Mizan – Tepi University

Department of Mechanical
Engineering
Manufacturing Engineering II
MEng3182

Chapter-4
Latest Trends in Welding
Solid-State Welding Processes
Instructors: Srikanth.K & Adane.B
 Classifications of Latest Trends in
Welding
SOLID STATE-WELDING PROCESSES TYPES
1.Friction Welding
2.Friction Stir Welding
RESISTANCE WELDING PROCESSES TYPES
1.Resistance Spot Welding
2.Projection Welding
3.Seam Welding
4.Friction Welding (FW)
5.Friction Stir Welding (FSW).
 1.Resistance Welding
• Resistance welding (RW) is a group of fusion-
welding processes that uses a combination of
heat and pressure to accomplish coalescence,
the heat being generated by electrical
resistance to current flow at the junction to be
welded.
• The principal components in resistance
welding are shown in Figure for a resistance
spot-welding operation, the most widely used
process in the group.
FIGURE Resistance welding (RW), showing the components in spot welding, the predominant
process in the RW group.
 What is Resistance Spot Welding
The two metal parts to be joined are
heated to plastic state by their
resistance to the flow of electric
current & mechanical pressure is
used to complete the weld is called
resistance welding process.
PRINCIPLE OF RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING
At low voltage high current
flowing through the joint
generates large amount of heat
due to high contact resistance
which causes melting of joint
and further fusion of metals.
 1.Resistance Spot Welding
It is one type of electrical resistance welding
process.
Spot welding is used for making lap joints. The
electrodes are made of pure copper or alloy of
copper or tungsten.
By using this method metal sheets from 0.025mm
to 12 mm thickness can be easily welded.
The metal pieces are assembled & placed
between two copper electrodes & then current is
passed.
 Cont…
The parts are heated at their area of contact by
electrical resistance.
Then electrodes are pressed against the metal
pieces by mechanical or hydraulic pressure.
The electrode pressure can be in the range of up
to 2KN.
Electrodes are cooled with water during
operation to prevent overheating.
All combination of ductile metals and alloys can
be spot-welded.
FIGURE Rocker arm spot-welding machine.
FIGURE Steps in a spot-welding cycle, (1) parts inserted between open electrodes,
(2) electrodes close and force is applied, (3) weld time— current is switched on, (4)
current is turned off but force is maintained or increased (a reduced current is
sometimes applied near the end of this step for stress relief in the weld region),
and (5) electrodes are opened, and the welded assembly is removed.
2.Projection Welding
 2.Projection Welding
Projection welding is one kind of resistance
welding which is developed from spot welding.
In this a series of spots are welded at a time.
The metal pieces to be welded are placed between
two metal arms which act as electrode.
One of the work piece has projection on its
surface.
The work piece are clamped between the arms.
When the A.C is supplied, the welding current
will be passed through these projections.
FIGURE Resistance projection welding (RPW): (1) at start of operation, contact
between parts is at projections; and(2)when current is applied, weld nuggets
similar to those in spot welding are formed at the projections.
 Cont…
The heat is produced at the contact point of
the base metal because of electrical
resistance.
Now the work-pieces are pressed together
by bringing down the upper electrode.
The projections are made into flat under
pressure and the two pieces are joined
together by a strong weld at points of
contact.
 Cont…
The surface at the projection must be cleaned.
There should not be any scale on the surface.
An un-cleaned surface will reduce the resistance
to the current flow.
So the joint will be weaker.
This welding suitable for sheet meals up to 3mm
thickness.
It is suitable for mass production.
3.Seam Welding
 3.Seam Welding
 In previous spot welding is not continuous one where as
seam welding is used to produce continuous joint
between two over-lapping pieces of sheet metal.

 The work pieces are placed between the two rotating

wheel electrodes when electric current is passed through
the electrodes.

 High heat is produced on the work pieces between the

wheels.

