Patent ID: 11858062
Assignee: FUSEMATIC CORPORATION
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 27:
28. A method for friction welding a plurality of fixtures to a substrate in a pattern referenced from a selected fixed position on the substrate, said method comprising:
temporarily securing a clamp base at the selected fixed position on the substrate for the pattern of the fixtures;
attaching said portable friction welding tool to a traveling mount providing a fixture loading system;
attaching the traveling mount to the clamp base through a connection allowing relative movement of the portable friction welding tool over a plurality of indexed positions relative to the substrate;
moving the portable friction welding tool to a first selection from among the indexed positions relative to the substrate and locking the travelling mount in position; installing one of the fixtures at a first indexed position within the pattern;
articulating the portable friction welding tool using the fixture loading system to reorient the position of the portable friction welding tool allowing access for loading a next of the fixtures into a collet without disengaging and removing said portable friction welding tool from connection with the clamp base;
installing the next fixture in the collet;
moving the portable friction welding tool to a next selection from among the indexed positions relative to the substrate and locking the travelling mount in position;
installing the next fixture to the substrate; and
repeating steps to install subsequent fixtures at subsequent indexed positions until the precise pattern has been completed.