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 friction stir welding (FSW) tool includes a pin, a housing, and a shoulder. The pin is configured to extend through a joint line between edges of two work pieces. The pin rotates to perform a FSW process that welds the two work pieces together at the joint line. The housing is coupled to a distal end of the pin to enable rotation of the pin relative to the housing. The pin extends through a support surface of the housing. The support surface contacts respective inner surfaces of the work pieces during the FSW process. The shoulder surrounds the pin and is configured to be rotated during the FSW process. The shoulder contacts respective outer surfaces of the work pieces during the FSW process such that the work pieces are sandwiched between the shoulder and the support surface of the housing.

A method for friction stir forming a metal matrix composite (MMC) structure (76). The method includes the step of providing a substrate (12) comprising a metallic material and securing a preformed MMC layer (14, 16) comprising an MMC material in a position overlying at least a portion of the substrate (12). The method further includes the step of friction stirring the preformed MMC layer (14, 16) with a friction stirring tool (50) which includes a rotating probe (56), including locating the probe (56) at a stirring depth at which the probe (56) extends through the preformed MMC layer (14, 16) into a portion of the substrate (12) and passing the tool (50) through the preformed MMC layer (14) at the stirring depth to friction stir the preformed MMC layer (14, 16) and integrate the preformed MMC layer (14, 16) with the substrate (12).

A transmission shaft of a countershaft-type manual transmission is constructed from a plurality of hollow shaft portions which are butt press welded to one another, at least two of which hollow shaft portions are provided in each instance with at least one helical toothing of a fixed wheel of a spur gear stage. The hollow shaft portions provided with a helical toothing are connected to the respective adjacent hollow shaft portion in each instance so as to be rotated by a correction angle () around their center axis in proportion to a deviation (x) from their axial target position, wherein the ratio between the correction angle () and the axial deviation (x) corresponds to the pitch (s) of the helical toothing (/x=s).

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.

A method for forming a metal matrix composite (MMC) structure includes forming an assembly including at least two blocks of a primary phase material sharing an interface at which a secondary phase material is disposed. The assembly has a length, a width, and a thickness. The method also includes clamping the assembly to at least one of urge the at least two blocks toward each other or maintain the at least two blocks at a predetermined position. Also, the method includes passing a rotating friction-stir pin along the interface from the front edge to the rear edge. The friction-stir pin has a mixing length extending at least the width of the assembly, and passing the friction-stir pin along the length of the assembly disperses the secondary phase material into the primary phase material and welds the at least two blocks together.

In the present disclosure, friction stir welding tools having probes and stationary shoulders are disposed at corners between a first workpiece and a second workpiece. A welding device main body includes axially perpendicular movement units for moving spindle units, which hold the respective friction stir welding tools on a frame, in directions perpendicular to rotary shafts of probes, and axial movement units for moving the spindle units in directions parallel to the rotary shafts of the probes.

A transmission shaft of a countershaft-type manual transmission is constructed from a plurality of hollow shaft portions which are butt press welded to one another, at least two of which hollow shaft portions are provided in each instance with at least one helical toothing of a fixed wheel of a spur gear stage. The hollow shaft portions provided with a helical toothing are connected to the respective adjacent hollow shaft portion in each instance so as to be rotated by a correction angle () around their center axis in proportion to a deviation (x) from their axial target position, wherein the ratio between the correction angle () and the axial deviation (x) corresponds to the pitch (s) of the helical toothing (/x=s).

A method for forming a large metallic component, a friction stir welded component and a friction stir welded blank are provided. The method includes positioning a first metallic plate and a second metallic plate in an abutting arrangement. The first metallic plate and the second metallic plate have corresponding faying surfaces at a point of abutment. A backing plate is attached spanning the point of abutment adjacent the faying surfaces. The first metallic plate is friction stir welded to the second metallic plate to form a friction stir weld along the faying surfaces. The backing plate receives an end of a friction stir welding tool curing the friction stir welding. The backing plate is removed to form a welded blank. The welded blank is formed into a component form. The component is heat treated and aged to form the large metallic component. The friction stir weld in the welded blank has a stable microstructure having little or no abnormal grain growth during elevated temperature forming, heat treatment and aging.

There is provided a method for manufacturing a joined body using a rotary tool with a stirring pin to perform friction stirring on a composite body having a first surface and a second surface that is different from the first surface. In the composite body, metal members are combined together in a joined arrangement. The method includes the steps of: forming the composite body by combining the metal members in the arrangement; fixing the composite body in a state where the metal members are combined together; performing friction stir welding by inserting the stirring pin through the first surface into the composite body that has been fixed; rotating the fixed composite body such that the second surface is in a positional relationship to face the rotary tool; and performing friction stir welding by inserting the stirring pin through the second surface into the fixed composite body.