What is a Friction stir welding?

Friction stir welding is a method of rotating a tool at high speed and using frictional heat and plastic flow to join two different materials. It is not suitable for materials with a high softening point, but it does not involve complete melting of the material, so it is possible to keep the heat history low. Therefore, it is characterized by less thermal deformation compared to welding. In addition, it is a relatively new joining technology that emphasizes the ability to join different materials, but problems have been solved by optimizing the shape of the joining tool, and it has begun to be widely used in recent years.

Application of Friction stir welding

It is mainly used for joining aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, copper, zinc, etc. The fields include railway aluminum vehicle manufacturing, automobile frames, aerospace industry, and ships. Lightweight structure. It is used in the manufacture of aircraft gas and engine parts, and in building structures such as bridges. When joining dissimilar metals, there is a risk of galvanic corrosion due to the natural potential difference. Care must be taken when selecting the metal to be combined. In recent years, the development of joining of stainless steel and carbon steel with high softening temperature, hybrid method combined with YAG laser welding, etc. is progressing.

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