![]() ![]() The process has been applied in other transportation applications, such as superliners, high-speed train carriages, and spacecraft as well as electronic devices like desktop computers. Just five years after it was patented in 1991, the technique was used commercially in the shipbuilding industry to manufacture freezer panels for fishing boats. Other benefits of FSW include its speed ability to be easily automated lack of consumables (e.g., filler wire) and ability to join materials that are dissimilar (e.g., plastics with alloys) or hard to weld.ĭue to these qualities, FSW has been adopted by manufacturers in various fields. What’s more, this process doesn’t produce toxic fumes, so it’s safer for both workers and the environment. The lack of melting in FSW also means that less material is needed, making the technique more cost efficient and suitable for extremely thin materials (such as those that are less than 1 mm thick). The welds are not only stronger, smoother, and lighter but also have improved mechanical properties like higher fatigue resistance and tensile strength. Licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Flickr Creative Commons.Ĭompared to traditional fusion welding techniques, FSW has a number of advantages. The booster tank for the Falcon 9 was welded using FSW. As the tool moves along the joint, the upper part (i.e., the shoulder) slides along the top, smoothing the weld and creating a nearly seamless appearance. The pin then mixes the materials together, producing a strong weld. ![]() The lower half of the tool (i.e., the pin) goes in the joint, with the friction from the rotation heating the materials just enough to soften them but not melt them. Using the COMSOL® software, you can evaluate and improve heat transfer in the FSW process.Ĭreating Strong Welds with Friction Stir Weldingįriction stir welding is a solid-state joining process in which a rotating tool welds materials together. For optimal FSW performance, the generated heat has to be just the right temperature: Too high and the materials melt, weakening the weld too little and the process is inefficient. ![]() As the name implies, this process involves using friction to heat materials and then stirring them together. ![]() Efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly, friction stir welding (FSW) is useful for many applications. ![]()
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