Portable Friction Stir Welding Technology for Aluminum Fabrication

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) has been demonstrated to provide significant benefit for Naval applications. However, its use has been limited to fabrication of panels, because no portable multi-axis FSW solution exists. If FSW could be used for in situ fabrication of complex assemblies, significant further benefits could be realized, including cost reduction and improved quality (significantly less distortion). However, there are technical challenges that must be solved to be able to realize this use of FSW. One of the most significant technical challenges, which will be addressed in this project, is to develop a system that is capable of managing the significant variation (part location, gaps, mismatch, etc.) that occurs in this application. A flexible, adaptable, and portable solution is required which maximizes manual control and simplifies setup and breakdown. One other important area of development which will be addressed is to reduce the forces required to perform FSW. This will help improve the chances of implementation of a portable FSW solution.