Friction welding apparatus and method
AssigneeThe Lead Sheet Association
InventorsTerence Boon, Wayne M. Thomas, Peter Temple-Smith
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Abstract
A mobile friction welding machine is provided for creating friction weld joints in workpieces such as metal sheets, especially lead sheets is described. The machine has a track assembly to guide it across work pieces, including a caterpillar track system on the machine. The friction welding is achieved by rotating a probe and applying a downward load on the probe to urge it into the work process. The probe is preferably a pair of spaced apart probes having a crescent-shaped cross-section.
Claims32
A mobile friction welding machine comprising:
- a wheeled body adapted to support and carry a rotatable probe;
- a rotatable probe incorporating a probe incorporating a probe head having a plurality of protrusions suitable for creating a friction weld joint in work pieces to be joined when the probe head is rotated at speed;
- a means of rotating the probe at a speed suitable for forming a joint region in the work pieces;
- a track assembly adapted to guide the friction welding machine across the work pieces;
- a drive means attached to or associated with the body and adapted to drive the welding machine forward along the track assembly during use of the machine;
- a loading system adapted to place a downward load on the probe and to urge it into the work pieces;
- the machine being adapted, in use, to move across the work pieces and to form a joint region in the work pieces as it moves.
A method of friction welding suitable for joining workpieces having a hardness and forming a joint region therebetween comprising the steps of:
- (i) offering a probe of material harder than the hardness of the workpiece to the workpiece surfaces in the joint region, a head region of the probe contacting one or both workpieces;
- (ii) causing a rotational movement between the probe and the workpieces while urging the probe and workpieces together whereby frictional heat is generated in the joint region so as to create a plasticised region in the workpieces around the probe;
- and
- (iii) removing the probe or advancing the probe along the joint region and allowing the plasticised region to solidify and thereby join the workpieces together wherein the head region of the probe incorporates a plurality of protrusions adapted to penetrate the workpieces.
A friction welding probe suitable for joining workpieces and forming a joint region therebetween wherein:
- said probe is of material harder than said workpiece material in use, and said probe comprises a head region adapted to contact one or both workpieces is use;
- and
- the head region of the probe is substantially convex in shape and incorporates a plurality of protrusions adapted to penetrate the workpieces in use;
- such that in use, when the head region of the probe contacts one or both workpieces and rotational movement is caused between the probe and the workpieces while urging the probe and workpieces together whereby frictional heat is generated in the joint region, a plasticised region is created in the workpieces around the probe, and when the probe is removed or advanced along the joint region, the plasticised region is allowed to solidify and thereby join the workpieces together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.