Rotary friction welding is a solid-state joining process that TWI has been at the forefront of development of for more than 50 years.
The technique, also known as spin welding, involves one part to be joined being spun at high speeds and pressed against the other part to be joined, which is held in a stationary position. The resulting friction heats the parts to a temperature at which they can join together, at which point the rotational force is removed and the two parts are pushed together while they cool.
Although its use is generally restricted to cylindrical or circular parts, rotary friction welding is an excellent choice for the joining of dissimilar materials.
The process brings numerous other benefits: it is quick, inexpensive, involves the use of no consumables, can accommodate in-process monitoring for quality assurance, and due to its solid-state nature allows the parts being joined to retain properties close to those of the parent materials.
How TWI can help
Along with the expertise and insight inherent to 50 years of process development, TWI is able to offer a number of services relating to rotary friction welding:
- 6–20mm diameter solid bar machine
- 25–100mm diameter machine
- Advice on component design
- Advice on application development
- Capacity to complete short production runs and subcontract friction welding
Potential applications
Rotary friction welding has been widely adopted across industry, and has been used for a multitude of applications. These include the following:
- Copper and aluminium electrical connections
- Transition joints between aluminium alloys and stainless steels
- Automotive parts including steel truck axels and casings
- Monel-to-steel marine fittings
- Turbine shafts
- Aluminium alloys to titanium for military applications
- Titanium alloys for aerospace components
- Cuttings tools
- Piston rods
An example of our work using rotary friction welding can be viewed in this case study:
You can find out more about Rotary Friction Welding in our Job Knowledge section.