Method of friction stir-spot welding and welding apparatus
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsSatoshi Hirano, Kinya Aota, Masahisa Inagaki, Kazutaka Okamoto, Tomio Odakura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A problem of FSW spot-welding is that a bonding strength tends to be low, since an area of metallic bonding is limited to the neighborhood of a pin portion of the welding tool. In order to solve the problem, after a tool (1) is inserted into a member (4) to be welded, a rotation shaft of the welding tool is tilted around a predetermined point (13) as a fulcrum, and the tip portion of the welding tool (1) is swung to enlarge a plastic flow area caused by rotation of the tool. As a result, the welding strength can be increased.
Claims14
A friction stir-spot welding method comprising inserting a welding tool having a symmetry with respect to a shaft into a portion of a member to be welded, while rotating under a pressure, thereby to heat and soften the member in the neighborhood of the welding tool by friction heat so as to integrate the member at a welding portion, characterized in that a rotation shaft of the welding tool is tilted in the state that the welding tool is inserted into the member and the tip portion of the welding tool is moved.
A friction stir-spot welding apparatus for inserting a welding tool being a symmetry with respect to a shaft, while rotating under a pressure into a portion of a member to be welded, thereby to heat and soften the member in the neighborhood of the welding tool by friction heat so as to integrate the member at a welding portion, characterized in that the device comprises:
- a driving device for driving the welding tool in the direction of the rotation shaft thereof;
- and
- a rotation shaft conversion device for converting the rotation shaft of the welding tool.
A friction stir-spot welding apparatus a welding tool having a structure of axis symmetry, a welding head having a welding tool rotation device for holding the welding tool and for rotating the welding tool around its shaft and a welding head driving device for moving the welding head in the direction of the rotation shaft of the welding tool, characterized in that the welding apparatus is provided with a welding tool rotation shaft conversion device for tilting the rotation shaft of the welding tool around one point in the direction of the rotation shaft of the welding tool as a fulcrum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.