Patent ID: 7641739

Claim:
A method for cleaning a friction stir welding tool having a weld process residue material on a surface of the tool, comprising the steps of: performing a friction stir welding process with a non-consumable friction stir welding tool, wherein weld process residue remains on the surface of the tool after the friction stir welding process activating a friction stir welding machine so that the friction stir welding tool having the process residue material moves in a first rotational direction; heating for an effective period of time the friction stir welding tool having the weld process residue material until the tool reaches an effective temperature that does not overheat the tool and that heats and transforms the process residue material from a solid process residue material to a plasticized process residue material; contacting the friction stir welding tool with a tool cleaner component when the effective temperature is attained, rotating the tool cleaner component in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, and removing with the tool cleaner component the plasticized process residue material from the surface of the tool for an effective period of time until all or substantially all of the residue material is removed from the surface of the tool; and, cooling the friction stir welding tool to ambient temperature.