Abstract: A double-sided friction stir welding method, methods for producing a cold-rolled steel strip and a coated steel strip, a double-sided friction stir welding apparatus, and facilities for producing a cold-rolled steel strip and a coated steel strip. The double-sided friction stir welding method includes pressing two rotating tools, which are disposed on a first surface and a second surface of a butt portion or overlap portion of the steel strips, against the butt portion or overlap portion of steel strips and moving the rotating tools in the welding direction while rotating the rotating tools in opposite directions to each other, so that an unwelded portion of the steel strips is softened by frictional heat generated between the rotating tools and the unwelded portion of the steel strips, and the softened portion is stirred with the rotating tools to generate plastic flow so as to weld the steel strips together.

Abstract: A friction stir welding device includes: a probe capable of pressing a welding target part of a workpiece while rotating; a shoulder externally surrounding an outside of the probe, on a plane intersecting a rotation axis of the probe; a shoulder attachment member provided with the shoulder; and a flow path formed at a contact part between the shoulder and the shoulder attachment member and adapted to allow a cooling medium to flow therethrough.

Abstract: A pressure receiving surface inclined to a rotation axis is provided on the side surface of a stir probe of a rotating tool. The pressure receiving surface includes a pressure receiving region which is always perpendicular to a rotation tangential direction in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis. In friction stir processing, the stir probe is caused to rotate in a rotation direction B in which the normal direction of the pressure receiving surface is positive. According to this kind of rotating tool, as it has no shoulder, a joint width does not increase even when a stirring region is deep, and also, a plastic flow in a rotation direction is generated by a pressure receiving surface, so that it is possible to reduce the proportion of the plastic flow in the rotation axis direction, and thus possible to suppress an occurrence of burr.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hollow container with use of a rotary tool including a tapered stirring pin, including: preparing a first metal member, a second metal member, and an auxiliary member; butting the first metal member and the second metal member to face with each other, the auxiliary member is interposed between the first metal member and the second metal member; and joining the first metal member with the second metal member via the auxiliary member. The first and second metal members, and the auxiliary member are made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the first and second metal members have higher hardness than the auxiliary member. At least one of the first and second metal members has an inclined surface inclined outward, and the auxiliary member has an inclined surface, tapered from the external surface toward an internal surface, on at least one of the side surfaces.

Abstract: An insert including: a head portion including a docking face configured to receive a welding electrode and a bearing surface configured to come to bear on the first part in order to keep the first part assembled to the second part, a body portion intended to be inserted into the first part, including a welding surface configured to be welded to the second part, the body portion having a cross section smaller than that of the head portion, and thermal decoupling means extending around the body portion to prevent heat released by the body portion from being transmitted to the first part during the welding operation.

Abstract: A friction stir welding apparatus is used at a butted portion where a second workpiece is butted against a first workpiece such that the second workpiece is upright on the first workpiece. The friction stir welding apparatus includes: a rotary tool that is plunged into one inner corner of a pair of inner corners that are positioned, at the butted portion, on both sides of the second workpiece, respectively; an inner corner presser that presses the other inner corner of the pair of inner corners; and a mover that moves the rotary tool and the inner corner presser along a direction in which the butted portion extends. The inner corner presser includes a pressing roller that presses the other inner corner while rolling in a state where the inner corner presser is being moved by the mover.

Abstract: Provided is a joining method that can prevent a plastic flowing material from flowing out from a butt section and that can reduce the thickness and weight of metal members. The joining method is for joining a first metal member and a second metal member by using a rotary tool comprising a stirring pin, and is characterized in that: the stirring pin comprises a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tool and comprises a protruding section protruding from the flat face; and in a friction stirring step, the flat surface is brought into contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, and a front end face of the protruding section is inserted deeper than an upper overlapping section to join an upper front butt section and the upper overlapping section.

Abstract: A friction stir welding tool and method, by which influence on durability of the tool is suppressed even when resistance force generated when the tool moves for joining acts on facing end portions of workpieces which are located close to an attachment side of the tool. The tool includes: a stirring shaft; a first shoulder portion provided to be unrotatable relative to the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft when it rotates; a second shoulder portion provided to be unrotatable relative to the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft when it rotates; and a third shoulder portion attached around the shaft located between the first and second shoulder portions, and includes an inclination preventing portion to prevent inclination of the shaft by contacting the workpieces to receive reaction force from the workpieces when the shaft is made to move along joining lines.

