Abstract: Additive friction stir methods for joining materials are provided. The methods comprise providing first and second substrates to be joined; providing a forming plate comprising one or more forming cavities; placing the first and second substrates in communication with the forming plate; placing the first and second substrates in communication with each other; rotating and translating an additive friction-stir tool relative to the substrates; feeding a filler material through the additive friction-stir tool; deforming the filler material and the first and second substrates; and extruding one or more of the filler material and the first and second substrates into one or more of the forming cavities of the forming plate. Interaction of the additive friction-stir tool with the substrates generates heat and plastic deformation at the joint to weld the substrates at the joint. The methods include introduction of reinforcing material at the joint through addition of the filler material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tooling and methods for disposing, coating, building up, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading of a consumable metal material against the substrate. Embodiments of the invention include friction-based fabrication tooling comprising a non-consumable member with a throat and a consumable member disposed in the throat, wherein the throat is operably configured such that during rotation of the non-consumable member at a selected speed, the throat exerts normal forces on and rotates the consumable member at the selected speed; and comprising means for dispensing the consumable member through the throat and onto a substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading. Embodiments of the invention also include fabrication methods using the tools described herein.

Abstract: Additive friction stir methods for repairing substrates, coating substrates, fabricating/adding/attaching ribs, joining substrates, stiffening and enhancing structures, surface modification, enhancing surface properties, welding, coating, and extrusion are described. An additive friction stir fabrication method and system is described which may be used to fabricate and join a rib to a substrate or to repair a defect in a substrate through extrusion. The method may be carried out with or without the addition of preformed ribs. One such method involves feeding a friction-stir tool with a consumable filler material such that interaction of the friction-stir tool with the substrate generates plastic deformation at an interface between the friction-stir tool and a substrate to bond the plasticized filler and substrate together and extrude this material through a forming cavity to form a rib joined to the substrate. Further described is a system for fabricating a rib joined to a substrate through extrusion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tooling and methods for disposing, coating, building up, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading of a consumable metal material against the substrate. Embodiments of the invention include friction-based fabrication tooling comprising a non-consumable member with a throat and a consumable member disposed in the throat, wherein the throat is operably configured such that during rotation of the non-consumable member at a selected speed, the throat exerts normal forces on and rotates the consumable member at the selected speed; and comprising means for dispensing the consumable member through the throat and onto a substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading. Embodiments of the invention also include fabrication methods using the tools described herein.

Abstract: A method for joining materials using additive friction stir techniques is provided. The method joins a material to a substrate, especially where the material to be joined and the substrate are dissimilar metals. One such method comprises (a) providing a substrate with one or more grooves; (b) rotating and translating an additive friction-stir tool relative to the substrate; (c) feeding a filler material through the additive friction-stir tool; and (d) depositing the filler material into the one or more grooves of the substrate. Translation and rotation of the tool causes heating and plastic deformation of the filler material, which flows into the grooves of the substrate resulting in an interlocking bond between the substrate and filler material. In embodiments, the depositing of the filler material causes deformation of the grooves in the substrate and an interlocking configuration between the grooves of the substrate and the filler material results.

Abstract: Additive friction stir methods for joining materials are provided. The methods comprise providing first and second substrates to be joined; providing a forming plate comprising one or more forming cavities; placing the first and second substrates in communication with the forming plate; placing the first and second substrates in communication with each other; rotating and translating an additive friction-stir tool relative to the substrates; feeding a filler material through the additive friction-stir tool; deforming the filler material and the first and second substrates; and extruding one or more of the filler material and the first and second substrates into one or more of the forming cavities of the forming plate. Interaction of the friction-stir tool with the substrates generates plastic deformation at the joint to weld the substrates at the joint. The methods include introduction of reinforcing material at the joint through addition of the filler material.

Abstract: An additive friction stir fabrication method and system is described which may be used to fabricate and join a rib to a metallic substrate or to repair a defect in a metallic substrate through extrusion. The method may be carried out with or without the addition of preformed ribs. One such method involves feeding a friction-stir tool with a consumable filler material such that interaction of the friction-stir tool with the substrate generates plastic deformation at an interface between the friction-stir tool and a metallic substrate to bond the plasticized filler and substrate together and extrude this material through a forming cavity to form a rib joined to the metallic substrate. Further described is a system for fabricating a rib joined to a metallic substrate through extrusion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tooling and methods for disposing, coating, building up, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading of a consumable metal material against the substrate. Embodiments of the invention include friction-based fabrication tooling comprising a non-consumable member with a throat and a consumable member disposed in the throat, wherein the throat is operably configured such that during rotation of the non-consumable member at a selected speed, the throat exerts normal forces on and rotates the consumable member at the selected speed; and comprising means for dispensing the consumable member through the throat and onto a substrate using frictional heating and compressive loading. Embodiments of the invention also include fabrication methods using the tools described herein.

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.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tools and methods for disposing, coating, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate using frictional heating and compressive/shear loading of a consumable metal against the substrate. Embodiments of the invention include friction-based fabrication tooling comprising a non-consumable member with a throat and a consumable member disposed in the throat, wherein consumable filler material is capable of being introduced to the throat in a continuous manner during deposition using frictional heating and compressive/shear loading of the filler material onto the substrate. Preferred embodiments according to the invention include such tools operably configured for applying a force or displacement to the filler material during deposition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tools and methods for welding, coating, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide self-reacting friction stir welding tools which have an internal channel that allows filler materials to be added to the weld joint or otherwise friction stir processed area. Embodiments also provide friction stir tooling having upper and lower shoulders disposed at a fixed distance from one another and connected by a fixed split-pin. The tooling can be configured for automatically dispensing varying amounts of filler material into the tooling in response to variations in thickness of a substrate being processed.