Friction stir welding machine
15 - 67 kN Manufacturing Technology

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Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that creates extremely high-quality, high-strength joints with low distortion. A non-consumable spinning tool bit is inserted into a work piece. The rotation of the tool creates friction that heats the material to a plastic state. As the tool traverses the weld joint, it extrudes material in a distinctive flow pattern and forges the material in its wake. The resulting solid phase bond joins the two pieces into one.

The process uses no outside (filler) material, no shielding gases, and requires low energy input when compared to other welding processes. The solid phase bond between the two pieces is made solely of parent material. The grain structure in the weld zone is finer than that of the parent material and has similar strength, bending, and fatigue characteristics.