Abstract: A tool for friction bit joining a workpiece material includes a bit with a tapered pin and a non-cutting tip. The bit has a top surface opposite the pin with at least one feature recessed in, or extending from, the top surface and configured to transmit torque to the bit to rotate the bit around a rotational axis.

Abstract: Provided is a joining method that can prevent a plastic flowing material from flowing out from a butt section and that can reduce the thickness and weight of metal members. The joining method is for joining a first metal member and a second metal member by using a rotary tool comprising a stirring pin, and is characterized in that: the stirring pin comprises a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tool and comprises a protruding section protruding from the flat face; and in a friction stirring step, the flat surface is brought into contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, and a front end face of the protruding section is inserted deeper than an upper overlapping section to join an upper front butt section and the upper overlapping section.

Abstract: A jacket main body is formed of a first aluminum alloy. A seal body is formed of a second aluminum alloy. The first aluminum alloy is higher in hardness than the second aluminum alloy in material type. A method includes: a preparing step of forming on an peripheral wall part a step part having a step bottom surface and a step side surface obliquely rising; a mounting step of mounting the seal body on the jacket main body to form a first butt portion and putting the step bottom surface and a back surface of the seal body on each other to form a second butt portion; a main joining step of performing friction stir welding while only the stirring pin of the rotary tool rotating contacts with only the seal body.

Abstract: A method of forming a component by applying a forming load to a blank of material against a mandrel, wherein the mandrel defines the shape of the component to be formed and applying a forming load as a combination of a localised force and localised friction heating.

Abstract: A tool head assembly for a solid state additive manufacturing apparatus includes a tool head having a material passage configured to receive a material therein. The tool head is configured to deposit the material from the material passage onto a substrate of the solid state additive manufacturing apparatus to form at least one layer of the material on the substrate. The tool head includes a shoulder configured to contact the material such that rotation of the tool head frictionally stirs the material. The tool head assembly includes a barrier configured to extend along a side surface of the at least one layer as the at least one layer is deposited onto the substrate such that the barrier is configured to constrain the material from extruding past an edge of the shoulder.

Abstract: A method of friction stir processing (FSP) includes contacting a first workpiece with a FSP tool, where the first workpiece is a low-melting temperature metal or alloy and the FSP tool is a single-body FSP tool having a diamond working surface. The method also includes rotating the FSP tool in contact with the first workpiece at an interface and generating thermal energy at the interface to heat the first workpiece. The method further includes conducting thermal energy away from the interface with the FSP tool, and friction stirring the first workpiece at a temperature of the FSP tool below 800° C.

Abstract: A component of hydraulics, via which a pressure medium connection or flow can be controlled, includes a first portion which is additively manufactured at least in part and on which there is formed at least one control geometry for controlling the pressure medium connection or flow, and a second portion joined thereto.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by including a heat medium pipe insertion process to insert a heat medium pipe into a concave groove; a lid plate insertion process to insert a lid plate into a lid groove; and a joining process to perform friction stirring while a primary joining rotary tool provided with a base side pin and a tip side pin is moved along a butted portion of a side wall of the lid groove and a side face of the lid plate, wherein in the joining process, friction stirring is performed while the tip side pin of the primary rotary tool which is rotating is inserted into the butted portion and an outer circumferential face of the base side pin is in contact with the base member and the lid plate, and plastically fluidized material fluidized by frictional heat is flowed into a void portion formed adjacent to the heat medium pipe.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid-cooling jacket (1) where heat transfer fluid flows in a hollow part (14) defined by a jacket body (2) and a sealing body (3) includes: an overlapping process in which the sealing body (3) is placed on an end surface (11a) of a peripheral wall part (11) in such a way that the end surface (11a) and a back surface of the sealing body (3) are overlapped each other to form a first overlapped part (H1); and a primary joining process in which primary joining is performed by friction stirring in such a way that a rotary tool (F1) is moved once around a recessed part (13) along the first overlapped part (H1). In the primary joining process, the first overlapped part (H1) is joined in a state where the tip side pin is in contact with only the sealing body (3) or with the jacket body (2) and the sealing body (3) while the base side pin is in contact with the sealing body (3).

