Apparatus for rotary friction welding and a method of rotary friction welding

A method of rotary friction welding a first part to a second part with a rotary friction welding apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• locating the first part in a first clamp of the rotary friction welding apparatus, locating the second part in a second clamp of the rotary friction welding apparatus, the second clamp being mounted on a first half of a coupling of the rotary friction welding apparatus, a second half of the coupling of the rotary friction apparatus being movable axially between a first position in which the second half of the coupling is engaged with the first half of the coupling and a second position in which the second half of the coupling is disengaged from the first half of the coupling;
• positioning the second half of the coupling in the first position to enable relative rotation between the first part and the second part;
• rotating the first part relative to the second part with a device of the rotary friction welding apparatus that produces relative rotation between the first clamp and the second clamp and applying an axial forging pressure with a forge of the rotary friction welding apparatus to friction weld the first part to the second part;
• and
• moving the second half of the coupling to the second position to disengage the second half of the coupling from the first half of the coupling to stop relative rotation between the first part and the second part to allow the friction weld to solidify, wherein
• the rotary friction welding apparatus further comprising a hollow main body, a rotor and a carrier, the rotor and the carrier are arranged coaxially within the hollow main body, the rotor is rotatably mounted in the hollow main body, the second clamp is arranged on a first axial end of the rotor, the first half of the coupling is arranged on a second axial end of the rotor, the carrier is axially movable and non rotatably mounted in the hollow main body and the second half of the coupling is arranged on a first axial end of the carrier.

A rotary friction welding apparatus comprising:

• a first clamp for holding a first part to be welded by rotary friction welding;
• a second clamp for holding a second part to be welded by rotary friction welding;
• a device for producing relative rotation between the first clamp and the second clamp;
• and
• a forge for applying an axial forging pressure to the parts to be welded when the parts are located in the clamps, wherein
• the second clamp being mounted on a first half of a coupling, a second half of the coupling being movable axially between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the second half of the coupling is engaged with the first half of the coupling to enable relative rotation between the first clamp and the second clamp and in the second position the second half of the coupling is disengaged from the first half of the coupling to stop relative rotation between the first clamp and the second clamp,
• the rotary friction welding device further comprising a hollow main body, a rotor and a carrier, the rotor and the carrier are arranged coaxially within the hollow body,
• the rotor is rotatably mounted in the hollow main body, the second clamp is arranged on a first axial end of the rotor, the first half of the coupling is arranged on a second axial end of the rotor, the carrier is axially movable and non rotatably mounted in the hollow main body and the second half of the coupling is arranged on a first axial end of the carrier, and
• the hollow main body has a plurality of axially extending slots, the carrier has a plurality of radially extending members and each radially extending member of the carrier locates in a respective one of the axially extending slots in the hollow main body.