Patent ID: 7198189

Claim:
A friction stir welding tool for simultaneously making a plurality of parallel welds, said friction stir welding tool comprising: a plurality of friction stir welding modules, each of said friction stir welding modules comprising; at least one friction stir welding pin; a pair of workpicce engaging surfaces facing said at least one friction stir welding pin; each of said workpiece engaging surfaces being disposed on a shoulder attached to or integral with said at least one friction stir welding pin, whereby said shoulders and pin(s) rotate in unison; said friction stir welding modules being directly connected to each other whereby said modules rotate in unison; at least one shank attached to or integral with at least one of said friction stir welding modules, whereby said shank and said modules rotate in unison; said at least one shank for engagement with a chuck or collet of a friction stir welding machine to be rotated thereby.