Friction stir welding apparatus and method of operating same

A friction stir welding apparatus 1 and a method of operating the friction stir welding apparatus are disclosed. The friction stir welding apparatus 1 includes a rotary tool 3 whose extremity constitutes a probe 32, a retaining arm 2 which supports the rotary tool, and a roller 5 provided at a posit...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors MITSURU SAYAMA, TETSUYA MIYAHARA, FUMIAKI FUKUCHI
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 08.08.2007
Subjects
CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING
CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING
MACHINE TOOLS
METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING
TRANSPORTING
WELDING
WORKING BY LASER BEAM
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Summary:A friction stir welding apparatus 1 and a method of operating the friction stir welding apparatus are disclosed. The friction stir welding apparatus 1 includes a rotary tool 3 whose extremity constitutes a probe 32, a retaining arm 2 which supports the rotary tool, and a roller 5 provided at a position of the retaining arm opposite the rotary tool. The method includes adjusting the retaining arm 2 so as to position workpieces W1, W2 between the rotary tool 3 and the roller 5 while adjusting the roller to turn in a direction where a joint line of the workpieces extends, rotating the rotary tool and lowering the probe 32 until the probe presses the workpieces, gradually inserting the probe into the joint line, and moving the probe along the joint line. The apparatus 1 is preferably provided on a robot arm (10, figure 1) which is movable in three dimensional directions. The roller 5 is preferably a caster roller 52 attached to a rotary shaft member 51 which rotates about an axis identical with a rotation axis of the rotary tool 3.
Bibliography:Application Number: GB20070001732