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US 8,540,134 B2Granted
Reinforcement of friction plug welds
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDavid M. Bezaire, John M. Comfort, John G. Vollmer, Mark A. Fischer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hole in a metal workpiece is filled by friction plug welding. The weld between the workpiece and the plug is reinforced by a weld land in the workpiece that surrounds one end of the plug. The weld land is formed by extruding a portion of the plug into a cavity in an anvil used in the welding process.
Claims12
A method of filling a hole in a metal workpiece, comprising:
- friction welding a plug in the hole to form a friction weld, wherein the friction weld consists of only the plug and the workpiece metal;
- and
- forming a weld land on a root side of the workpiece during the friction weld, said weld land comprising plug material and workpiece material, wherein the weld land extends a predetermined height above a surface of the root side of said workpiece, wherein the weld land has a predetermined width, and wherein forming the weld land is performed by:
- placing an anvil against the workpiece and around the hole, the anvil comprising a first cavity having a bottom surface facing the workpiece, the first cavity configured to receive the plug, the anvil further comprising a second cavity substantially surrounding the first cavity, wherein the second cavity is larger in diameter and smaller in depth relative to the first cavity, wherein the second cavity comprises a tapered recess surrounding the first cavity, wherein the tapered recess is angled downwardly toward the first cavity relative to a depth of the first cavity;
- and
- urging a portion of the workpiece into the first cavity, and thereafter into the second cavity.
3 more elements
A method of friction plug welding a workpiece, comprising:
- rotating a plug;
- plasticizing a portion of the plug and filling a hole in the workpiece by forcing the rotating plug through the hole and against an anvil to friction weld said plug in said hole, wherein the anvil comprises a first cavity having a bottom surface facing the workpiece, the first cavity configured to receive the plug, the anvil further comprising a second cavity substantially surrounding the first cavity, wherein the second cavity is larger in diameter and smaller in depth relative to the first cavity, wherein the second cavity comprises a tapered recess surrounding the first cavity, wherein the tapered recess is angled downwardly toward the first cavity relative to a depth of the first cavity;
- during plasticizing, also substancially filling the first cavity and the second cavity with the plug;
- and,
- forming a weld land on the workpiece, wherein the weld land consists of only workpiece material and plug material, wherein the weld land extends a predetermined height above a surface of a root side of said workpiece, and wherein the weld land has a predetermined width.
2 more elements
A method of friction plug welding a metal workpiece, comprising:
- rotating a plug;
- forcing the rotating plug into one end of a hole passing through the workpiece;
- plasticizing a first portion of the plug and a second portion of the workpiece using heat generated by frictional engagement between the rotating plug and the workpiece;
- placing an anvil against the workpiece;
- forge welding the plug to the workpiece, including forcing the plug against the anvil;
- reinforcing the weld by urging the first portion into a first cavity in the anvil, the first Cavity having a botton surface and reinforcing the weld also including urging the second portion into a second cavity in the anvil, wherein the second cavity substantially surrounds the first cavity, wherein the second cavity has a larger diameter and a smaller depth relative to the first cavity, wherein the second cavity comprises a tapered recess surrounding the first cavity, wherein the tapered recess is angled downwardly toward the first cavity relative to a depth of the first cavity, and wherein urging the first portion and the second portion forms a weld land on the workpiece, wherein the weld land extends a predetermined height above a surface of a root side of said workpiece and wherein the weld land has a predetermined width.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.