# US 2010/0163601 A1 · Friction weld vibration quality monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0163601 A1 - Document ID: US20100163601A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/347,064 - Filed: 2008-12-31 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-31 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: James GROOMS; Charles William CARRIER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100163601A1 ## CPC - B23K 20/12: the heat being generated by friction; Friction welding - B23K 20/121: {Control circuits therefor} - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM ## Abstract Friction welding systems and methods including a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld, a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed for applying a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece, and a sensor arranged and disposed to measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A friction welding system comprising: a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld; a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed for applying a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece; and a sensor arranged and disposed to measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the welding arrangement comprises: a first securing mechanism arranged and disposed to receive and secure the first workpiece; and a second securing mechanism arranged and disposed to receive and secure the second workpiece, the second securing mechanism being configured to rotate the second workpiece. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the force providing mechanism is configured to provide the force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece by a hydraulically driven piston, the piston being configured to urge the first workpiece against the second workpiece. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to adjust the force applied by the force providing mechanism in response to the measured parameter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, further comprising a pressure circuit in fluid communication with at least one of the first securing mechanism or the second securing mechanism, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the force provided by the force providing mechanism by adjusting an adjustable parameter in the pressure circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the adjustable parameter by providing fluid pressure pulses. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the adjustable parameter is fluid pressure in the pressure circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a pressure valve arranged and disposed to controllably adjust the fluid pressure in the pressure circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising a second pressure valve arranged and disposed to controllably adjust the force applied to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is configured to measure pressure in the pressure circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is configured to measure a fluctuation of the measured parameter in the pressure circuit. ### Claim 12 A friction welding system comprising: a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld; a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed to provide a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece; a sensor arranged and disposed to measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter; a controller configured to adjust the force provided by the force providing mechanism in response to the measured parameter; and wherein the sensor is configured to measure the vibration of the welding arrangement, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the force provided by the force providing mechanism by providing pressure pulses or variation in the pressure circuit based upon the measured parameter. ### Claim 13 A method of friction welding comprising: providing a friction welding system comprising: a welding arrangement configured to impart kinetic friction between at least one surface of a first workpiece and at least one surface of a second workpiece to form a weld; a force providing mechanism arranged and disposed for applying a force to one or both of the first workpiece and the second workpiece; and a sensor arranged and disposed measure a parameter of the welding arrangement, wherein an amount of vibration is determinable from the measured parameter; and monitoring the force applied by the force providing mechanism; determining the amount of vibration in response to the measured parameter; comparing the amount of vibration to a predetermined amount of vibration; and generating a signal in response to the amount of vibration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the measured parameter is fluid pressure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the measured parameter is frequency fluid pressure data from a pressure circuit, the pressure circuit being in fluid communication with at least one of the first securing mechanism or the second securing mechanism. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a plurality of fluid pressure pulses in the pressure circuit in response to the generated signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising accepting or rejecting the weld formed between the first workpiece and the second workpiece in response to the generated signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising determining whether the vibration can be remedied. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the determining whether the vibration can be remedied includes performing calculations from data selected from the group consisting of pressure data, a preprogrammed specification, an amount of time the system has tried to remedy the vibration, and combinations thereof