Friction Stir Welding
Rapid uses the innovative FSW technology for customer contracts
Since 2008, the production division of Rapid Technic AG has been using friction stir welding technology, or FSW, in addition to conventional welding procedures. In Switzerland, Rapid is the first company to successfully use this method for customised production too.
Friction stir welding is a process that is related to rotational friction welding, with which two concentric shafts are pressed against one another and welded through different speeds. Friction stir welding, in contrast, has the advantage that it is suitable for combining workpieces of any shape, e.g. also metal sheets, plates or cuboids. During friction stir welding, the workpieces to be joined remain motionless and are clamped in a jig. A special shaping of the seam before welding is not necessary.
A rotating pin rubs on an end point of the envisaged seam until the material (usually aluminium, brass or other soft metal alloys) becomes viscous. The rotating pin now moves through along the specified seam between the two workpieces and ‘stirs’ the plasticised material (between liquidus and solidus temperature of the material) of the two workpieces. Friction stir welding (FSW) was invented in 1991 by Wayne Thomas and protected by The Welding Institute in the United Kingdom under patent law. The parameters for a successful use of the FSW procedure depend on the material, shape and thickness of the workpieces. Mastering the procedure demands great experience on the part of the specialists at the FSW system.
The welding seams produced with the FSW method are characterised by great evenness and tightness. A decisive advantage of the FSW procedure is that deformations (warping) caused by conventional welding procedures no longer occur. This is because it is possible to avoid reaching the melting temperature.
In addition to technological know-how and qualified specialists, Rapid Technic AG also has the infrastructure to handle demanding friction stir welding contracts. If you have any questions or would like to take a closer look at our production plant, please contact us at kundenfertigung@rapid.ch.
Demo Movie Friction Stir Welding (FSW)
Download flyer friction stir welding
fl_fsw_e_low.pdf (PDF; 551.0 KB)
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