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How Friction-stir Welding Works

Friction-stir Welding: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.

JoiningFamily
4Route steps
22Parts in finder

Friction stir welding joins metal in the solid state with a rotating tool that stirs the material together, avoiding melting and its defects.

At a glance

When to use it, and when not

Best for

Long, strong, low-distortion joints in aluminium: panels, tanks and EV battery trays.

Watch for

Needs rigid fixturing and access for the tool; mostly straight or simple paths.

Step by step

The typical route

Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.

  1. Fixture

    Clamp rigidly with solid backing.
    Tooling Fixture   Tolerance -   Lead -

  2. FSW

    Friction-stir weld the joint.
    Tooling FSW machine   Tolerance -   Lead -

  3. Trim

    Trim run-on/off tabs.
    Tooling -   Tolerance -   Lead -

  4. Inspect

    Leak/NDT the joint.
    Tooling -   Tolerance -   Lead -
Materials

Materials it suits

GradeWhy it suits this
Aluminium 5xxx/6xxxIdeal for FSW
Aluminium 7xxxHigh strength
Design

Design tips

A few general pointers for Friction-stir Welding. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.

  • Poor backing support. Design a solid backing/fixture.
  • Start/stop keyhole left in part. Add run-off tabs.
Cost

What it costs

Strong, low-distortion solid-state welds in aluminium (panels, battery trays, tanks); needs rigid fixturing.

PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
one-offat volumeVolume per order, low to highCost per part
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$65 to 185 per part at 1 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
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Everything you need to quote and source it

The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:

  • Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
  • Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
  • A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
  • The full DFM list and a ready-to-send RFQ draft
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Examples

Parts made by Friction-stir Welding

22 parts in the finder use Friction-stir Welding as their primary process. A sample, each with its own guide:

aerospace jointaircraft fuselagealuminum panelbattery enclosurerocket tankship deck
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How is a part made by Friction-stir Welding?
Friction stir welding joins metal in the solid state with a rotating tool that stirs the material together, avoiding melting and its defects. The typical route is: Fixture; FSW; Trim; Inspect. Long, strong, low-distortion joints in aluminium: panels, tanks and EV battery trays.
What does Friction-stir Welding cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $65 to 185 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Friction-stir Welding hold?
It depends on the feature and the finishing operations used.
What materials suit Friction-stir Welding?
Common choices are Aluminium 5xxx/6xxx (Ideal for FSW); Aluminium 7xxx (High strength).
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