Manufacturing

Modular Friction Stir Welding Tool

Related Patents:  7,357,292

Contact: David R. Anderson

Phone: (208) 526-0837

E-mail:  Send E-mail

For higher strength materials such as steel, titanium, etc., friction stir welding (FSW) tool designs are more difficult to achieve due to the temperatures and load that the tool sees during the process. A design tool has been developed at the INL, which limits the exotic materials to key tool components, easily replaceable and interchangeable, and can be adapted to the material being welding. This tool is made up of three key components: (1) shank, (2) shoulder, and (3) pin. Each component's material is optimized for its particular function within a given welding situation. It is expected that such a tool design will reduce the overall tool cost per welding foot for FSW applications. This will also help with the general application of FSW to many higher-strength material applications, which are not currently feasible.