The present invention provides a process for suppressing abnormal grain growth in friction stir welded aluminum alloys by inserting an intermediate annealing treatment (“IAT”) after the welding step on the article. The IAT may be followed by a solution heat treatment (SHT) on the article under effectively high solution heat treatment conditions. In at least some embodiments, a deformation step is conducted on the article under effective spin-forming deformation conditions or under effective superplastic deformation conditions. The invention further provides a welded article having suppressed abnormal grain growth, prepared by the process above. Preferably the article is characterized with greater than about 90% reduction in area fraction abnormal grain growth in any friction-stir-welded nugget.

The present invention provides a process for suppressing abnormal grain growth in friction stir welded aluminum alloys by inserting an intermediate annealing treatment (“IAT”) after the welding step on the article. The IAT may be followed by a solution heat treatment (SHT) on the article under effectively high solution heat treatment conditions. In at least some embodiments, a deformation step is conducted on the article under effective spin-forming deformation conditions or under effective superplastic deformation conditions. The invention further provides a welded article having suppressed abnormal grain growth, prepared by the process above. Preferably the article is characterized with greater than about 90% reduction in area fraction abnormal grain growth in any friction-stir-welded nugget.

A fastening element for friction welding onto a planar workpiece includes a nut head, a through-bore extending at least locally within the nut head, a friction welding face on one end side of the nut head, and a cutting device for introducing a drilled hole into the workpiece on the one end side of the nut head having the friction welding face.

A fastening element for friction welding onto a planar workpiece includes a nut head, a through-bore extending at least locally within the nut head, a friction welding face on one end side of the nut head, and a cutting device for introducing a drilled hole into the workpiece on the one end side of the nut head having the friction welding face.

A method utilizing cold welding to prepare grain boundaries having different included angles includes using a device including a support member. Two bent members are arranged opposite to each other in the support member. One ends of the two bent members are both fixedly connected to the support member, one end, away from the support member, of any bent member is fixedly connected to a first sample, one end, away from the support member, of the other bent member is fixedly connected to a second sample, and the first sample and the second sample are arranged corresponding to each other. The bent member includes a first metal sheet and a second metal sheet having different thermal expansion coefficients. An angle between the first sample and the second sample during butt welding can be controlled by changing an included angle of a bimetallic sheet.

A tool for friction bit joining a workpiece material includes a bit with a tapered pin and a non-cutting tip. The bit has a top surface opposite the pin with at least one feature recessed in, or extending from, the top surface and configured to transmit torque to the bit to rotate the bit around a rotational axis.

A manual universal punching and welding apparatus includes a body frame having at least a vertical wall; a pair of supporting arms that are attached to the body frame and clamp a portion of the work object; a punching head that rotates clockwise and counterclockwise in a plane defined by the vertical wall of the body frame; and a welding part for welding the work object loaded on the work object loading part of the punching head. As for an efficiency of the present invention, a single manual punching/welding apparatus may produce all types of parts that require punching and welding. In addition, compared to the maintenance of a large number of designated machines, only one universal machine would desire maintenance, which greatly reduces the burden of overall maintenance.

A manual universal punching and welding apparatus includes a body frame having at least a vertical wall; a pair of supporting arms that are attached to the body frame and clamp a portion of the work object; a punching head that rotates clockwise and counterclockwise in a plane defined by the vertical wall of the body frame; and a welding part for welding the work object loaded on the work object loading part of the punching head. As for an efficiency of the present invention, a single manual punching/welding apparatus may produce all types of parts that require punching and welding. In addition, compared to the maintenance of a large number of designated machines, only one universal machine would desire maintenance, which greatly reduces the burden of overall maintenance.

A welding and deburring system is provided for joining first and second work pieces to one another. The system includes a friction stir welding tool for joining the first and second work pieces to one another at a weld. The system further includes a deburring tool attached to the friction stir welding tool and removing a material flash generated at the weld. The system further includes one or more nozzles disposed in a fixed position relative to the friction stir welding tool, with the nozzles directing a cryogenic fluid to at least one of the friction stir welding tool, the deburring tool, the first work piece, the second work piece, and the weld.

An ultrasonic welding device includes a sonotrode, an anvil, a receiving chamber in which joining partners to be welded are to be received and which is defined on opposing sides by the sonotrode on the one hand and by the anvil on the other hand, and a camera assembly with at least one camera which is integrated in the ultrasonic welding device. The camera assembly is configured to record images of at least one partial region of the receiving chamber for the optical monitoring of welding conditions which have an impact on welds of the joining partners.