Since its invention in 1991 by The Welding Institute (TWI), Friction Stir Welding (FSW) has been predominantly used for welding aluminum alloys and other soft metals; however significant research over the past decade has enabled the FSW of high melting temperature materials such as steel, titanium, and nickel alloys. FSW is considered a green process […]
Read MoreFriction has been used to weld parts for both new make and for repair for many decades. The friction welding family of processes encompasses many different variants, including rotary friction welding (inertia, direct-drive, and radial), linear friction welding, and more recently, friction stir welding (FSW). In each case, friction heats the material to a plastic […]
Read MoreFrom Webster: fric•tion: the rubbing of one body against another; the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact. Engineers in almost every field work to avoid friction by use of proper design techniques or by applying oils and lubricants. We’ve all seen the TV commercials talking about how a certain oil product […]
Read MoreAeromat 2021 May 24-26, 2021 A Virtual Event Four EWI associates will be presenting this year at Aeromat 2021: Putting Materials and Process Research to Work: Transitioning from the R&D Lab to Application — Ron Aman, Principal Engineer, Tuesday 3/25 at 10:00 am. Relation of Surfact Texture and Surface Finishing with Design of Additive Manufacturing […]
Read MoreThe U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) recently selected projects to receive cost-shared R&D under the opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002192, Extreme Environment Materials for Power Generation. One of the projects selected is Robust Dissimilar Metal Friction Welded Spool for Enhanced Capability for Steam Power […]
Read MoreIn the oil & gas sector, there is a need for enhanced safety, integrity, and reliability of critical infrastructure used in exploration, production, and delivery. To address these issues and concerns, EWI will host an Oil & Gas Technology Innovation Workshop in Houston, on March 25, 2020. Join industry leaders from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 […]
Read MoreMicrojoining encompasses techniques including welding, brazing, soldering, and adhesive bonding. Typically, the technology involves materials with thicknesses less than 0.5 mm. Micro-welding techniques can be applied to join both similar and dissimilar materials combinations. Here are some key applications of microjoining today: For over 30 years, EWI has been developing and applying microjoining technologies to […]
Read MoreSpringback is a critical challenge of forming and welding sheet metal parts for manufacturing applications in the aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics, and heavy manufacturing industries. Springback measurements can vary with material properties, stress-strain variables, part geometry, friction between forming tools, etc. It is difficult to eliminate springback during cold forming processes, but it can be […]
Read MoreInertia welding is a well-established, friction-based, solid-state joining process. Many different applications use this welding process, ranging from aircraft engine parts to air bag inflators to hand tools. Process parameters associated with inertia welding (spindle speed, welding force, inertia, and displacement) have been widely studied since the process gained traction in the late 1960s. One […]
Read MoreA few years ago, I wrote about the excitement of a new toy here at EWI. Since then, we’ve gotten several other new toys, but not one as close to my heart as the baby we just unwrapped! EWI recently took possession of a new Harms and Wende RPS100-K12 RFSSW machine! Woohoo! You have no idea […]
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