Friction stir welding of thermoplastics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456985-B2
Application number	US-201615140693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A method for manufacturing components includes joining a first edge of a thermoplastic-containing first component part and a second edge of a thermoplastic-containing second component part to one another without any overlap. The first and the second edge are interconnected by friction stir welding. Friction stir welding involves rubbing a rotating friction stir welding pin against at least one metal object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing components, the method comprising:
joining a first edge of a thermoplastic-containing first component part and a second edge of a thermoplastic-containing second component part to one another without any overlap; and
connecting the first edge and the second edge by friction stir welding, the friction stir welding including rubbing a rotating friction stir welding pin against at least one metal object, wherein the at least one metal object is incorporated into the first and/or the second component part in a form of one or more wires, fragments, balls, a foil and/or a metal sheet,
wherein, prior to joining, the method comprises driving the metal object into the thermoplastic-containing first and/or second component part, and/or applying the metal object in a form of a metal layer to the thermoplastic-containing first and/or second component part.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal object comprises at least one wire incorporated into the first and/or second component part and/or at least one fiber incorporated into the first and/or second component part.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first component part and/or the second component part contains a multi-layered composite material in which the metal object is coated at least in portions with a thermoplastic-containing material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, during friction stir welding, a tip of the friction stir welding pin rubs against a base plate having a metal portion and on which the first and the second edge are joined to one another so as to rest thereon.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the metal portion and/or the friction stir welding pin are coated with a separation layer at least in part.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
detaching the interconnected first and second component parts from the base plate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, on the first edge, the first component part comprises a welding surface of which 10% to 40% is formed by one or more surfaces of the at least one metal object.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein, on the first edge, the first component part comprises a welding surface of which 20% to 30% is formed by one or more surfaces of the at least one metal object.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and/or the second component parts are free of metal at a distance of 1 cm from the first edge and the second edge, respectively.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and/or the second component parts are free of metal at a distance of 0.5 cm from the first edge and the second edge, respectively.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the components are or comprise shell elements for a fuselage region of aircraft and/or air-freight containers.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the friction stir welding pin has not been pre-heated before connecting the first and the second edge.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more fibers as a metal object are incorporated into the first and/or the second component part.

14. A method for manufacturing components, the method comprising:
joining a first edge of a thermoplastic-containing first component part and a second edge of a thermoplastic-containing second component part to one another without any overlap; and
connecting the first edge and the second edge by friction stir welding, the friction stir welding including rubbing a rotating friction stir welding pin against at least one metal object, wherein the at least one metal object is incorporated into the first and/or the second component part in a form of one or more wires, fragments, balls, a foil and/or a metal sheet,
wherein the first component part and/or the second component part contains a multi-layered composite material in which the metal object is coated at least in portions with a thermoplastic-containing material.

15. A method for manufacturing components, the method comprising:
joining a first edge of a thermoplastic-containing first component part and a second edge of a thermoplastic-containing second component part to one another without any overlap; and
connecting the first edge and the second edge by friction stir welding, the friction stir welding including rubbing a rotating friction stir welding pin against at least one metal object, wherein the at least one metal object is incorporated into the first and/or the second component part in a form of one or more wires, fragments, balls, a foil and/or a metal sheet,
wherein the first and/or the second component parts are free of metal at a distance of 1 cm from the first edge and the second edge, respectively.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Silvanus Juergen
• Fietzek Heiko

Classifications

• B23K2103/172

  wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic · CPC title

• B29C66/43

  Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles (B29C66/45 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/1142

  Single butt to butt joints · CPC title

• B29K2705/00

  Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts · CPC title

• B29C66/7212

  characterised by the composition of the fibres · CPC title