Patent ID: 9015948
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: B23K,B23P,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of joining clad metal aircraft skins, comprising: removing a layer of clad material from an aircraft skin along an edge of the aircraft skin and from another aircraft skin along an edge of the other aircraft skin, the aircraft skin and the other aircraft skin including aluminum or aluminum alloy aside from the clad material; placing the edge of the aircraft skin in an edge-to-edge abutment with the edge of the other aircraft skin, an upper surface of the edge of the aircraft skin substantially abutting an upper surface of the edge of the other aircraft skin; friction stir welding the aircraft skin and the other aircraft skin along the edge-to edge abutment using a rotating pin tool, wherein removing the layer of clad material is sufficient to avoid interference with plastic deformation and recrystallization of the aluminum or aluminum alloy during the friction stir welding; and adding clad material along the edge of the aircraft skin and along the edge of the other aircraft skin where the layer of clad material was removed.