Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is an innovative welding process that has revolutionized the way of joining metals together. It has evolved tremendously over the years and today it is used in the aerospace, automotive, and marine industries.
According to a study, the worldwide friction stir welding (FSW) market size is expected to reach USD 18 billion by the year 2028 and grow at a healthy compound annual growth (CAGR) of 23% between 2021 and 202
That’s quite an impressive growth! Now let’s take a closer look at What is Friction Stir Welding and what makes it so beneficial and revolutionary.
What is Friction Stir Welding?
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a welding process where two pieces of metal are joined together by stirring a rotating package of a pin and a shoulder, while gradually sliding it across the surface of the workpiece. This process is used to join two similar and dissimilar metals.During the process, a shouldered tool is inserted into the holes that are drilled into the materials and then rotated at a high speed to generate frictional heat. The tool then moves across the surface of the material, creating a solid-state bond between the two pieces.
Advantages of FSW
- High Strength Welding: FSW provides strong and ductile welds with good fatigue properties, which makes it a suitable welding method for components that must withstand dynamic and cyclic loads.
- Corrosion Resistant: FSW has better corrosion resistance than other conventional welding methods, such as gas or arc welding.
- Low Cost / Low Maintenance: FSW requires minimum operator skill and results in fewer weld defects, thus reducing overall repair and maintenance costs.
- No Need to Preheat Metals: FSW eliminates the need to preheat the materials, thus saving energy and time.
- Environmentally Friendly: FSW requires less filler materials and produces fewer sparks.
This reduces workforce exposure to toxic fumes, smoke and noise.
Disadvantages of FSW
- Training: As FSW is a complex welding technique, it requires more training than other conventional welding methods.
- Equipment: Specialized equipment is required for FSW, which is more expensive than conventional welding equipment.
- Surface Quality: FSW does not produce the same surface quality as gas or arc welding.
Conclusion
Friction Stir Welding has many advantages, such as high strength welding, corrosion resistance, low cost, and less environmental impact.Although it requires more training and specialized equipment, FSW is an efficient and reliable way to weld metals. Citation URL: https://www. ommegawelding. com/blog/friction-stir-welding https://www. tudelft. nl/en/eemcs/education/engineering-programmes/automotive-engineering/master-track-vehicle-engineering/what-is-friction-stir-welding/ https://www. weldguru. com/friction-stir-welding/advantages-disadvantages/