A friction stir welding device includes a friction stir welding tool equipped with a fixed shoulder on an outer periphery of a probe on a proximal end side, a main shaft positioning mechanism which relatively moves the friction stir welding tool with respect to a corner portion between workpieces a control device thereof, and a filler supply unit which supplies a filler to a stirring region in which the workpieces are stirred by the probe at the time of friction stir welding. When the probe is immersed into the corner portion to perform the friction stir welding, the fixed shoulder is maintained at a position separated by a gap from the surfaces of the workpieces with the control device.

A friction stir welded assembly includes a first workpiece having an interior portion with opposed interior walls, a second workpiece having an interior portion with opposed interior walls, and an insert positioned within the interior portion of the first workpiece and the interior portion of the second workpiece. The insert extends between and abuts at least one of the opposed interior walls of the first workpiece and the opposed interior walls of the second workpiece and a friction stir weld is between the first workpiece to the second workpiece. A joining end of the first workpiece and a joining end of the second workpiece form a butt joint or a lap joint between the first and second workpieces, and the friction stir weld is a butt weld or a lap weld, respectively, between the first and second workpieces.

An object of the present invention is to provide a joining method by which metal members can be suitably joined to each other. The present invention is characterized by including a friction stirring process in which the first metal member, the second metal member, and the auxiliary member are joined to one another by moving the rotary tool along the inner corner portion in a state where the tip side pin which is being rotated is inserted into the inner corner portion, is in contact with the first metal member, the second metal member, and the auxiliary member, and an outer circumferential face of the base side pin is pressed against the auxiliary member.

Disclosed is a friction stir welding tool with an adjustable probe length and shoulder groove depth, wherein a support shaft, made of a material having low thermal conductivity so as to inhibit thermal conduction between a probe and a shank, is coupled to the center of an upper locking member together with the shank, the probe and inner and outer shoulders are coupled inside a lower part of the upper locking member, and a lower locking member is fastened and fixed to the lower part of the upper locking member, and a washer and a locking nut are fastened to an upper part of the lower locking member, whereby the locking nut pushes the lower locking member via the washer.

The disclosed friction bit joining systems may include a ball screw having an internal bore, a chuck and spindle configured to be rotated by a chuck spindle motor, a friction bit joining bit held by the chuck, a support frame, and a chuck driver motor positioned and configure to rotate the ball screw to axially move the chuck and the friction bit joining bit relative to the support frame. At least a portion of the spindle may be positioned within the internal bore of the ball screw. Various other related systems and methods are also disclosed.

A method of forming a vibration-damped aluminum article is provided. The method includes forming a groove in a surface of an aluminum substrate, the groove having a groove depth which is less than 50% of a thickness of the aluminum substrate. The method further includes placing metal oxide nanoparticles in the groove to form an unmixed composite. The method further includes friction stir processing the unmixed composite to form the vibration-damped aluminum article. The friction stir processing includes at least two passes over the unmixed composite. The vibration-damped aluminum article includes a surface nanocomposite portion and an aluminum alloy portion. The metal oxide nanoparticles are substantially free of metal carbides, metal borides, and carbon nanomaterials.

A component, which may be an automotive chassis structure, includes first and second sub-part main bodies. The first sub-part main body is formed of a first material, and the second sub-part main body is formed of a second material. The first material is a steel alloy, and the second material is aluminum or an aluminum alloy. A transition layer is attached to and contacts the first sub-part main body. The transition layer is formed of a third material, where the third material contains at least a majority of copper. A mixed layer is disposed between the transition layer and the second sub-part main body, and the mixed layer is formed of a mixture of the second material and the third material. A disclosed method includes forming the component by friction stir welding the transition layer to the second sub-part main body.

An object of the present invention is to provide a joining method by which metal members can be suitably joined to each other. The present invention is characterized by including a friction stirring process in which the first metal member, the second metal member, and the auxiliary member are joined to one another by moving the rotary tool along the inner corner portion in a state where the tip side pin which is being rotated is inserted into the inner corner portion, is in contact with the first metal member, the second metal member, and the auxiliary member, and an outer circumferential face of the base side pin is pressed against the auxiliary member.

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and devices for repairing holes in weld seams created by bobbin friction stir welding tools. A hole may be created when a welding tool or, more specifically, a pin of the tool is removed or otherwise extracted from a weld seam created by the tool. The method may involve inserting a plug (e.g., a rivet) into the hole, reshaping the plug in the hole (e.g., riveting) thereby securing the plug in the component, and creating another weld seam through the plug thereby consuming the plug. In some embodiments, the hole may be reshaped prior to inserting the plug. For example, the hole may be drilled out and/or a countersink may be created on one or both ends of the hole. Furthermore, the plug may extend outside of the hole prior to its reshaping and, in some embodiments, even after reshaping.

A powder-enhanced friction stir rivet welding device includes a friction stir rivet welding spindle, a C-shaped frame and a tooling platform. The friction stir rivet welding spindle includes a rotating mechanism, a feed mechanism, a vibration-rotation mixing mechanism and a powder feeding mechanism. The friction stir rivet welding spindle is configured to realize rotation and feed movements of a rivet and feeding and mixing of a powder. The C-shaped frame is configured to fix the friction stir rivet welding spindle and the tooling platform. The tooling platform includes a force sensor, a sensor indenter, a tooling mould and a tooling platen. The tooling platform is configured to clamp a workpiece to be riveted and welded, and measure a rivet welding force of the friction stir rivet welding spindle in real time.