Patent ID: 8528803
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A friction stir welding apparatus comprising: a welding tool having, at its tip, a protrusion which comes into contact with a welding target portion of workpieces; a rotation driver configured to cause the welding tool to rotate around an axis; a movement driver configured to cause the welding tool to move in an axis direction; a backing member configured to support the workpieces during welding by contacting the welding target portion at an opposite side to a side at which the welding tool contacts the welding target portion during the welding in which the welding tool moves and presses the welding target portion of the workpieces while rotating; a controller configured to control operations of the rotation driver and the movement driver based on preset processing conditions; a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of a temperature measurement point provided in the backing member; and a temperature monitor programmed to obtain the temperature of the temperature measurement point and to calculate, based on a predefined correlation between a temperature of the welding tool and a temperature of the backing member, an estimated temperature of the welding tool from the temperature of the temperature measurement point.