolweld/coolweld.html

a good article about FSW.

[morpheus]

Originally posted by Albin
OK, here's a pic of 2 27 foot diameter aluminum barrels joined by the FSW process:

http://boeingnews.web.boeing.com/archive/09_03/091603/030916p_phantom_photo.html

Someone let me know when HF has this welder on sale!

Thanks,

Albin

do you work at the Boeing plant in Decatur Albin ?

I work in h'ville and live in Decatur ... lol.

- jack

[Pat]

My son thinks this friction welding method of joining steel would make a good science project for school. He asked me if there was a way we could replicate this process on a much smaller scale. I told him I didn't know if we could so we did a search of friction welding on the internet but did not find anything close to an experiment, just different methods and the theory behind it (speed and pressure).

Are there any members of this forum that are mad scientists or engineers that know of, and could outline a simple and safe method for using friction welding as a science project........thanks,

Pat

[Roger]

I think the forces to friction weld steel would be too high for most high school or jr. high school students to easly accomplish.
Plastic friction welding could be done with a drill press or lathe making it much more practical.

http://www.twi.co.uk/j32k/protected/band_3/pjkfwplast.html

[Pat]

Roger,
Thank you for your advice and the link you provided. I think you are correct that friction welding steel would require forces / equipment not available at a high school. We will proceed with the plastic version and mention that the process for steel would be similar. That is a great link you provided..........thanks again

[Albin]

Morpheus,

Nope, I live in Madison and work at the Jetplex on the Ground Missile Defense System. I just saw the cool Delta IV FSW pics and decided to post them.

Thanks,

Albin