Welding is one of the most important and widely used fabrication technologies in modern industry. Traditional fusion welding processes (e.g. arc welding and laser welding) require significant heat inputs and frequently lead to property deterioration, such as cracking and porosity during solidification.
Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process invented in the 1990s to overcome fusion welding limitations. FSW is significantly less energy intensive than competing technologies, while offering cost savings and increases in productivity. However, the inability of FSW to be used on-site and for thick-section welding has so far limited its widespread adoption in industry. FSW technology is currently used exclusively in specialty markets, representing a small fraction of the overall welding market.
Researchers intend to address this problem by developing a prototype welding system that will demonstrate the field deployment capabilities of flexible hybrid friction stir welding technology. This effort will advance the FSW process as a manufacturing technology that can be deployed for on-site construction of large, complex and typically thick-sectioned structures made of high-performance and high-temperature materials.
