Patent ID: 8146795

Claim:
A method of friction welding comprising: providing a first workpiece having a first weld surface and a second workpiece having a second weld surface; arranging the first workpiece such that the first workpiece tapers away from the first weld surface, where such tapering away begins at the first weld surface, the first workpiece converging in a first direction beginning at the first weld surface, the first direction being away from the first weld surface and away from the second workpiece; positioning the first and second workpieces such that the first weld surface of the first workpiece abuts the second weld surface of the second workpiece; oscillating the first and second workpieces relative to each other such that at least one of the weld surfaces of at least one of the workpieces moves relative to the other weld surface of the other workpiece such that temperature increases at the weld surfaces to create a weld interface; and stopping the oscillating and allowing the first and second weld surfaces of the first and second workpieces to cool to weld the first and second workpieces together, the first workpiece tapers to reduce a flow rate of weld flash material during the oscillating of the first and second workpieces relative to each other to reduce at least one of: formation of strain induced porosity at edges of the weld and cracking at the edges of the weld.