Patent ID: 6360937
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
Method for joining elements to one another by means of friction stir welding, comprising the following steps:clamping the elements such that parts thereof which face one another and are to be joined are immovable with respect to one another, bringing a mandrel into contact with the parts in the region of a joint to be produced, cyclically moving the mandrel with respect to the elements such that frictional heat is generated and the parts are brought into a plastic state, limiting the distribution of frictional heat in at least one of the elements such that the frictional heat is concentrated in and localized to the parts of the at least one element which have been brought into the plastic state, wherein the step of limiting the distribution of frictional heat comprises bringing at least one element into contact with a static insulator which has a lower coefficient of thermal conductivity than the element, and allowing the parts brought into the plastic state to cool in order to form the joint.