Prototype and Low Volume Friction Welding of Dissimilar Materials

The rotary friction welding (RFW) service provided by Coldwater Machine Company (Coldwater, OH) is for companies interested in prototype or short-run production ranges of 100 to 600 parts using the SpinMeld™ solid state joining system for joining bar stock and tubes, rods, cylinders, fasteners, studs, nuts and fittings on various parts, as well as drills, rods and hand tools with carbide inserts, heat sinks, air bag inflators, electrodes and virtually any shafted component that can be comprised of dissimilar materials. Coldwater specializes in applications where the cylindrical or symmetrical spinning component is 2 in solid diameter or less, 25 in long or less, with a thickness of at least 1/16 in. Larger diameters can be handled depending upon the contact surface area of the materials. SpinMeld provides high speed capability for joining of dissimilar materials only offered by a handful of American companies. The system can join steels, aluminum, cast or sintered metals, magnesium, brass, ceramics with mixed metal connections, and dissimilar combinations of these materials.

With this service, Coldwater also develops the necessary tooling for work holding, as well as mechanical testing, cross-sectioning and non-destructive testing of the component weld MET lab. Production quality samples for evaluation and testing using supplied workpieces can be created to prove process feasibility. Rotary friction welding joins a spinning workpiece to a stationary one by rotational friction energy and applied force. The materials are heated to a plastic (non-melting) state at the joint interface. The materials are then forged together by force, creating a strong joint. This process offers numerous benefits over other welding techniques, including higher weld strength and airtight welds absent of voids, a minimal heat affected zone, consistent weld duplication, and the elimination of consumables or fillers. As all weld parameters are monitored during the joining process, the weld quality is validated each cycle, eliminating the need for post process and destructive testing that often tie up valuable resources in production environments.

Coldwater Machine Company, 911 North 2nd Street, Coldwater, OH 45828-8736, 419-678-4877, dbarry@coldwatermachine.com, www.coldwatermachine.com/spin-friction-welding.