Abstract: The present invention includes: a preparation process configured to provide a first metal member including an end portion with a vertical face, and a second metal member including an end portion with an inclined face, a higher melting point and a smaller plate thickness than the first metal member; a butting process configured to butt the end portions of the first metal member and the second metal member against each other and form a butted portion with a V-shaped gap; and a joining process configured to join the first metal member and the second metal member together by inserting the rotating rotary tool from only a front face of the first metal member and relatively moving the rotary tool along the butted portion while only the stirring pin is in contact with at least the first metal member.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a friction stir welding tool which can inhibit chipping even if an adhesion matter having high hardness adheres to a tip thereof during friction stir welding of an iron-base alloy and an aluminum alloy. In the tool for friction stir welding made of high-speed tool steel that includes a minor diameter portion and a major diameter portion formed adjacently to the minor diameter portion, hardness of the tool decreases from the minor diameter portion toward the major diameter portion. The hardness of the minor diameter portion may be 65 HRC or more by Rockwell hardness C-scale, and the hardness of the major diameter portion may be 60 HRC or less by Rockwell hardness C-scale.

Abstract: A micro-region semi-solid additive manufacturing method is provided, where rod-shaped materials are used as consumables, and front ends of the consumables are heated by means of high-energy beam, an electric arc, a resistance heat, or the like, to enable the front ends to be in a semi-solid state in which the solid-liquid two phases coexist; at the same time, the rotational torsion and the axial thrust are applied to the consumables to perform shearing, agitation and extrusion on the semi-solid front ends, that is, the mold-free semi-solid rheoforming is performed. The consumable is transmitted to the bottom layer metal continuously in this manner to form metallurgical bonding, the stacking process is repeated according to a planned route obtained after discretization slicing treatment, and then an object or a stack layer in a special shape can be formed.

Abstract: A differential gear including a rotatably mounted differential housing and a final driven gear mounted rotationally fixed to the differential housing. The differential housing, on the outer circumferential surface thereof, includes two mating surfaces and that the final driven gear, on the inner circumferential surface thereof, includes two radially opposite mating surfaces. The mating surfaces formed on the outer circumferential surface of the differential housing and the mating surfaces formed on the inner circumferential surface of the final driven gear are each designed as separate mating surfaces which, when viewed in axial direction (a), are arranged geometrically separated from each other by a spacing.

Abstract: A friction stir welding tool includes a probe having a front end surface and an outer circumferential surface. The probe has, formed therein, outer circumferential recesses extending to the front end surface along a rotation axis. The friction stir welding tool rotates the probe about the rotation axis and embeds the probe inside a workpiece during rotation of the probe to thereby weld the workpiece. The width of the outer circumferential recesses is increased toward a front end of the probe.

Abstract: The method comprises a primary joining process in which primary joining is performed by friction stirring by moving a rotary tool (F) once around a recessed part (13) along a first overlap part (H1) in a state where only a stirring pin (F2) of the rotary tool provided with the stirring pin is inserted in the first overlap part (H1) from a front surface (3b) of a sealing body (3) and is in contact with a jacket body (2) and the sealing body (3). In the primary joining process, the rotary tool (F), which is provided with a flat surface (F4) orthogonal to a rotational axis of the stirring pin (F2) and a projection (F5) projecting from the flat surface (F4) at a tip part of the stirring pin (F2), is employed, and the first overlap part (H1) is joined by bringing the flat surface (F4) into contact with only the sealing body (3) and inserting a tip end of the projection (F5) more deeply than the first overlap part (H1).

Abstract: The invention provides a method for easily producing an engine block for a combustion engine. The method includes: a) providing an engine block with an open water jacket opening; b) placing an insert in the water jacket opening; and c) fixing the insert in the water jacket opening by friction welding. The shape of the insert is adapted to the shape of the water jacket opening such that the insert, when being placed, at least partially closes the water jacket opening and bridges the distance between the outer wall and the cylinder wall, thereby supporting the cylinder wall against the outer wall of the engine block. An engine block produced accordingly shows the advantages of a closed deck engine block.

Abstract: The friction stir welding head presented herein includes a head housing and an axle. The head housing extends from a top end to an open bottom end and defines a bore extending between the top end and the open bottom end. The axle that is coaxial with and rotatable within the bore. The axle is also laterally secured within the head housing and axially movable with respect to the head housing. Still further, the axle includes an engagement end that extends beyond the open bottom end of the head housing. The engagement end supports a friction stir welding tool that is configured to rotate with the axle to effectuate friction stir welding operations. The friction stir welding head may also include a load cell configured to generate load signals in response to axial movement of the axle.

Abstract: A friction stir welding tool includes a probe having a front end surface and an outer circumferential surface. The outer circumferential surface has, formed therein, outer circumferential recesses extending to the front end surface. The friction stir welding tool is configured to rotate the probe about a rotation axis, and embed the probe inside a workpiece during rotation of the probe to thereby weld the workpiece. A front end recess is formed in the front end surface, and the front end recess extends to the outer circumferential surface in a manner that the front end recess does not communicate with the outer circumferential recesses.

