An additive friction stir deposition machine and the method of using it. The friction stir deposition machine has a stationary tool with a fixed shoulder and an opening. The fixed shoulder is fixed from rotation with respect to a substate onto which feedstock material is deposited to build a layer. A guide tube holds the feedstock material and is rotatable within the stationary tool. The opening in the stationary shoulder circumscribes the open end of the guide tube. The feedstock material is co-rotatable with the guide tube and rotating the guide tube rotates with the feedstock.

A solid state additive method includes: disposing a round consumable rod in a hollow stirring tool; based on a coating layer height, setting a gap between a bottom surface of the hollow stirring tool and a base surface; driving the hollow stirring tool to rotate at a first rotation speed; driving the consumable rod to rotate at a second rotation speed, where the second rotation speed and the first rotation speed are different in angular speed to form a differential, such that the consumable rod rubs against an inner wall of the hollow stirring tool to generate thermal deformation so as to obtain a plastic deformation flow in the hollow stirring tool; pressing the consumable rod downward to enable the plastic deformation flow to be in friction contact with the base surface; translating the hollow stirring tool and stirring the base surface.

A solid-state manufacturing method includes: connecting a solid-state manufacturing tool to a transition spindle for driving through a machine head; starting the solid-state manufacturing device and moving the solid-state manufacturing tool to process along a predetermined manufacturing route; during solid-state manufacturing process, measuring deformation of a deformation detection region on the transition spindle by a strain gauge to monitor force and/or torque on the transition spindle; monitoring the temperature of the solid-state manufacturing tool by a first temperature monitoring assembly; and monitoring the temperature in the deformation detection region by a second temperature monitoring assembly.

A heat exchanger for a self-reacting friction stir welding apparatus includes a collar. The collar includes a collar flow inlet, a collar flow outlet, and an internal conduit fluidically coupling the collar flow inlet and the collar flow outlet. The heat exchanger also includes a rotary union having a first rotary-union flow outlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow inlet, a first rotary-union flow inlet fluidically coupled with the collar flow outlet, a second rotary-union flow inlet, and a second rotary-union flow outlet. The rotary union is co-rotatable with the collar. The heat exchanger further includes a manifold that has a first manifold flow outlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow inlet and a first manifold flow inlet fluidically coupled with the second rotary-union flow outlet. The rotary union is rotatable relative to the manifold.

A method of processing high-strength steel includes providing a first piece of high-strength steel. Friction stir processing the first piece of high strength steel is performed by pre-heating an area in advance of a friction stir welding tool and moving the friction stir welding tool between 500 mm and 300 mm per minute to attain a mixed zone having a mixed zone temperature at the mixed zone between a eutectoid temperature and a forge welding temperature from a combination of the friction from the friction welding tool and the step of pre-heating.

The invention belongs to the field of friction stir welding (FSW) quality prediction and relates to an intelligent prediction method for the tensile strength of FSW joints considering welding temperature and axial force. The invention uses a combination of experiment and theory. FSW experiment is carried out, the infrared thermal imager and force sensor are used to obtain the temperature of the feature points on the advancing side and retreating side of the outside of the shoulder of the weldment surface and the axial force during FSW process. The obtained data is used to train and test the one-dimensional convolutional neural network. The tensile strength prediction of friction stir welding is realized, which provided a reference for welding process control.

A method of processing high-strength steel includes providing a first piece of high-strength steel. Friction stir processing the first piece of high strength steel is performed by pre-heating an area in advance of a friction stir welding tool and moving the friction stir welding tool between 500 mm and 300 mm per minute to attain a mixed zone having a mixed zone temperature at the mixed zone between a eutectoid temperature and a forge welding temperature from a combination of the friction from the friction welding tool and the step of pre-heating.

A solid state additive method includes: disposing a round consumable rod in a hollow stirring tool; based on a coating layer height, setting a gap between a bottom surface of the hollow stirring tool and a base surface; driving the hollow stirring tool to rotate at a first rotation speed; driving the consumable rod to rotate at a second rotation speed, where the second rotation speed and the first rotation speed are different in angular speed to form a differential, such that the consumable rod rubs against an inner wall of the hollow stirring tool to generate thermal deformation so as to obtain a plastic deformation flow in the hollow stirring tool; pressing the consumable rod downward to enable the plastic deformation flow to be in friction contact with the base surface; translating the hollow stirring tool and stirring the base surface.

A friction stir welding (FSW) tool includes a head, a tool holder and a body between the head and the tool holder and attached to the head and the tool holder. The body may include a plurality of cooling fins. An interior of the body may include a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a torque sensor, and a communication node in electronic communication with the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and the torque sensor. The communication node may be in Bluetooth communication with a computing device.

A control mechanism, a spindle system, and a spot welding apparatus are provided. The spot welding apparatus includes a spindle body and a hybrid drive mechanism. The spindle body is provided with a compression sleeve mechanism, which is provided with a stirring sleeve mechanism that is rotatable and capable of axial movement along an axis of the spindle body. The stirring sleeve mechanism is internally and coaxially provided with a stirring pin mechanism that is rotatable and capable of axial movement along the axis of the spindle body. The hybrid drive mechanism includes a stirring pin control mechanism drivingly connected to the stirring pin mechanism and a stirring sleeve control mechanism drivingly connected to the stirring sleeve mechanism, so as to drive the stirring pin mechanism and the stirring sleeve mechanism to perform axial movement along the axis of the spindle body.