The Boeing Company

Spirit Aerosystems, Inc.

Danny R High

Dwight A Burford

Robert M Kay

Edwin H Fenn

Casey D Allen

Gilbert D Sylva

A calibration assembly for a friction stir welding machine having a rotatable pin tool with upper and lower shoulders. The calibration assembly includes: a force measuring component for placement between the upper and lower shoulders of the pin tool; an upper bearing for placement between the upper shoulder of the pin tool and the force measuring component for permitting relative rotation therebetween; and a lower bearing for placement between the lower shoulder of the pin tool and the force measuring component for permitting relative rotation therebetween. The upper and lower bearings permit the pin tool to be rotated relative to the force measuring component during a calibration procedure. This permits the force measuring component to measure the forces directly applied by the pin tool while the upper and lower shoulders are either stationary or rotated relative to the force measuring component.

Dynamic calibration assembly for a friction stir welding machine

A system and associated friction stir welding (FSW) assembly, controller and method for performing a friction stir welding operation are provided. The friction stir welding system includes a FSW device, such as a CNC machine, that includes an actuator capable of moving a FSW tool relative to a workpiece. The system also includes a controller capable of controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator to move the FSW tool. In this regard, the actuator is capable of being driven such that the FSW tool is capable of performing a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece. The controller is capable of monitoring a torque of the actuator to thereby control the FSW device to drive the actuator such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting.

System and associated friction stir welding (FSW) assembly, controller and method for performing a friction stir welding operation

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Wichita, KS, United States of America

Danny R High