Abstract: A system is provided, comprising a two-sided adapter, made of a Ni-based alloy, that is connected at each of the two sides with a different type of metal, e.g. steel, and wherein the connection of the different types of metal, e.g. steel with the adapter is characterized in that it is achieved at least in part by use of friction welding. A method for linking different types of metal, e.g. steel by using a two-sided adapter as an intermediate, wherein at least one of the adapter-metal (e.g. steel) connections is made by means of friction welding, is also provided.

Abstract: A void having a side peripheral surface and a bottom part is machined in a rotationally symmetrical shape spanning the end surface of a first steel member and the end surface of a second steel member; in a state in which a pressing force is applied to a contact area between the tip part of a joining metal and the bottom part of the void, the joining metal is rotated around a rotation axis and friction is created; the material structure around a rotational friction surface is joined using friction heat caused by the friction and molten metal is generated; a gap between a side peripheral surface of the joining metal and the side peripheral surface of the void is filled with the liquefied molten metal; and the first steel member and the second steel member are joined via the joining metal through integration with the structure near the gap.

Abstract: The presently disclosed technology includes a friction stir welding apparatus comprising a frame, a moving platform and a parallel mechanism composed of three branch mechanisms, wherein a first branch mechanism comprises a first sliding pair, a first revolute pair, a telescopic rod and a first spherical pair connected in sequence. A second branch mechanism and a third branch mechanism both comprise a third sliding pair, a second revolute pair, a third linkage and a second spherical pair connected in sequence. The friction stir welding apparatus has high stiffness, low inertia, high dynamic performance and high accuracy, which can achieve precision welding with high requirements on processing quality and accuracy for jointing annular seams of large-scale rocket fuel storage tank barrels in the aviation field, for example. The presently disclosed technology also includes a corresponding friction stir welding system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for welding together two joining partners by means of friction stir welding, which prevents the joining partners being contaminated by welding residue. The method comprises the following features: a welding head that can be integrated into any machine, said welding head being in the form of a spindle drive driven by a drive unit, comprising a mounting flange for securing the device assisting the welding process, and a clamping system for receiving a frustoconical-shaped tool having a welding and smoothing shoe for guiding a welding pin (11), a device (17) integrated into the welding and smoothing shoe for grinding the waste produced during the welding process, the waste produced during welding is then removed by means of one inlet channels for fluid arranged in the upper and/or lower area of the frustoconical-shaped tool for the fluid (20, 18) and a suction channel (19).

Abstract: A method of sealing a hole in a wall of a hollow structure comprises providing a sealed chamber that is external to the structure and that is in fluid communication with an internal space of the structure via the hole. The structure may be a pipe-in-pipe structure and the internal space may be an annulus between outer and inner pipes. Fluid flows through the hole into or out of the chamber as the pressure and/or composition of fluid in the internal space is adjusted. Then, a plug is spun and friction-welded into the hole. The plug is inserted into the hole from within the chamber.

Abstract: An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces. In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3,3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3,3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3,3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools (1,15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.

Abstract: An edge of each of a first metal member and a second metal member is formed to have a U-shaped cross section with a first horizontal plate projecting from a base edge of a vertical plate, and with a second horizontal plate projecting from a top edge of the vertical plate. The second metal member includes a projecting part. The joining method includes: an abutting step of forming an abutted part by abutting a front surface of the first horizontal plate the first metal member against a second side surface of the second metal member; and a joining step of performing friction stir welding of the first metal member and the second metal member by inserting a stirring pin from the projecting part and moving a joining rotating tool along an inner corner at the top edge of the vertical plate of the second metal member while making only the stirring pin in contact with the first metal member and the second metal member.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a liquid cooling jacket including a jacket body and a sealing body joined to the jacket body. The method includes steps of: preparing; placing; first primary joining with a rotary tool; and second primary joining with the rotary tool. A rotary tool includes a base end pin and a distal end pin. The distal end pin includes a flat surface and a protrusion extending from the flat surface. In the first primary joining and the second primary joining, friction stirring is performed in a state where a front surface of the sealing body is brought in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the base end pin, the sealing body is brought in contact with the flat surface of the distal end pin, and the jacket body is brought in contact with the protrusion.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a liquid cooling jacket including a jacket body and a sealing body joined to the jacket body. The method includes steps of: preparing; placing; first primary joining with a rotary tool; and second primary joining with the rotary tool. The rotary tool includes a base end pin and a distal end pin. The distal end pin includes a flat surface and a protrusion protruding from the flat surface. In the first primary joining and the second primary joining, friction stirring is performed in a state where the jacket body and the sealing body are brought in contact with the flat surface of the distal end pin and the base end pin and only the jacket body is brought in contact with a distal end surface of the protrusion.

