Method of assembling metal parts by friction welding, with the welding temperature being controlled using thermally conductive elements

A method of assembling together two parts by friction welding, the method comprising the following operations:

• pressing the parts for assembly individually against an anvil and adjacent to each other by means of at least one set of clamps pressing individually against one or the other of the large faces of the parts, which faces are referred to as top faces, such that the parts apply opposing thrust against a support face of the anvil via their opposite large faces, referred to as bottom faces;
• setting into rotation a chuck provided with a welding pin and with a shoulder, and causing the chuck and the anvil to move relative to each other so as to bring the welding pin towards the top large faces of the parts for assembly;
• pressing the welding pin through both adjacent edges of the parts to cause the material of the parts to be heated by friction in the weld zone, so as to cause the material to spread and mix between the parts;
• causing the chuck and the anvil to move in relative translation in at least one direction corresponding to the direction in which the adjacent edges of the parts for assembly extend, so as to obtain a weld bead;
• inducing recrystallization of the material forming the weld bead by the parts cooling, whether in ambient air or by using an assisted cooling technique;
• pressing a sacrificial single main sheet against the weld bead and astride the bottom faces of both of the parts, the single main sheet being made of a material having high thermal conductivity, the single main sheet being suitable for removing by conduction the heat induced by the friction of the chuck against the parts and for dissipating the heat by conduction and by radiation, at least a portion of the main sheet sticking to the parts by the formation of the weld bead;
• and
• identifying the color of the single main sheet after the main sheet sticks to the parts at the end of the welding operation in order to inspect the quality of the weld that has been made, wherein the single main sheet is arranged in a housing and supported by spacers interposed between the bottom of the housing and the single main sheet.

A method of assembling together two parts by friction welding, the method comprising the following operations:

• pressing the parts for assembly individually against an anvil and adjacent to each other such that the parts apply opposing thrust against a support face of the anvil;
• setting into rotation a chuck provided with a welding pin and with a shoulder, and causing the chuck and the anvil to move relative to each other so as to bring the welding pin towards the parts for assembly;
• pressing the welding pin through the parts to cause the material of the parts to be heated by friction so as to cause the material to spread and mix between the parts;
• causing the chuck and the anvil to move in relative translation in at least one direction so as to obtain a weld bead;
• and
• pressing a sacrificial single main sheet against the weld bead and astride the parts, the main sheet being made of a material having high thermal conductivity, the main sheet being suitable for removing by conduction the heat induced by the friction of the chuck against the parts and for dissipating the heat by conduction and by radiation;
• inducing recrystallization of the material forming the weld bead by the parts cooling, whether in ambient air or by using an assisted cooling technique;
• wherein the single main sheet has a thickness that is smaller than the thickness of the parts and wherein the single main sheet is arranged in a housing and supported by spacers interposed between the hosing and the single main sheet.