 At the same time pressure is applied to complete the

weld.
FIGURE Resistance seam welding (RSEW)
 Cont…
The work piece is continuously moved in
between the wheels.
Thus the leak proof continuous seam is
achieved by supplying coolant to the
electrodes.
Finally it speeds up the welding process.
It is used for leak proof tanks, drums,
radiators, house hold, automobile bodies
etc.
SOLID STATE-
WELDING
PROCESSES
CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID STATE-WELDING
PROCESSES
1.Friction Welding
2.Friction Stir Welding
These both weldings is a type of
welding where heat is generated by
mechanical friction between two
components along with an
additional mechanical force.
Friction Welding (FRW)
 Friction Welding (FRW)
Principle

It is a solid state welding process

wherein coalescence is formed
by the heat which is obtained
from mechanically induced
sliding motion between rubbing
surfaces.
 Working Principle
 Initially the components to be welded are held under
pressure.
 One part is rotated at high speed and other part is
held stationary.
 In this process the movable clamp is moved and
contacted with the rotating component.
 The heat is produced in between contact surfaces.
 This heat is used to weld the components under
pressure.
 The pressure range in between 40 Mpa to 450 Mpa
& Time required for joining metals 2 to 30Seconds
& the rotational speed is 3000rpm.
 Friction Welding

Figure Friction welding (FRW): (1) rotating part, no contact; (2) parts brought into
contact to generate friction heat; (3) rotation stopped and axial pressure
applied; and (4) weld created.
Advantages
1. Power consumption is low.
2. Operation is easy
3. It is smooth and clean process
4. Heat is quickly dissipated
5. There is no need filler metal flux.
Dis-Advantages
1. Heavy components are not used for weld
2. Heavy rigid machines required
3. It is not suitable for flat angular weld
Applications
1. It is used for super alloys and all steel alloys.
2. It is used in produce axle shafts, valves and gears and
refrigerators.
3. It used for making simple forgings.
FRICTION STIR WELDING
 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF FSW
FSW a cylindrical, shouldered
tool with a profiled probe is
rotated and slowly plunged
into the joint line between two
pieces butted together.
Frictional heat is generated
between the wear resistant
welding tool and the material
of the work pieces.
FIGURE Friction stir welding (FSW): (1) rotating tool just prior to feeding into joint and
(2) partially completed weld seam. N ¼ tool rotation, f ¼ tool feed.
 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF FSW
 This heat is without reaching the melting
point and allows traversing of the tool along
the weld line.

The plasticized material is transferred the

front edge of the tool to back edge of the tool
probe and it’s forged by the intimate contact
of the tool shoulder and pin profile.
 Friction Stir Welding
Friction stir welding (FSW), illustrated in Figure is a solid state welding process in which
a rotating tool is fed along the joint line between two work pieces, generating friction
heat and mechanically stirring the metal to form the weld seam. The process derives
its name from this stirring or mixing action. FSW is distinguished from conventional
FRW by the fact that friction heat is generated by a separate wear-resistant tool rather
than by the parts themselves. FSW was developed in 1991 at The Welding Institute in
Cambridge, UK.

The rotating tool is stepped, consisting of a cylindrical shoulder and a smaller probe
projecting beneath (Below) it. During welding, the shoulder rubs against the top
surfaces of the two parts, developing much of the friction heat, while the probe
generates additional heat by mechanically mixing the metal along the butt surfaces.
The probe has a geometry designed to facilitate the mixing action. The heat produced
by the combination of friction and mixing does not melt the metal but softens it to a
highly plastic condition.

As the tool is fed forward along the joint, the leading surface of the rotating probe
forces the metal around it and into its wake, developing forces that forge the metal
into a weld seam. The shoulder serves to constrain the plasticized metal flowing
around the probe.
Applications
The FSW process is used in the aerospace, automotive, railway, and
shipbuilding industries. Typical applications are butt joints on large
aluminum parts. Other metals, including steel, copper, and titanium, as
well as polymers and composites have also been joined using FSW.

Advantages in these applications include

(1) good mechanical properties of the weld joint,
(2) avoidance of toxic fumes, warping, shielding issues, and other
problems associated with arc welding,
(3) little distortion or shrinkage, and
(4) good weld appearance.

Disadvantages include
(1) an exit hole is produced when the tool is withdrawn from the work,
and
(2) heavy-duty clamping of the parts is required.