Wichita State University

The Boeing Company

Other

Dwight A Burford

Robert M Kay

Edwin H Fenn

Danny R High

Ronnie G Kendall

An apparatus includes a connector and is configured to mount to a machine having multiple axes of control. A control signal on the connector determines a path of a rotating tool holder.

End effector for forming swept friction stir spot welds

A mandrel tool probe is provided for performing a friction-stir process. The mandrel tool probe includes a shank and a tip coupled to the shank, where the shank and tip are concentric and rotatable about a given axis. The tip includes a set of a plurality of physically-separate, spiraled surfaces each of which has a linear or curved cross-section that extends along a length of the tip at a constant or varying spiral angle around the circumference of the tip. The tip also has a cross-section with a constant shape along the length of the tip, with the cross-section of the tip including a plurality of major segments each of which is formed of the cross-section of a respective spiraled surface.

Mandrel tool probe for friction stir welding having physically-separate spiraled surfaces

A friction stir welding tool having a shoulder section with a scroll pattern that terminates prior to the edge or boundary of the shoulder section to create a scroll-free concentric surface area.

Friction stir welding tool having a scroll-free concentric region

A friction stir welding tool having one or more tapered flats for promoting flow of weld material toward the pin terminus and one or more counter-spiraling channels or threads which for promoting flow of the weld material toward the tool shoulder.

Friction stir welding tool having a counterflow pin configuration

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

There is provided a mandrel for spin forming that has a backing plate with removably attached mandrel portions and mandrel spacers, such that the mandrel is adaptable to numerous configurations. The various configurations of the mandrel are used to provide different spin forming contour surfaces upon which metal sheets or other spin formable materials can be spin formed. The adaptable mandrel also provides the ability to create a desired spin formed product from either a single metal sheet or multiple metal sheets joined by friction stir welding or other suitable processes. A spin formed welded metal sheet may also undergo a trimming process to remove the portions of the welded metal sheet having sufficiently different material properties resulting from the weld process, including the weld joint.

Growing community of inventors

Wichita, KS, United States of America

Dwight A Burford