Welding is invariably used in diverse industrial sectors for joining a variety of structural components.The constant demand for new improved material requirements for applications necessitates the development of innovative joining techniques.
Demands for improved productivity, efficiency and quality pose challenges to the welding industry. As materials become ever more sophisticated in their chemical composition to provide a better functionally, a more complete and precise understanding of how such materials can be joined for optimal effectiveness and efficiency is essential.
Traditional methods for welding are evolving, sometimes to provide new capabilities. In addition, new methods are emerging to meet unimagined new designs and requirements.
Electromagnetic pulse welding uses electromagnetic forces for deformation and joining of workpieces. This process also offers the possibility to join dissimilar materials, which are difficult to weld using the conventional welding processes. It is an automatic welding process, which can be used for tubular and sheet metal applications.
Friction spot welding (i.e. refill friction stir spot welding) is a spot welding technique, particularly suitable for welding aluminium. Friction spot welding also has a remarkably greater employability, such as the welding of advanced higher-strength aluminium alloys, which are not weldable with conventional welding techniques. It is also possible to weld dissimilar materials such as aluminium-steel, coated aluminium alloys or materials with highly uneven thickness.
Friction welding is a versatile and innovative welding process, that has many applications in different industries. The advantages of this process are that high-quality joins can be realised, that this process is much faster than the conventional welding processes and that it can be fully automated, so that a constant quality is guaranteed. Also for this process, we have a machine available.
Ultrasonic welding is a welding process that uses high frequency vibration energy. It is a solid-state welding process, which means that the materials to be welded are not melted but brought into a plastic state to join them. The process was developed in the 1960s and is mainly used for plastics, but there are also very interesting applications for metals.
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that uses a non-consumable tool to join two facing workpieces without melting the workpiece material. Heat is generated by friction between the rotating tool and the workpiece material, which leads to a softened region near the FSW tool.
FRIEX is a friction-based welding process for automatic welding of large-diameter pipes. The prototype of the welding machine for pipes up to 500 mm is operational and produces good welding results.
Electron beam welding is a fusion welding process where the heat is generated by the impact of electrons, which are generated and accelerated by an electron gun. Applications include welding of the most thin foils to joining of parts with a thickness of more than 100 mm, in a single cycle. It is possible to weld almost the complete spectrum of metals and various material combinations.
Non-thermal joining of sheet material is used in almost all industries. Besides adhesive bonding, mechanical joining is getting more important, especially for joining of dissimilar materials. Modern high strength steels, whose mechanical properties are based on special heat treatments, can no longer be welded in the traditional way. New joining techniques must be used, which affect less the material properties. Mechanical joining techniques are ideal and offer numerous benefits that justify their use.
