In a state where a shoulder member is in contact with a contact surface, a pin member is brought into contact with the contact surface to specify a pin movement amount, which is a distance from an initial position of the pin member to the contact surface, and specify a shoulder displacement amount, which is a displacement amount when the shoulder member is retreated as a result of the contact of the pin member. When both a first condition that the pin movement amount is included in a first range and a second condition that the shoulder displacement amount is included in a second range are satisfied, the pin member is retreated from the contact surface by a predetermined return amount, and furthermore, origin point alignment of the pin member and the shoulder member is performed on the basis of positions of the pin member and the shoulder member.

A method for manufacturing components includes joining a first edge of a thermoplastic-containing first component part and a second edge of a thermoplastic-containing second component part to one another without any overlap. The first and the second edge are interconnected by friction stir welding. Friction stir welding involves rubbing a rotating friction stir welding pin against at least one metal object.

A method of performing friction stir spot welding of a plurality of steel plates, includes the steps of: friction stirring a spot welding portion of the plurality of steel plates by pressing a tool against the spot welding portion while rotating the tool, to plasticize the spot welding portion by friction heat; cooling the spot welding portion to cause martensitic transformation to occur in the spot welding portion, after the step of friction stirring the spot welding portion; and tempering the spot welding portion by the friction heat by re-pressing the tool against the spot welding portion while rotating the tool, after the step of cooling the spot welding portion.

The invention is directed to a friction stir welding device which can realize appropriate friction stir welding while preventing a welding tool from being worn out and damaged. Therefore, the friction stir welding device is provided with a welding tool which rotates while abutting on a member to be welded to cause a plastic flow phenomenon in the member to be welded, a tool holder which grasps the welding tool and rotates together with the welding tool, supply paths which are formed in the tool holder and supply a refrigerant to the welding tool.

An extrusion and bonding tool for carrying out a solid-state hybrid metal extrusion and bonding process, the tool being for extruding an extrusion material and bonding the extrusion material to a substrate is provided. The tool may comprise a rotatable spindle, wherein the rotatable spindle is arranged to, in use, contact and deform the substrate. The tool may comprise a die; and a guide wherein the guide is arranged so that, in use, extrusion material extruded through the die is guided in a direction towards a central axis of the tool.

A set of fittings for an FSW tool (friction-stir-welding tool) includes an adapter that can be inserted into a tool-receiving element and is designed to receive a welding rod, and a shoulder cap that includes a through-opening for the welding rod and the adapter. The shoulder cap includes a welding shoulder region adjacent to the through-opening on the outer surface. The adapter can be rotated in relation to the shoulder cap, about a longitudinal axis extending concentrically to the through-opening. The inner contour of the through-opening and a radial outer contour of the adapter have a conical shape at least on the end facing the welding point. In this way, a conical annular gap is created between the adapter and the shoulder cap, the width of which is adjustable by positioning the adapter along the longitudinal axis.

In one aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for manipulating a plurality of curved sheets is provided. Each of the plurality of curved sheets includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The apparatus includes tooling to be coupled to the upper surface of each of the plurality of curved sheets. The tooling is capable of moving the plurality of curved sheets relative to each other and abutting the plurality of curved sheets so that the upper surface of each of the plurality of curved sheets is coextensive with a virtual arcuate surface. The apparatus also includes a welding apparatus capable of welding the plurality of curved sheets together after abutting the plurality of curved sheets.

A heat exchanger is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange member that includes a first extruded member having a first end and a second end. The first extruded member forms a plurality of fluid passages that are in fluid communication with the first end of the first extruded member and the second end of the first extruded member. At least one of the fluid passages is an inlet fluid passage and at least one of the fluid passages is an outlet fluid passage. A plug is fixedly coupled to the second end of the first extruded member. The plug forms a plug fluid passage that fluidically interconnects the inlet fluid passage at the second end of the first extruded member with the outlet fluid passage at the second end of the first extruded member.

A friction stir welding system can reduce the likelihood of oxide formation in the work pieces being friction stir welded by forming an inert gas atmosphere in which the friction stir welding process is performed. The friction stir welding system includes one or more inert purge gas sources that direct inert purge gas towards the forming friction stir weld. The inert purge gas can be directed towards the forming weld from both an upper and a lower side, which further reduces the likelihood of oxide formation. Additionally, the friction stir welding system can include one or more housings that contains the inert purge gas about the forming friction stir weld, such as about an upper and lower side of the friction stir weld.

A friction stir welding device includes: a control device which causes a pin part to be inserted into members to be joined while causing a joining tool to rotate and which causes a joining head to move along a joint line via a robot main body; and an image pickup device which detects a junction deviation that is a deviation between the joining head and a direction along the joint line. Also, when a junction deviation is generated, this control device causes the joining head to move in a direction toward the joint line and thus resolves the junction deviation.