A solid-state method of bonding an extruded bead of metal material (4) onto the surface of a metal substrate (6) is provided. The method comprises deforming the surface of the substrate; extruding extrusion material to form extrudate; and depositing the extrudate on the surface of the substrate to form a bead of material on the substrate which is bonded to the substrate. A solid-state method of joining two metal components (30, 31) is also provided. The method comprises: extruding metal extrusion material to form extrudate (32); depositing extrudate between the two components such that it contacts each of the components to form an initial joint between the components; deforming a surface of the initial joint; and depositing further extrudate (38) on the initial joint between the two components.

A spot welding apparatus which performs spot welding of a plurality of plate materials which are lapped to each other, comprises a displacement driving unit which displaces lapped portions of the plurality of plate materials and a tool relatively to each other; a rotation driving unit which rotates the tool; and a controller which controls the displacement driving unit and the rotation driving unit so that the tool is plunged into the lapped portions in a state in which the tool is rotated to perform friction stir spot welding. The controller controls the displacement driving unit so that at least one friction stir spot weld is formed in a region of the lapped portions which is between a plurality of resistance spot welds formed by resistance spot welding.

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.

A friction stir welding method includes a first friction stir welding process of forming a first stirring region in a beveled part, by moving a first rotary tool disposed on an upper side in a thickness direction across the beveled part, while rotating the first rotary tool; and a second friction stir welding process of forming a second stirring region in the beveled part, by moving a second rotary tool disposed on a lower side in the thickness direction across the beveled part, while rotating the second rotary tool, simultaneously with the first friction stir welding process or after performing the first friction stir welding process.

In the present disclosure, friction stir welding tools having probes and stationary shoulders are disposed at corners between a first workpiece and a second workpiece. A welding device main body includes axially perpendicular movement units for moving spindle units, which hold the respective friction stir welding tools on a frame, in directions perpendicular to rotary shafts of probes, and axial movement units for moving the spindle units in directions parallel to the rotary shafts of the probes.

The invention relates to a method and a device for the residue-free friction stir welding of workpieces with different thicknesses, having the following method steps:

a) two workpieces (6) to be welded are mounted such that the workpieces can be approached by a holding bell (3) for the friction stir welding tool and the drive head (2) thereof, b) after the welding device is started up, a welding pin tip (5) is immersed into the plastified material of the two workpieces (6) to be connected, wherein a welding shoe (4) is used which has a trapezoidal structure that extends in the diagonal direction of the welding shoe (4) for receiving the welding pin tip (5), and a circular opening (14) is mounted in a web with a smoothing surface (13) which has a front edge (12) that is part of a stepped Spahn guide stage (11), c) in order to improve the method, a welding shoe (4) is used in which the stepped Spahn guide stage (11) has material conducting channels on the front edge (12).

A device for friction stirring a workpiece material includes a body, a spindle, a driver, and a biasing element. The spindle is configured to rotate around a rotational axis. The driver is rotationally coupled to the spindle. The biasing element supports the driver and is configured to apply a biasing force in an axial direction, wherein the biasing element axially overlaps the spindle.

A method and apparatus for friction welding. The method includes frictionally engaging a weld surface of a first workpiece and a weld surface of a second workpiece; oscillating the weld surface of the first workpiece and the second workpiece until they reach a fusion point, and applying a forge force to the first workpiece with the second workpiece, so that the workpieces are urged into contact at a weld point, wherein the weld point is the centroid of an interface between the weld surfaces.

Apparatus and method for increasing the quality of the weld seam in friction stir welding, with the following features: a) a receiving plate (1) with a drive head (2), the latter having a receiving flange (19) for receiving a holding bell (3) connected by means of a union nut (7) to a welding shoe (4) with a welding pin tip (5), b) the welding shoe (4) has a circular basic shape, on which there is a transverse web running over the cross section and rising at a right angle to said basic shape, said transverse web having a width of approximately to of the diameter of the basic shape and having an arc-shaped shoe sliding surface and shoe smoothing surface (9), c) the welding pin tip (5) has substantially a surface structure in the form of a tapering thread, this thread-like structure not being arranged in a purely circular manner.

A welding method for connecting at least two workpieces at a connection region by means of friction stir welding using a welding tool having a probe and a shoulder. The method includes rotating the probe around a rotation axis, wherein the connection region is softened by friction heat provided by the probe during said friction stir welding to form a welded seam at the connection region. The method also includes molding, simultaneously with forming the welded seam, at least one of a bevel, a rounding and a chamfer on an edge of the connection region using the shoulder, wherein the shoulder is configured to separate the connection region from the surroundings.