What is Friction Stir Welding? | FSW for DUMMIES

[@Stirweld]

Download now for FREE our white paper about FRICTION STIR WELDING for Dummies: bit.ly/3RVvx79 😊

[@blchandl2]

I developed a friction stir welding process over 14 years ago for automotive applications including sealing electronic enclosures and cooling applications for power inverters (similar to the example in this video). It was one of the most interesting projects I ever worked on.

[@Patrik6920]

q: how did u solve the cooling problem?

[@blchandl2]

@@Patrik6920 Not sure what you mean by cooling problem. If you are asking about cooling the part during/after welding, it is not a problem as the heat is very localized to the weld area. If you are referring to the cooling application for power inverters, it was sealing a cooling chamber on an aluminum housing where the electronics were mounted. The coolant was pumped through a finned chamber where the power devices were mounted to the back side. The housing was die cast with the finned chamber and we FSW a cover over the chamber to seal it.

[@Patrik6920]

@@blchandl2 was refering to the tool used to produce the friction..

[@blchandl2]

@@Patrik6920 We were using CPM9V for the weld tools for aluminum. I know other companies using more exotic materials for the weld tool when welding steel.

[@blchandl2]

@@Patrik6920 We used CPM9V for welding aluminum. More exotic materials are used for welding steels. Some machines have the ability to run coolant into the weld tool.

[@alangrant5278]

Wow wait a pleasure to view. Clear information well produced great video and interesting music. Thanks!

[@Stirweld]

Thank you very much for your feedback, I hope it has been a great learning experience for you about FSW! 😊

[@Rushnjoe1]

This is an amazing thing to do. It seems quick, easy and pretty strong too.

[@Stirweld]

Thank you! I hope this has sparked some inspiration for you. ☺

[@carlhumphreys9024]

Friction Stir Welding is very impressive. I subscribed and gave a 👍up.

[@Stirweld]

Thank you so much for your support! We'll keep on spreading the word about this great technology. 😊

[@gags730]

Please lower the music in future videos or get rid of it all together. It is hard to hear you clearly, especially with the music. That was a good demonstration... TY

[@Stirweld]

Noted for next time. Thanks for your feedback.

[@philcook9967]

Great video, lose the music

[@stellablaze7979]

I don't mind it at all. Personal preference for sure

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

It's going to be interesting to see if this works better in Low Earth Orbit then traditional stick welding techniques. It appears you did Aluminium in the example, what was the tool tip made from? What is the hardest metal the method can weld?

[@Stirweld]

To weld aluminum, the tool is made out of steel. It is possible to weld steel, but the tool material, cost and lifetime are main challenges. Thus, the process is more mature on softer and lower fusion point materials (copper, aluminum, brass, ...).

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

@@Stirweld I believe Blue Origin is using Stir Welding for some of it's tank and support structures on the New Glenn rocket where Aluminium is used, but SpaceX's use of Stainless Steel requires a more traditional arc welding process, MiG or TiG, for thier Starship and Superheavy vehicles. Vehicles assembled in orbit from lightweight materials mined in space, may be able to use arc based methods, but I wonder if Stir machinery would use less electrical power, and be less strain on Solar and Battery systems.

[@peglor]

@@PiDsPagePrototypes It might, but to work it requires extremely rigid mountings for the stirring tool, an entire CNC milling machine in this case, which would have to be launched to orbit, which is very expensive. Also thanks to the requirement for a support system it's application will be very limited compared to normal welding, which in many ways is easier in space since no shielding gas is needed as there's no oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere to contaminate the weld. The lack of gravitational forces is probably also an advantage as the orientation of the weld is irrelevant.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

@ All very good points!

[@wellscampbell9858]

Looks like it's best suited for high part count production. Making a dedicated jig for one-offs or short runs would be expensive. I'd like to see the bend test go the other way, so that the backside is put in tension. For that matter I'm curious why you didn't show the backside at all. Also looks like taking the seam to the edge is problematic.

[@Stirweld]

You are right, FSW is relevant for large batches or high added-value parts. We welded in partial penetration in this video, just for easy demonstration : feel free to contact us if you want to get full penetration and successful root bending examples. The tool must plunge and rise vertically, so run-in/run-out strips can be needed for edges management on the applications that requires it.

[@Devo491]

You mentioned that a special clamp is needed for welding, but not the humungous machine that makes it happen.

[@JH-zo5gk]

Is there 3d stir welding? Such as the tubing on a roll cage or something like that?

[@Stirweld]

In this video, there's no specific demonstration of orbital or 3D welding, but there are other applications in which we do perform it. Stay tuned for our future videos, soon we'll be demonstrating orbital welding for a tube.

[@samjohnson3124]

interesting. does it still work for powder metallurgy produced materials?

[@dubourglaurent4872]

Yes. No problem while the powder material is aluminium or copper

[@ahobimo732]

That's a very impressive machine.

[@Stirweld]

Nothing impressive here. It's simply a classic CNC machine to which we've added our FSW welding head. 😉

[@actionjksn]

This is amazing and the penetration you are getting with this weld is very impressive. How long does the friction piece last?

[@Stirweld]

Thank you! Under optimized conditions, the FSW is designed to withstand depths of up to 1.5 km. 😊

[@paul-d-mann]

I’m a bit confused with the lack of apparent heat in the process.. the other friction welding (without the stir) videos I’ve seen clearly show the parts heating up to cherry red. Does this process not involve the same temperatures?

