A friction welding apparatus is provided, which includes a tool, a rotary driver, a linear driver, and a control device. The control device controls the linear driver and the rotary driver so that the tool is rotated while a tip-end part thereof is pressed against a to-be-joined part of a to-be-joined object to increase a temperature of the to-be-joined part at or above an A1 transformation point, the tip-end part of the tool reaches a given first position so that a softened second member sticks into a softened first member, and the tool is drawn out from the to-be-joined part while the tool is rotated.

In an embodiment, a method of forming a cooling plate, comprises laser welding a plurality of weld lines to physically connect a first substrate and a second substrate wherein the plurality of weld lines forms an inflatable track; and inflating the inflatable track with an inflation fluid to form a cooling channel in the cooling plate. In another embodiment, the cooling plate can comprise a first substrate and a second substrate and a plurality of weld lines can form a fluid tight seal for a cooling channel located therebetween.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for welding together two joining partners by means of friction stir welding, which prevents the joining partners being contamined by welding residue. The method comprises the following features: a welding head that can be integrated into any machine, said welding head being in the form of a spindle drive driven by a drive unit, comprising a mounting flange for securing the device assisting the welding process, and a clamping system for receiving a frustoconical-shaped tool having a welding and smoothing shoe for guiding a welding pin (11), a device (17) integrated into the welding and smoothing shoe for grinding the waste produced during the welding process, the waste produced during welding is then removed by means of one inlet channels for fluid arranged in the upper and/or lower area of the frustoconical-shaped tool for the fluid (20, 18) and a suction channel (19).

A method of manufacturing a liquid-cooled jacket, includes a preparation step which includes placing a sealing body on a stepped portion to allow a step side surface and a sealing-body side surface of the sealing body to butt each other, and a primary joining step which includes allowing a primary joining rotary tool to move once around the sealing body, while moving the rotary tool along a butted portion formed in the preparation step, to carry out friction stir welding. The primary joining step includes employing the primary joining rotary tool provided with a stirring pin having a length dimension greater than a thickness dimension of the sealing body, and carrying out friction stirring with only the stirring pin being brought into contact with a jacket body and the sealing body.

An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces.

In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3,3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3,3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3,3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools (1,15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.

A friction stir welding apparatus that includes a rotary tool and a heating device. The heating device is placed in front of the rotary tool to heat steel sheets that are used as a workpiece. The rotary tool is moved in the welding direction so that steel sheet is softened by frictional heat. Additionally, the surface temperature, the area, and the position of the heated region during the heating process are strictly controlled. The heating of the steel sheets by the welding apparatus provides sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow defects generated due to insufficient heating of workpieces.

A joining method includes abutting an end face of a first metal member in a plate shape having a projecting part on the end face on a rear face of a second metal member in a plate shape having a hole that is bored through the second metal member in a plate thickness direction and simultaneously inserting the projecting part into the hole. The method includes inserting a stirring pin of a rotary tool into an abutment portion of a wall of the hole and an outer peripheral surface of the projecting part from a front face side opposite to the rear face of the second metal member. The rotary tool is moved along the abutment portion to join the abutment portion by friction stirring. The abutment portion is joined together with only the stirring pin of the rotary tool being in contact with the first and second metal members.

The present invention provides a simple, cost effective and hassle-free method and apparatus for modifying the surface grain structure of the material, thereby providing a material with multi-modal grain structure having high strength and good formability. The present invention uses a single step processing technique known as submerged static friction stir processing for modifying the surface grain structure of the material, thereby generating a multi-modal grain structure. In the present invention since the working material is completely immersed in the coolant, this maintains the working temperature of the system. Further the present invention does not involve long processing steps and do not need any specialized equipments.

A friction stir welding apparatus includes a FSW tool that is held by a housing and welds to-be-welded members to each other by friction stir, and a gradual cooling device that gradually cools a weld site of the to-be-welded members welded by the FSW tool. The gradual cooling device is a contactless heat source that heats the weld site without coming into contact with the weld site. The contactless heat source is a high-frequency heat source.

The invention relates to a device and to a method for homogeneously welding two-dimensionally bent structures by friction stir welding.