Friction Stir Welding – Process Variants and Developments in the Automotive Industry

Friction stir welding (FSW) is now extensively used in industry for joining and material processing applications. The (FSW) technology has gained increasing interest and importance since its invention at TWI almost 14 years ago. The basic principle and the continuing development of the FSW technology are described, and recent applications in the automotive industries are reviewed. The paper will introduce dual–rotation friction stir welding, whereby the shoulder rotates at a slower speed than the probe, effectively lowering the welding temperature when compared with welds made by conventional rotary friction stir welding. The lower temperatures produced in dual-rotation friction stir welds have been shown to produce better mechanical properties than conventional friction stir welds and are believed to also improve the corrosion properties of the weld.