Patent ID: 7255258

Claim:
A friction stir welding system comprising: a friction stir welding (FSW) device comprising an actuator configured for moving a FSW tool relative to a workpiece, wherein the actuator comprises a plunge actuator configured for moving the FSW tool along a plunge axis; and a controller configured for controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator to move the FSW relative to the workpiece such that the FSW tool is configured for performing a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece, wherein the controller is configured for monitoring a torque of the actuator in accordance with one or more numerical control instructions designed for machining components, wherein the controller is configured for controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting, and wherein the controller is configured for controlling the FSW device such that the plunge actuator is driven to move the FSW tool into further contact with the workpiece when the torque decreases below a range about a plunge torque setting, and driven to move the FSW tool into reduced contact with the workpiece when the torque increases above the range about the plunge torque setting.