Disclosed is a friction welding method including: a heating step wherein, in relation to joining surfaces (S1, S2) defined by opposite end surfaces of a pair of materials (W1, W2), the pair of materials (W1, W2) are moved from a state in which their axes are unaligned with each other, in a direction for aligning the respective axes with each other, to a prescribed position where the joining surfaces (S1, S2) are brought into contact with each other and friction heated; and a pressure contacting step wherein the pair of materials are brought into pressure contact with each other. The method is characterized in that the heating step and the pressure contacting step are carried out while rotating each of the materials (W1, W2) at the same rotation speed in the same direction, as seen from one side in the axial direction.

The invention relates to a device and a method for changing the welding direction of the welding shoulder of a system for a friction stir welding process virtually without delay when required by the geometric arrangement of the joint partners to be welded or by a material unevenness, having the following method features: a) a main part (1) with a horizontally movable bridge support (5) has a friction welding head (12) which can be vertically adjusted together therewith and which has a pin receiving area (13) for mounting and driving a welding pin tip (14), wherein the welding shoulder (18) has a welding shoulder receiving area (17) which is supported at multiple points, and b) the welding shoulder receiving area (17) can be adjusted to any angle of attack relative to the joint partners by means of different push-pull rods (16) during the welding process.

The abutment portion touches with a shoulder surface of a joining tool for friction stir welding. The tip portion is freely movable in a first direction connecting a surface of the workpiece and the shoulder surface in a state of contacting the surface of the workpiece. The detector is configured to detect a position of the tip portion in the first direction. The output unit is configured to output a data of the position of the tip portion in the first direction detected by the detector. The controller is configured to calculate a position of the tip portion to the abutment portion from the data of the position output from the output unit, and to calculate a distance between the shoulder surface of the joining tool and the surface of the workpiece.

A method for joining or machining, in particular a friction stir welding method, using an apparatus, in which a tool, in particular a friction stir welding tool, is driven via a spindle with a spindle axis. To achieve high process reliability, even when the method is applied in poorly accessible positions, an adapter, in particular an angle head, is arranged between the spindle and the tool so that the tool axis about which the tool rotates does not coincide with the spindle axis. A force acting on the spindle is measured and the method is controlled depending on the force measured at the spindle. The apparatus for joining or machining, in particular for friction stir welding, includes a headstock with a spindle, which can be rotated about a spindle axis and a tool, in particular a friction stir welding tool, which can be driven about a tool axis by the spindle.

A refill friction stir spot welding tool comprises: a clamp; a shoulder concentric with, and articulable relative to, the clamp; and a probe concentric with, and articulable relative to, the shoulder; wherein each of the clamp, the shoulder and the probe have at least a portion made of a superabrasive material.

The invention relates to a device and method for avoiding an interruption in the welding process during friction stir welding, in particular breakage of the friction pin, wherein the device has: g) at least three strip-like sensors (8), oriented at an angle of 120 degrees to one another, on the long sides of a wedge-shaped tool dome (7), wherein the tool dome (7) guides a welding pin (19) by means of a tool receiving cone (28) and a welding shoe (11), and the sensors (8) are configured to determined force, pressure and travel, h) a conical evaluation means in the lower region of the tool receiving cone (28), which serves to receive a sensor (22) for sensing the axial force, the torque and the bending moment on the welding pin (19), i) a piezoelectric vertical adjustment means for the welding pin (19), j) an arrangement of a laser measuring sensor (10) in the region of the welding shoe (11), the directivity of which passes over a round hole (27) in the passage region of the pin tip (12), wherein an airborne noise sensor (3) is arranged opposite the laser measuring sensor (10) and a welding shoe temperature sensor is provided, k) a sensor signal amplifier (23) having a rotor antenna for receiving, amplifying and passing on all sensed measured values, wherein these measured values are passed on to a machine controller by a static antenna (16), l) an inductive power supply system for supplying the measuring system from a moving secondary winding (24) and a stationary primary winding (25).

A friction stir spot welder includes: a pin; a shoulder; a rotary driver; a tool driver; and circuitry that performs an operation of driving the rotary driver and the tool driver such that the pin and the shoulder press a workpiece by a first pressing force while rotating at a first rotational frequency, and after the operation, performs an operation of driving the rotary driver and the tool driver such that a tip of the shoulder in a rotating state is pressed in to a first position. The first position is a position corresponding to 46% or more of a thickness of the workpiece from a front surface of the workpiece. A press-in speed of the shoulder until the shoulder reaches the first position is a constant speed.

A friction stir welding apparatus includes a welding tool that includes a shoulder and a probe supported by the shoulder, is inserted into a plurality of welding target members, and moves while rotating to weld the plurality of welding target members, a spindle motor that is coupled to the welding tool to rotate the welding tool in a predetermined direction, a welding head that supports the spindle motor, and an apparatus body that supports the welding head, applies a drive signal to the spindle motor, and moves the welding tool along a welding line while rotating the welding tool. The apparatus body has a first correction mode in which a welding tool position indicating a position of the welding tool in a Z-axis direction is corrected based on a variable correction quantity calculated by a predetermined operational expression according to a fluctuation quantity of a state quantity indicating a control quantity of the welding head in a Z-axis upper direction or a Z-axis lower direction when friction stir welding is performed on the welding target members by the welding tool, and a second correction mode in which the welding tool position is corrected based on a preset fixed correction quantity according to the fluctuation quantity.

This disclosure relates to a tool assembly for friction stir welding. The tool assembly comprises a tool holder and a puck each having an axis of rotation. The tool holder comprises a tool post and the puck comprises a pin. The puck is coupled to the tool post. The tool assembly is adapted such that during friction stir welding, run-out of the tool holder, measured as the run-out between the axis of rotation of the tool holder and the axis of rotation of the pin, does not exceed 10 μm.

A method for monitoring the quality of an ultrasonic weld includes monitoring a vibration behavior during a joining process with respect to an actual value of a vibration frequency and/or a vibration amplitude of at least one joining partner of joining partners involved in the joining process. A tool of an ultrasonic welding device is used in the joining process, and at least one measuring device is configured to quantify mechanical vibrations. The detected vibration behavior is analyzed using a Fourier analysis and compared to a predefined set value as reference value.