Friction stir welding method and apparatus
AssigneeMitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
InventorsSoichiro Ishikawa, Haretaro Hidaka
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Abstract
Friction stir welding (FSW) method and apparatus are provided by which power needed for the FSW is reduced and a compact FSW tool can be used. In the FSW method comprising the steps of lapping metal members one on another and inserting a rotating probe of a FSW tool into a contact portion of the metal members making contact with the probe so that the contact portion is softened by frictional heat and stirred by the probe and the metal members are welded together, a portion of the metal members surrounding the probe is heated by a heating means.
Claims20
A FSW (friction stir welding) method comprising the steps of lapping metal members one on another and inserting a rotating probe of a FSW tool into a contact portion of said metal members making contact with said probe so that said contact portion is softened by a frictional heat and stirred by said probe and said metal members are welded together, wherein a portion of said metal members surrounding said probe is heated by a heating means.
A FSW (friction stir welding) apparatus effecting a FSW of metal members lapped one on another, comprising a FSW tool having a probe and a rotator, both made of a non-conductive material, an electromagnetic induction heating means provided in the vicinity of, and concentrically with, said FSW tool and an electromagnetic wave shielding means provided above said electromagnetic induction heating means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.