Marine Aluminium AS: Friction Stir Welding

Capabilities

Friction Stir Welding (FSW)

The advantage of this solid-state process is that its producing welds between extruded aluminium profiles through friction heating without the need for either shielding gas or filler metal.

The maximum length of welding is 16m, and by welding many profiles together, one can produce panels up to 20 metres in width. Only aluminium alloys in the 6xxx-series are certified for production. The profile thickness varies from 2mm to 12mm, at certified welding speeds up to 3.6m/min. The surface of the resulting panels is smooth, and requires no further grinding or brushing to improve the finish. The lower heat required for welding the profiles means that there is less distortion, and the technology produces panels with better mechanical properties than fusion welded.

At time of acquisition, this was the first production machine of its kind in the world. From 01/97-09/04 app. 465.000m of FSW welding have been produced.

	FSW machine in 1600m² facility
A continuous technology improvement from 2000, and equipment upgrading during 2001 and 2004 have resulted in improved welding speed, logistics and QA systems, with the aim of effectively producing larger panels in the future.