Body Panels
- Applications
- Products
- Processes
Aircraft panelling
Rocket fuel tank
GS4 10,000
Manufacture 5m diameter circular tubes from 4 curved sheets of aluminium.
GS2B 10,000
Joining the 5m diameter tubes together.
GS2C 10,000
Welding end caps onto 5m diameter 20m length tube.
Friction Stir Welding is a solid state joining process, in which a cylindrical shouldered tool with a profiled pin is inserted into the joint line between two pieces of material. Frictional heat is created between the wear resistant pin and the two work pieces, which are butted together and clamped onto a backing bar.
The heat causes the materials to soften, without reaching melting point, and allows the pin to traverse along the joint. As the tool moves along, the material is plasticised by the frictional heat at the front of the rotating pin and transported to the back. Here it consolidates and cools down to form a solid state weld.
example weld