Abstract: A clamp member, for a double-acting friction stir spot welding device, is provided for the double-acting friction stir spot welding device to perform friction stir spot welding of a workpiece by using a rotary tool, and presses a surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is supported. The rotary tool has a pin member and a shoulder member. The clamp member includes an end face that comes into surface contact with the surface of the workpiece to press the surface and a protruding portion protruding from the end face in an axial direction and extending around an axis. The protruding portion is configured to press the workpiece, the clamp member surrounding an outer periphery of the shoulder member.

Abstract: A friction stir welding method in which a first member to be welded and a second member to be welded and having a first step portion are welded by friction stir welding using a welding tool includes the steps of arranging the first member to be welded on a step supporting surface of the first step portion with a gap between the first member to be welded and a side surface of the first step portion, pushing the welding tool into the first member to be welded from a surface of the first member to be welded while rotating the welding tool and inserting the welding tool until reaching the step supporting surface of the second member to be welded and stirring the first member to be welded and the second member to be welded by rotating the welding tool to form a welding part.

Abstract: A method of performing friction stir spot welding of a plurality of steel plates, includes the steps of: friction stirring a spot welding portion of the plurality of steel plates by pressing a tool against the spot welding portion while rotating the tool, to plasticize the spot welding portion by friction heat; cooling the spot welding portion to cause martensitic transformation to occur in the spot welding portion, after the step of friction stirring the spot welding portion; and tempering the spot welding portion by the friction heat by re-pressing the tool against the spot welding portion while rotating the tool, after the step of cooling the spot welding portion.

Abstract: A friction stir welding (FSW) tool includes a head, a tool holder and a body between the head and the tool holder and attached to the head and the tool holder. The body may include a plurality of cooling fins. An interior of the body may include a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a torque sensor, and a communication node in electronic communication with the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and the torque sensor. The communication node may be in Bluetooth communication with a computing device.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for depositing an extrudate onto a substrate comprises a deposition head. The deposition head comprises a stirring tool, rotatable about an axis of rotation AR and comprising a tool distal end and a tool proximal end, axially opposing the tool distal end along the axis of rotation AR. The stirring tool defines a bore, extending from the tool proximal end to the tool distal end. The bore is configured to receive feedstock, biased toward the tool distal end. The deposition head also comprises a die, which is positioned adjacent to the stirring tool, defines a die axis AD1, and comprises a die distal end and a die proximal end, axially opposing the die distal end along the die axis AD1. The die axis AD1 is parallel with the axis of rotation AR of the stirring tool.

Abstract: A method of forming a monolithic aircraft structure having multiple aerodynamic surfaces includes forming a body component to have a body skin defining a body skin outer surface, and a body side wall integrally formed with the body skin and defining a body mating surface, the body skin outer surface providing a first aerodynamic surface. A cover component is formed to have a cover mating surface and a cover outer surface opposite the cover mating surface, the cover outer surface defining a second aerodynamic surface. The body component is positioned relative to the cover component so that the body mating surface engages the cover mating surface. At least portions of the cover mating surface are friction stir welded to the body mating surface to form friction stir welded joints between the body component and the cover component.

Abstract: A double-head double-sided high-efficiency friction stir welding device includes a base (1), a pair of columns (2) arranged on the base (1), an upper beam (3), at least one worktable connected with a horizontal surface of the base (1), vision sensors (7) mounted on the upper head (5) and the lower head (6) and used for identifying the weld, and a CNC controller (8) used for controlling operations of the gantry, the upper head (5), the lower head (6), the worktable and the vision sensors (7).