[@Stirweld]

Hi @pauldmann1166, great question! In conventional friction welding, the parts heat up to high temperatures, often glowing red. However, in Friction Stir Welding (FSW), the rotating tool generates sufficient heat to soften the material without reaching the same high temperatures. This allows for a solid-state weld with less visible heat.

[@peglor]

I'd be a lot more interested in seeing the bend test away from the back side of the plates rather than away from the front side, where the weld should be perfect every time since that's where the heat is produced and the metal will definitely be well stirred at that side.

[@Stirweld]

You are right, we normally perform a root bending test to ensure that the penetration is complete. On this video, we were welding in partial penetration, for easier clamping of the part and demonstration of the process, which explains the face bending test 😉

[@DBen-k5m]

What would be the challenges with FSW mitered tube joints, such as a bike frame in 7075? Too thin tube walls + need for 4 or 5 axis machine?

[@Stirweld]

For more specific requests, such as your project, I encourage you to contact us via this link: bit.ly/3xeK06O ☺

[@drive-channel1834]

Yea, ditch the *noise* (some people call it "music") please

[@RoboDriller]

Work with 7075?

[@Stirweld]

Yes, it works for 7075, and for any other aluminum alloy 😊

[@amitaimedan]

Interesting, but how does it work? I see no heat.

[@Stirweld]

It's normal; Friction Stir Welding doesn't reach the material's melting point. It's a "cold" welding process. The temperature initiated by the rotating FSW tool is high enough to soften the aluminum but not make it liquid, allowing the material to be joined together without melting. 😉

[@johnwarwick4105]

That’s insane 😳

[@herzogsbuick]

ah yes, they made my favorite rapper: Tuparts Sekure

[@Iowa599]

How can I do that with a hand drill?

[@blchandl2]

You need several hundred pounds of down force while moving the bit through the weld path.

[@Iowa599]

@@blchandl2 so about an inch (~2.5cm), then the drill bearings will also be welded.

[@blchandl2]

@@Iowa599 LOL probably. It also takes several hundred pounds of lateral force to move the weld tool through the material. Take notice of the wobble as the bit is driven into the plates at the start of the video.

[@peglor]

Provided you only need to weld lead you might have a chance, but there's a reason a tonne of CNC machine is used to hold everything together in this demo.

[@pol4375]

Pas besoin de parler anglais pour voir que vous êtes français ! 😂 c'est excellent c'est une vrai solution, qui peut être utile dans énormément d'usage. On pourrais même amélioré ce processus (je penses) avec une températureplus élevée, pour ne pas donner une contrainte trop forte sur la broche. Pensant que votre CN est tout d'abord d'usage classique (type usinage).

[@Stirweld]

Oui, nous sommes Français et utilisons l'Anglais pour rendre accessible cette technologie au plus grand nombre. Et effectivement la machine que vous pouvez voir dans la vidéo est une machine d'usinage classique avec notre tête de soudage FSW intégrée qui permet de faire du soudage par friction malaxe, rendant votre CNC totalement hybdride !

[@pol4375]

Oui j'ai bien reconnu vos CN HAAS... bonnes machines. Est ce que vous travaillez pour des particuliers ? Pour des usagers professionnelles, voulant faire un travail à titre "personnel"...

[@Stirweld]

Nous travaillons exclusivement avec des entreprises, mais si vous avez un centre d'usinage, notre technologie est compatible avec presque toutes les machines du marché. Vous pouvez nous contacter si ça vous intéresse : [e-mail]

[@MichaelZarklai]

try to weld a pipe with that or do some work in a tight space ?

[@weldmachine]

It's good, but it's only useful for certain applications. I still see Robotic Welding as better choice 👍

[@Stirweld]

FSW is versatile and valuable for many applications, such as low-pressure and vacuum tanks, train floors, shipbuilding, battery boxes, aluminum cold plates, busbars, flange assemblies, heat sink assemblies, and more! Robotic welding is a fantastic choice for numerous scenarios, which is why we've developed a specialized Friction Stir Welding spindle for high-payload robots. 😊

[@vitalic_drms]

jesus, I’ve seen what you do with stir friction welding and I want that for me

[@zeusapollo8688]

Only aluminum?

[@Stirweld]

No, actually, Friction Stir Welding (FSW) can be used on various metals, not just aluminum. This technique is commonly applied to aluminum alloys, but it's also effective with copper, magnesium, and certain steel alloys. FSW can even be used to join dissimilar metals, like aluminum and copper, or aluminum and steel. The process is particularly advantageous for metals that are difficult to weld using traditional fusion methods due to its solid-state nature, which reduces defects and enhances joint strength!

[@dantruong2582]

This is a video on welding? I thought i was in a jazz lounge.

[@Stirweld]

Glad to hear you were comfortable watching the welding session. 🤗

[@prototype9000]

it abgers ne he didnt go all yhe eay to the end

[@danhammond8406]

Ditch the music please

[@dustinandtarynwolfe5540]

There are better processes for the time it takes and outcome. Laser welding is the future. This is niche market at best

[@Stirweld]

Thank you for your comment. Each welding method has its strengths: FSW is excellent for high-quality welds and challenging materials (casted, 2xxx and 7xxx aluminum), offering great mechanical integrity and perfectly leakproof seams. Laser welding is faster but comes with higher equipment costs and complexity, and poorer quality.

[@rogerfroud300]

That looked like a very unhappy spindle with huge deflections when it first started to penetrate the work. That's not going to do it a lot of good.

[@HarrodQueena-p8o]

Stokes Groves

[@anzaklaynimation]

15000 people were dummy.😂😂

[@tomg6284]

Music sucks.