FSW WELDING APPLICATIONS

Friction stir welding (FSW) has found many applications in the advanced energy sector.
The FSW process is used for the manufacture of heat exchangers such as lamellar exchangers or plate heat exchangers.
In the wind industry, FSW has become a must for the manufacture of large lightweight panels such as wind turbine nacelles and blades.
It is used in the production of aluminum water cooling plates for solar panels.
The FSW process also facilitates the welding of copper components in series such as busbars.

FSW can be used to weld all aluminium alloys, including those that are not weldable with conventional processes.
With this process, it is now possible to join high-strength aluminium alloys such as the 2000, 6000 and 7000 series.
FSW is also popular for welding 1xxx, 2xxx, 3xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx and some 7xxx types of standard aluminium.
The thickness range is from 1 mm thin sheet to parts up to 10 mm, weldable in one pass. Our FSW tools can weld up to 20 mm in a double pass.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a welding technique that has been democratized in the aeronautical sector.
The FSW offers the ability to weld large or complex panels such as wedi hull plates. It also provides a robust and reliable alternative to riveting.
In addition, FSW offers new perspectives for the manufacture of more environmentally friendly aircraft. This innovative technology allows for a reduction in machining scrap. The aeronautical industry is studying the design of cryogenic hydrogen tanks based on FSW.

The automotive industry uses the FSW process on an industrial scale for the construction of lighter vehicles. FSW technology allows the manufacture of light alloy components such as alloy wheels, body sheets, engine blocks or fuel tanks.
One of the major challenges of the automotive sector is to make vehicles lighter in order to reduce their energy requirements. The integration of aluminum in the manufacture of cars is growing. The FSW process offers the advantage of being able to weld aluminum sheets regardless of the type of alloys. The FSW technology is also favored for the design of heat sink in aluminium die casting for electric vehicles (e-mobility).

Yes, it is possible to make welds with dissimilar materials using the FSW process.
Friction stir welding is a breakthrough technology for joining different metals without melting or adding material. The FSW process allows parts to be welded together even if their materials have different mechanical properties.
FSW has made it possible to weld dissimilar materials such as aluminium/steel, aluminium.

FSW technology allows the assembly of long panels, bent or folded parts or hollow sections. Therefore, friction stir welding has many applications in the railway field.
In the context of the construction of high-speed trains, the FSW process is used for the manufacture of various components such as floors, roofs and sides. Friction stir welding is gradually replacing the conventional MIG process.

Friction stir welding has many applications in the aerospace industry. Indeed, this sector has adopted FSW, which makes it possible to weld all aluminum alloys
One of the main aerospace applications is the assembly of aluminum hydrogen tanks. FSW provides a higher strength weld than conventional welding processes such as TIG or arc welding.
The development of aluminium liquid cold plates in the aerospace industry was also made possible by friction stir welding.
Aluminum parts previously assembled by riveting, such as aircraft sides or floors, can be welded with FSW while maintaining the mechanical properties of the metal.

Friction stir welding is applied to the manufacture of large aluminum floors for naval structures. The FSW process also allows the production of high-strength extruded aluminum decks and bulkheads, alloys that were previously considered un-weldable.
Finally, FSW has become an excellent alternative to riveting and bolting which are prone to corrosion.
FSW (Friction Stir Welding) is a process that allows continuous, tight and faster automated welding. This breakthrough technology is becoming more and more popular in the shipbuilding industry.
To learn more, download our brochure on FSW applications in the naval sector.

Today, various areas of the telecommunications industry have adopted the FSW process for welding these aluminum and copper components.
Friction stir welding optimizes the welding of machined cold plates for satellites and data centers.
In addition, FSW technology coupled with Rheocasting allows the production of large complex thermally conductive parts.

Yes, it is possible to join aluminium and steel parts using recent welding processes, including friction stir welding
The physical properties, coefficient of expansion and electrochemical potential of these two materials are very different. With conventional welding techniques, it is sometimes difficult to guarantee quality aluminium/steel welds.
The FSW process, invented in 1991, makes it possible to weld aluminium to steel. Compared to a traditional screw/rivet process, FSW increases the mechanical strength and ensures a tight joint without filler metal.

Laser welding of aluminium, like electron beam welding, has porosity defects. However, cold plate welding requires a 100% seal. In addition, laser welding requires a smaller gap between the two parts.
Friction stir welding is an innovative and popular technology for joining aluminium or copper liquid cold plates. The FSW welded cover ensures a perfect seal of the liquid cold plates. This technique is used for liquid cold plates machined in high-tech sectors such as data centres, aeronautics, etc. It is also used for the manufacture of cast aluminium heat sinks in the field of e-mobility.

Friction stir welding provides an answer for optimal thermal management in the field of Defense. Liquid cold plates are used to cool embedded systems such as commercial radars or control and power electronics. Allowing the assembly of any type of aluminum alloy, FSW facilitates the fabrication of machined aluminium cold plates. FSW is also used in the manufacture of lamellar heat exchangers and heat spreaders in the defense industry.
Friction stir welding has made it possible to use aluminium grades that are shielded or have very high mechanical properties.

Yes, it is possible to join aluminium and stainless steel parts even though both materials are known to be difficult to weld.
Unlike stainless steel, aluminium is a light metal that welds at low temperatures. Joining these materials with conventional welding processes is therefore very difficult.
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process without melting. The choice of the right FSW tool for the application will ensure that parts made of dissimilar materials such as aluminium and stainless steel are joined.

A 6-axis robot with an articulated arm equipped with an FSW spindle can weld in 3 dimensions.
This equipment offers a wide range of movement allowing welding horizontally, vertically, on the ceiling… This multidirectional welding capability makes 3D welding of large and complex parts possible.
Robotic friction stir welding is an efficient and cost-effective joining solution for complex 3D geometries. The process is also popular for assembly-line operations, particularly in the automotive industry.

Yes, it is possible to join aluminium and copper parts even though these materials have different physical characteristics.
Welding aluminium with copper allows, among other things, to limit the electrical resistivity of the latter. FSW is therefore used in cold plates and bus bars for electrical applications.
Friction stir welding (FSW) allows a metallurgical bond between dissimilar materials. This technology, which is both environmentally friendly and innovative, has made aluminium in particular possible.

The 1000, 3000 and 5000 series, which are not heat treated, are the easiest aluminium alloys to weld.
The 6000 series is also easily weldable. However, depending on the welding technique, the joining process may cause a decrease in the mechanical properties of the aluminium.
The high strength alloys of the 2000 and 4000 families are more complex to weld and require special precautions.
Finally, some high strength aluminium such as the 7000 series can only be welded using the innovative FSW process.