Abstract: A method for solid-state, one-shot, butt-welding of multiple coaxial metal pipe subassemblies that have a prescribed annular clearance to allow them to be welded separately yet simultaneously is described. The nested pipes or tubes making up of these subassemblies can thus be joined end to end to form pipelines or wells for oil, gas and geothermal and the like with specific desired advantages over conventional single-wall pipelines or wells casings. The advantages include an ability to monitor the condition of all or selected portions of the pressure envelope constituted by the pipeline or well casing and thereby identify damage with ample advance warning before failure and leakage or major spills occur.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods to join at least first and second metallic components in which a pre-treatment is applied to one or more region(s) of at least one of the components to be welded together before welding takes place. The pre-treatment involves contacting at least a region of the first metallic component with a rotating and translating tool such that the rotating and translating contact locally heats, softens, and mixes successive portions of at least the region of the first metallic component. The first and second metallic components are placed together such that a joint is provided between at least the pre-treated region of the first metallic component and the second metallic component. At least the pre-treated region of the first metallic component is welded to the second metallic component along at least a portion of the joint.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotatable, plungeable and free path travelable non-consumable tool (5) for production of a channel (2) and a weld joint (1). The tool (5) comprises a shoulder and a probe, the shoulder having a surface facing the material(s) of components (3) to be processed. The shoulder and the probe are arranged to have a simultaneous and synchronized action in the materials of at least two components (3) to be processed. The shoulder facing the at least two components (3) to be processed has a system of scrolls shaped to have an inward action and an outward action on the at least two components (3) to be processed. The probe has a cylindrical or conical surface having a top zone, provided with a profile having a push-up action on the components (3) to be processed in a direction towards the shoulder. The top zone ends at or in the vicinity of a bottom zone provided with a profile having a push-down action on the components (3) to be processed in a direction towards the tip.

Abstract: A friction stir spot welding method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: performing a plunging process of moving a shoulder (28) toward a second workpiece (102) from a first workpiece (101) side while rotating a rotary tool to plunge the shoulder into the first and second workpieces; and performing a backfilling process of pushing stirred materials that have flowed into an inside of the shoulder in the plunging process out of the shoulder and backfilling a plunging hole with the stirred materials, the plunging hole being formed by the plunging of the shoulder. In the plunging process, the shoulder is plunged to a position that is shifted from a boundary between the first workpiece and the second workpiece to the second workpiece side by 1 mm or more, such that a component of a protective layer (104) is concentrated in a central portion of a stirred portion (105) when the backfilling process is completed.

Abstract: A friction stir channelling tool comprises a probe (2) for inserting into a workpiece or workpieces. The probe (2) extends from, and is rotatably mounted in, a bore (14) of a shoulder (3), the probe surface being formed so as to cause plasticised workpiece material to be moved towards the shoulder and into the bore of the shoulder upon rotation of the probe while the shoulder is in contact with the workpiece. The shoulder (3) has at least one vent (4) extending from outside the shoulder to the bore (14) whereby the plasticised material can exit the bore through the vent.

Abstract: A friction stir spot joining apparatus for spot-joining a pair of plate members by friction stirring with a tool's pin portion includes an advancing and retracting driving device configured to advance and retract the tool to and from plate members, a rotationally driving device configured to rotate the tool, and control device configured to control advancing and retracting driving device and rotationally driving device. The control device executes joining control of pushing pin portion into plate members while the tool is rotated and causing pin portion to pressurize plate members, and executes heat dissipation control of reducing at least one of a rotation speed and a tool's pressurization force more than in the joining control while tool is rotated and pin portion is kept pushed into plate members after joining control and separating tool from plate members after the pin portion's surface temperature becomes less than an oxidation onset temperature.

Abstract: An aircraft nacelle and method of fabricating a monolithic lipskin of the nacelle. The nacelle may include a fan cowl, a bulkhead, and the monolithic lipskin. The lipskin may be formed by spin-forming or explosive forming an annularly-shaped plate onto a mandrel, and machining or chemically-milling integrated stiffeners or other protrusions and attachment tabs into an inner mold line (IML) of the lipskin. The machining or chemical milling may occur before or after the spin-forming or explosive forming. The stiffeners may have a spiral or circumferential configuration. An attachment tab extending from the IML may attach to the bulkhead, such that an outer mold like (OML) of the lip-skin is not disrupted by mechanical fasteners attaching the lipskin to the bulkhead.

Abstract: A method for forming an impact weld used in an additive manufacturing process is provided. The method includes providing a metallic material for impact welding to a substrate. The metallic material is propelled toward the substrate with a sufficient velocity to form an impact weld for welding the metallic material to the substrate. Further, the method includes traversing the substrate in a direction relative to a direction from which the metallic material is propelled and repeating the propelling so that a layer of additive material is deposited on the substrate as desired. In addition, a method for forming an impact welding used in an additive manufacturing process via discharge actuated arrangement is provided.