A spinning tool plunges into two pieces of metal, rotating at a high rate of speed. As the tool begins to move, it softens and mixes the metal, creating a powerful weld—one that can securely join similar and dissimilar materials (particularly metals and alloys) without rivets, fasteners, or adhesive. This advanced manufacturing technique—called friction stir welding—requires only a fraction of the energy required by conventional techniques, but it isn’t used on many assembly lines today.
‘Self-fixturing’ friction stir technique removes barriers for US manufacturing
