High quality welds can be produced in very straightforward, but heavy and expensive equipment. The welding parameters, although being relatively few, are critical and must be carefully controlled. The fixture and clamping used must be very powerful and exact. The profiles to be welded need to be designed with FSW in mind. A dose co-operation between profile design departments, presses and FSW welders will facilitate the process. Sapa's welding machine is placed in line with the material flow from the presses in the Finspang plant in order to create an effective system with a minimum of handling and waiting time. The machine is fitted with three welding heads, two from above and one from below.This makes it possible to weld from both sides at the same time. In addition, it is possible to weld from one side only while still maintaining high productivity. The FSW equipment can handle both massive and hollow profiles. Special fixture and clamping arrangements can be designed for producing curved shapes within certain limits. The three welding heads, independently controlled, represents a significant step forward in the automation of the process. After welding, the panels are cut to length in an automatic saw live. During the process, the quality of the welds is checked both with video cameras, scanning laser and an automated process parameter control- and monitoring-system. Extensive testing, both mechanical and nondestructive, are done an the panels. FSW is an established process, with several units producing a variety of products from small components to large panels. The large press in Finspang, with a force of 65 MN makes it possible for Sapa to produce not only wide but also thin extrusions with high tolerances. The production of aluminium panels using FSW, though involving heavy investments, both in equipment and in R&D, has been successful and enhanced the possibilities when working with aluminium profiles.
Experiences when producing train parts using FSW
2003
4 Seiten, 6 Bilder, 7 Quellen
Conference paper
English
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