Patent ID: 8814026
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A friction stir welding apparatus which performs friction stir welding on a work piece by bringing a tool into contact with a surface of the work piece and rotating the tool about the longitudinal axis of the tool and moving the tool relative to the work piece, the friction stir welding apparatus comprising: a main body for holding the tool such that the main body moves with the tool relative to the work piece; a hot air and cool air separating unit disposed at the main body and which separates a supplied gas into hot air hotter than the gas and cool air cooler than the gas in a tube portion and ejects the cool air from a first end of the tube portion and ejects hot air from a second end of the tube portion; a cool air passage extending from the first end of the tube portion for conveying the cool air in a direction from the main body toward the work piece; and a hot air passage extending from the second end of the tube portion for conveying the hot air in a direction from the main body toward the work piece, wherein the hot air passage has a hot air opening at a front end of the hot air passage, the hot air opening being disposed on a front side of the main body and arranged to direct the hot air to the surface of the workpiece, wherein the cool air passage has a cool air opening at a front end of the cool air passage, the cool air opening being disposed on a rear side of the main body and arranged to direct the cool air to the surface of the workpiece, and wherein the front side of the main body and the rear side of the main body are opposed to each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tool, and the hot air opening is disposed on an opposite side of the main body from the cool air opening in the lateral direction.