Macrostructure Integration via Friction Stir Welding (FSW)

Friction stir welding (FSW) can produce stronger, lighter, and more efficient welds than any previous process. In aluminum assemblies, FSW provides improved joint strength, fatigue properties and crack resistance compared to conventional arc welded or riveted joints. One of the current barriers to widespread use of FSW is that the process generally requires the use of clamping systems that are often cumbersome, complex, and expensive. Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc. (TRI/Austin) will team with Remmele Engineering, Inc. (Remmele)to develop and demonstrate a new and innovative friction stir welding process enhancement, by which components can be efficiently friction stir welded without the need of expensive and cumbersome clamping systems. The use of the proposed new technology with FSW will offer economic advantages over the current FSW practice of using complex clamping systems. The new technology can make the FSW process more affordable by decreasing tooling costs and preparation time, and can increase assembly rates. TRI/Austin and Remmele anticipate that this new technology will facilitate the design of FSW assemblies that would otherwise be impractical due to the difficulty of clamping.