Friction Stir Welding - Applications

Shipbuilding and marine industries

The shipbuilding and marine industries are two of the first industry sectors which have adopted the process for commercial applications. The process is suitable for the following applications:

Panels for decks, sides, bulkheads and floors
Aluminium extrusions
Hulls and superstructures
Helicopter landing platforms
Offshore accommodation
Marine and transport structures
Masts and booms, e.g. for sailing boats
Refrigeration plant

Aerospace industry

At present the aerospace industry is welding prototype and production parts by friction stir welding. Opportunities exist to weld skins to spars, ribs, and stringers for use in military and civilian aircraft. The Eclipse 500 aircraft, in which ~60% of the rivets are replaced by friction stir welding, is now in production. This offers significant advantages compared to riveting and machining from solid, such as reduced manufacturing costs and weight savings. Longitudinal butt welds in Al alloy fuel tanks for space vehicles have been friction stir welded and successfully used. The process could also be used to increase the size of commercially available sheets by welding them before forming. The friction stir welding process can therefore be considered for:

Wings, fuselages, empennages
Cryogenic fuel tanks for space vehicles
Aviation fuel tanks
External throw away tanks for military aircraft
Military and scientific rockets
Repair of faulty MIG welds
Various primary and secondary structural components

Railway industry

The commercial production of high speed trains made from aluminium extrusions which may be joined by friction stir welding has been published. Applications include:

High speed trains
Rolling stock of railways, underground carriages, trams
Railway tankers and goods wagons
Container bodies

Land transportation

The friction stir welding process is currently being used commercially, and is also being assessed by several automotive companies and suppliers to this industrial sector for its commercial application. Existing and potential applications include:

Engine and chassis cradles
Wheel rims
Attachments to hydroformed tubes
Tailored blanks, e.g. welding of different sheet thicknesses
Space frames, e.g. welding extruded tubes to cast nodes
Truck bodies
Tail lifts for lorries
Mobile cranes
Armour plate vehicles
Fuel tankers
Caravans
Buses and airfield transportation vehicles
Motorcycle and bicycle frames
Articulated lifts and personnel bridges
Skips
Repair of aluminium cars
Magnesium and magnesium/aluminium joints

Other industry sectors

Friction stir welding can also be considered for:

Electric motor housings (in production)
Refrigeration panels
Cooking equipment and kitchens
White goods
Gas tanks and gas cylinders
Connecting of aluminium or copper coils in rolling mills
Furniture
Many other applications