Tue, 07 January, 2025
Following feedback from our Industrial Members, we are proposing four potential joint industry projects (JIP) related to friction stir welding and processing to be undertaken in 2025.
Each of the projects have their own specific scope and benefits to enhance production speeds, reduce defects, and deliver automated solutions that help counter skills shortages.
The four proposed JIPs for friction stir welding and processing are:
- FSW of Steel: Increasing the Thickness Capability
Considerable interest has been shown in increasing the thickness capability, allowing welds to be made in steel up to 25mm thick. Potential application areas include, shipbuilding, pressure vessels, pipelines, nuclear waste canisters, process plant and port infrastructure.
- Dissimilar Metal (DMW) and Corrosion Resistant Alloy (CRA) Welds
A study to demonstrate the feasibility of making dissimilar welds between several grades of steel and CRAs, characterising the properties of the welds made. This has the potential to reduce costs, avoid potentially harmful microstructures, and provide guidance on the parameters required for friction stir welding of CRAs.
- Fatigue Life Enhancement and Weld Repair in Steel by FSW
Research has shown that the fine grained, wrought microstructures generated by friction stir welding in steel can have excellent fatigue performance, typically matching or exceeding that of the parent metal. This shows that there is considerable potential to use friction stir processing to repair and / or enhance the fatigue properties of existing arc welded fabrications, reducing fatigue repair costs and enhance the service life of assets.
- Hybrid Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)/FSW for Steel
Combining SAW and FSW would allow these processes to compensate for one-another’s individual disadvantages and create a solution that delivers the benefits of FSW along with the speed, thickness capability, and gap-filling properties of SAW.
About Joint Industry Projects
Joint industry projects (JIP) are programmes of work that are of mutual interest to a number of organisations. Interested parties are invited to sponsor the projects, allowing them to share the cost and yet still gain the benefits of the project outcomes. Sponsors are provided with progress updates and are able to guide the direction of the research to better suit their needs.
You can find out more about JIPs, here.
Help shape these projects
At this early stage in the formulation of our FSW JIP plans, we welcome additional feedback to supplement that already received from Member companies to form the basis of these offerings. We would particularly welcome input to the types and grades of steels and alloys to be considered, and potential additional application areas. These suggestions will help shape and prioritise the technical content of the JIPs.
We are holding a launch event to announce these proposed projects and to allow you to get more information on 29 January, 2025 at 13:00 – you can find out more and register for this event, here: https://www.twi-global.com/media-and-events/events-diary/joint-industry-project-launch-on-friction-stir-welding.
If you would like to find out more or express an interest in any of these proposed projects, please email jip@twi.co.uk.