Friction stir welding

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is the name given in the UK to a continuous friction welding process which was patented in 1991 by The Welding Institute (TWI). Originally simply "Improvements relating to friction welding", the process did not stop developing until ten years later:

• more than 400 patents have been filed in the UK, Europe, the USA and worldwide (including over 200 in Japan, none in France), demonstrating the activity generated by the interest it has aroused;

• some 60 different organizations (manufacturers, institutes, users) have acquired the license;

• a dozen manufacturers offer appropriate equipment;

• Several industrial applications are currently underway, including the spectacular welding of rocket fuel tanks.