A friction welding apparatus has first and second clamps for respectively holding first and second parts to be welded by rotary friction welding, a device for producing relative rotation between the first and second clamps and a forge for applying an axial forging pressure to the parts to be welded when the parts are located in the clamps. The second clamp is mounted on a first half of a coupling. A second half of the coupling is movable axially between first and second positions. In the first position the second half of the coupling is engaged with the first half to prevent rotation of the second clamp and enable relative rotation between the first and second clamps. In the second position the second half of the coupling is disengaged from the first half to enable rotation of the second clamp and stop relative rotation between the first and second clamps.

A method of operating a linear friction welding apparatus includes holding a first work piece with a first fixture, holding a second work piece with a second fixture, pressing the first work piece toward the second work piece along a press axis with a press assembly, establishing a selective load between the first work piece and the second work piece with the press assembly while the first fixture and the second fixture are in a fixed position relative to one another, and simultaneously vibrating, with a vibrating assembly spaced apart from the press axis, the first fixture and the second fixture along a single weld axis so that both the first work piece and the second work piece are moved with respect to one another along the single weld axis after establishing the selective load.

The present invention relates to tooling and methods for disposing, coating, building up, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading of a consumable metal material against the substrate. Embodiments of the invention include friction-based fabrication tooling comprising a non-consumable member with a throat and a consumable member disposed in the throat, wherein the throat is operably configured such that during rotation of the non-consumable member at a selected speed, the throat exerts normal forces on and rotates the consumable member at the selected speed; and comprising means for dispensing the consumable member through the throat and onto a substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading. Embodiments of the invention also include fabrication methods using the tools described herein.

A friction stir welding machine and a method of friction stir welding a workpiece are provided. In this regard, a friction stir welding machine is provided that includes a weld fixture comprising first and second arms configured to be positioned on opposite sides of a workpiece. The friction stir welding machine also includes a weld tool carried by the first arm of the weld fixture and configured to be inserted into and rotated relative to the workpiece. The friction stir welding machine further includes a rotatable anvil carried by the second arm of the weld fixture and configured to be positioned in cooperative engagement with the workpiece in an aligned relationship to the weld tool. The rotatable anvil is configured to react forces applied to the workpiece by the weld tool and to be rotated as the weld fixture is moved relative to the workpiece.

Sealed end points and methods of making the same are disclosed. An example method includes disposing a first flange of a lid within a groove of a housing. The groove is defined by first and second walls of the housing and lid. The method also includes means for welding two stationary components while rotating a third component to weld the three components together. The second flange is positioned between the first flange and the first wall. The housing, the lid, and the collar include a thermoplastic material. The method includes securing the housing and the lid relative to one another and spin welding the housing, the lid, and the collar.

A method for joining materials using additive friction stir techniques is provided. The method joins a material to a substrate, especially where the material to be joined and the substrate are dissimilar metals. One such method comprises (a) providing a substrate with one or more grooves; (b) rotating and translating an additive friction-stir tool relative to the substrate; (c) feeding a filler material through the additive friction-stir tool; and (d) depositing the filler material into the one or more grooves of the substrate. Translation and rotation of the tool causes heating and plastic deformation of the filler material, which flows into the grooves of the substrate resulting in an interlocking bond between the substrate and filler material. In embodiments, the depositing of the filler material causes deformation of the grooves in the substrate and an interlocking configuration between the grooves of the substrate and the filler material results.

A manufacturing method for a wire bonding structure of the present invention includes a step of preparing a wire made of Cu and a step of joining the wire to a first joining target formed on an electronic device. Before the joining step, the wire has an outer circumferential surface and a withdrawn surface. The withdrawn surface is withdrawn toward a central axis of the wire from the outer circumferential surface. In the joining step, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the wire in a state in which the withdrawn surface is pressed against the first joining target.

A machine tool and a control method for the machine tool, which determine the degree of misalignment during friction joint, are provided. The machine tool (an automatic lathe 1) includes: a first spindle 10 rotatably holding a first workpiece (a workpiece W1); a second spindle 20 arranged to face the first spindle and rotatably holding a second workpiece (a remaining workpiece W2); and a controller 40a, while rotating at least one of the first workpiece or the second workpiece, relatively moving the first spindle and the second spindle so as to get closer to each other and pushing a rear end portion of the second workpiece against a front end portion of the first workpiece to frictionally join the first and second workpieces. The controller has a misalignment amount detector detecting a misalignment amount s of the second workpiece with respect to the first workpiece during the friction joint.

The invention concerns a method for forming by welding along a flat surface an article. The method according to the invention is particularly useful to improve strength and elongation of welded joints obtained by linear friction welding. Structural articles of aircrafts obtained with the method of the invention are advantageous, in particular aircraft structural members.

Additive friction stir methods for joining materials are provided. The methods comprise providing first and second substrates to be joined; providing a forming plate comprising one or more forming cavities; placing the first and second substrates in communication with the forming plate; placing the first and second substrates in communication with each other; rotating and translating an additive friction-stir tool relative to the substrates; feeding a filler material through the additive friction-stir tool; deforming the filler material and the first and second substrates; and extruding one or more of the filler material and the first and second substrates into one or more of the forming cavities of the forming plate. Interaction of the additive friction-stir tool with the substrates generates heat and plastic deformation at the joint to weld the substrates at the joint. The methods include introduction of reinforcing material at the joint through addition of the filler material.