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.

Solid-state joining of preformed features, such as bosses, flanges, gaskets, centralizers and other features to substrates or cast parts by a solid-state additive manufacturing process is disclosed. Joining can be between same or different materials using same, similar or dissimilar filler material than the materials of the feature and the part that need to be joined.

An additive friction stir fabrication method and system is described which may be used to fabricate and join a rib to a metallic substrate or to repair a defect in a metallic substrate through extrusion. The method may be carried out with or without the addition of preformed ribs. One such method involves feeding a friction-stir tool with a consumable filler material such that interaction of the friction-stir tool with the substrate generates plastic deformation at an interface between the friction-stir tool and a metallic substrate to bond the plasticized filler and substrate together and extrude this material through a forming cavity to form a rib joined to the metallic substrate. Further described is a system for fabricating a rib joined to a metallic substrate through extrusion.

A method of joining a first work piece and a second workpiece. The first and second workpieces may be rotor wheels of a rotor for a turbomachine. At least one of the workpieces includes an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material and the first and second work pieces may be joined by welding a cladding on at least one of the workpieces to the other of the workpieces, without welding a substrate of the at least one workpiece which includes an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy material.

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 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 friction stir spot welding apparatus includes a pin member, a shoulder member, a rotation driver, a forward/backward movement driver, and a controller. The controller controls the forward/backward movement driver, such that the pin member and/or the shoulder member press workpieces before a clamp member presses the workpieces, and then controls the rotation driver and the forward/backward movement driver, such that the pin member and the shoulder member stir the workpieces.

The invention relates to a device and a method for detecting the mechanical forces at the welding pin tip during friction stir welding, having the following features: a) a strip-shaped sensor (3) at a long side of a tool cup (9) holding a welding pin pen (12) by way of a pin shaft (13) using a tool receiving cone (14), and also holding a welding shoe (11); b) a conical narrowed portion (20) in the further region of the tool-receiving cone (14), which serves to receive a sensor (18) for detecting the axial force, the torque and the bending moment at the welding pin pen (12); c) a further narrowed portion in the front region of the tool-receiving cone (14), having three sensors (24) distributed across the circumferences at a distance of 120 degrees; d) a sensor signal amplifier having a rotor antenna (19) for receiving, amplifying and forwarding all detected measurement values, said measurement values being forwarded by a static antenna (17) to a machine control; and e) an inductive power supply system.

A friction application device includes an application element which defines a rotational axis and which is movable by a moving device on a surface of a workpiece and in a relative movement with respect to the surface of the workpiece. At least one supporting tool is non-coaxial with the rotational axis and has an arcuate outer periphery in direct contact with the application element.

A friction stir welding device and a friction stir welding method provide that an additional material is introduced into the gap between a rotating pin and a fixed shoulder. The pin and/or the shoulder includes a conveyor worm structure by which the additional material is transported to the workpiece.