Friction stir fabrication
AssigneeSchultz-Creehan Holdings, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Patrick Schultz, Kevin Creehan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low-temperature friction-based coating method termed friction stir fabrication (FSF) is disclosed, in which material is deposited onto a substrate and subsequently stirred into the substrate using friction stir processing to homogenize and refine the microstructure. This solid-state process is capable of depositing coatings, including nanocrystalline aluminum and/or metal matrix composites and the like, onto substrates such as aluminum at relatively low temperatures. A method of making rod stock for use in the FSF process is also disclosed.
Claims22
A friction stir tool comprising:
- a non-consumable body formed from material capable of resisting deformation when subject to frictional heating and compressive loading;
- a throat with an internal shape defining a passageway that is a through hole with a tubular throat surface extending lengthwise through the non-consumable body, wherein the tubular throat surface is attached to and imposes dependent co-rotation of a consumable coating material about a central axis of the consumable coating material and by lengthwise engagement between the consumable coating material and the tubular throat surface, during rotation of the non-consumable body;
- whereby the non-consumable body is operably configured for imposing frictional heating and compressive loading of the consumable coating material against a substrate, and comprises a surface for trapping the consumable coating material in a volume between the non-consumable body and a substrate, and for forming and shearing a surface of the coating on the substrate.
A method of forming a surface layer on a substrate comprising:
- depositing a coating on a substrate by way of frictional heating and compressive loading of a coating material against the substrate using a stirring tool comprising:
- a non-consumable body formed from material capable of resisting deformation when subject to frictional heating and compressive loading;
- a throat with an internal shape defining a passageway that is a through hole with a tubular throat surface extending lengthwise through the non-consumable body, wherein the tubular throat surface is attached to and imposes dependent co-rotation of a consumable coating material about a central axis of the consumable coating material and by lengthwise engagement between the consumable coating material and the tubular throat surface, during rotation of the non-consumable body;
- whereby the non-consumable body is operably configured for imposing frictional heating and compressive loading of the consumable coating material against a substrate, and comprises a surface for trapping the consumable coating material in a volume between the non-consumable body and a substrate, and for forming and shearing a surface of the coating on the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.