A friction stir welding tool with a base, a rotating friction stir slug mounted in the said base and at least one guide member connected to the said base, the welding tool being adapted to move from upstream to downstream; a welding tool having at least one displacement member of the guide member relative to the said base between at least one guiding position in which the guide member extends in a scout area located downstream and facing the friction stir slug and at least one retracted position in which the guide member is offset from the said scout area.

A method of fabrication by friction stir welding (FSW) at an interface between adjoining components such as pipe lengths of a pipeline has layers of different metals on each side. FSW is performed from one side of the adjoining components by effecting relative movement of a first FSW tool along the interface. FSW is performed from an opposite side of the adjoining components by effecting relative movement of a second FSW tool along the interface. Advantageously, FSW is performed simultaneously from both sides of the adjoining components with the FSW tools applying loads in mutual opposition about the adjoining components.

Process for linear transparency friction stir welding of a flange of a stiffener onto at least one panel for an aircraft, wherein a weld bead is made along the flange of the stiffener and wherein the weld bead extends in cross-section from a first lateral edge to an opposite second lateral edge of the stiffener flange. System for the implementation of the above welding process, which includes three welding heads arranged as a triangle, each of which includes a rotating pin as well as a shoulder extending at the base of said rotating pin.

This invention discloses a 3D printing apparatus and method utilizing friction stir welding (FSW). The apparatus includes a material feeding mechanism, a control mechanism, a friction stir welding (FSW) mechanism, and a friction stir welding (FSW) rotation drive mechanism. The control mechanism controls the material feeding mechanism, the FSW mechanism and the FSW rotation drive mechanism. In addition to the control mechanism, the FSW mechanism also connects to the FSW rotation drive mechanism. The method comprises the steps of: 1, start the control mechanism; step 2, the control mechanism controls the material feeding mechanism to feed filling material; step 3, print 3D product with FSW mechanism. The invention achieves additive manufacturing and 3D printing with a new friction stir welding technology. The invented method has many advantages such as can handle a wide range of raw materials, has high printing speed, has high efficiency, has low energy consumption, requires low cost, is broadly applicable in different situations, is environmentally friendly, and is easy to automate. The products manufactured following this invention is formed through semi-solid forming technology. They will have good mechanical properties and low price.

A hybrid Friction Stir Welding approach and device for dissimilar materials joining employing Electro-Plastic Effect. The approach and device include an introduction of high density, short period current pulses into traditional friction stir welding process, which therefore can generate a localized softened zone in the workpiece during plastic stirring without significant additional temperature increase. This material softened zone is created by high density current pulses based on Electro-Plastic Effect and will move along with the friction stir welding tool. Smaller downward force, larger processing window and better joint quality for dissimilar materials are expected to be achieved through this hybrid welding technique.

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.

A friction stir welding tool includes a stir pin, a pin holder, and a housing. The pin holder supports the stir pin to rotate with the stir pin around a rotation axis of the stir pin and has a front portion and a rear portion opposite to the front portion along the rotation axis. A tip end of the stir pin projects from the front portion. The housing houses the pin holder such that the pin holder is rotatable relatively to the housing. The tip end of the stir pin projects from the housing. The housing includes an engaging portion engageable with a spindle frame of a machining head such that the rear portion of the pin holder is attached to a rotation spindle of the machining head to rotate the pin holder. The rotation spindle is rotatable relatively to the spindle frame.

A friction stir welding method for bonding a to-be bonded material, includes: a step of supplying nitrogen and introducing nitrogen into the to-be bonded material while melting the to-be bonded material; and a step of friction stir welding a portion of the non-bonded material in which the nitrogen is introduced. A friction stirring device for bonding a to-be bonded material, includes: a heating source for melting the to-be bonded material; a nitrogen supply source for supplying nitrogen to a melted portion of the to-be bonded material and introducing nitrogen into the to-be bonded material; and a friction stir tool for friction stir welding a portion of the non-bonded material in which the nitrogen is introduced.

The present disclosure is directed to a Friction Stir Welding device for welding one or more arcuate work pieces. The device including an arcuate boom, a friction stir welding head, and a saddle operatively coupling the welding head to the arcuate boom for moving the welding head with respect to the arcuate boom. The saddle may be coupled to the arcuate boom via a drive mechanism for moving the saddle, and the welding head that is coupled thereto, with respect to the arcuate boom. The welding head may also be provided with three degrees of freedom with respect to the arcuate boom so that the welding head can rotate, tilt and move linearly with respect to the arcuate boom.

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.