Aerospace Welding
Reduce material and machining requirements with strong, lightweight, repeatable solid-state welds for demanding aerospace components.
Send a Drawing / RFQ View the Design GuideNew design, existing component, dissimilar-metal challenge, near-net-shape opportunity, or sourcing problem: start with the part you are trying to improve.
When the joint affects weight, material cost, machining, or reliability, the joining process matters.
AFW is a leading producer of friction-welded components for aerospace manufacturing. Its ability to join parts involving dissimilar metals, grades, thicknesses, and shapes gives aircraft and aerospace manufacturers another production path when material selection, component weight, machining time, dimensional requirements, inspection, repeatability, or supply-chain complexity drives the design.
Expensive material should not become expensive scrap.
Machining a complete component from a large billet or forging can consume significant amounts of costly aerospace material. Friction welding can allow near-net-shape components to be manufactured separately and joined afterward, reducing unnecessary material and machining and lowering overall manufacturing cost.
The best material for one end may not be the best material for the other.
Rotary friction welding can join many similar and dissimilar metals without filler material, giving engineers another option when an application calls for different alloys within one component.
Critical joints have to be validated, not assumed.
AFW develops the welding process around the actual alloy, geometry, heat-treat condition, dimensional requirements, and inspection criteria. Destructive and non-destructive testing can be incorporated as required by the application.
Build the component around what it needs to do, not around the limitations of a conventional weld.
AFW combines friction welding capacity, application engineering, process development, testing, and secondary manufacturing support to take suitable aerospace components from initial evaluation through repeatable production.
Rotary Friction Welding
Solid-state joining with one component rotating relative to another under axial force, followed by forge pressure to create the metallurgical bond. The process can create a full-strength, cross-sectional bond without a fusion-weld pool, helping avoid trapped air and porosity in the weld.
- No filler metal; the resulting bond can develop strength comparable to the parent materials
- Minimal surface preparation; oils and surface impurities are displaced into the excess weld material, or flash
- Narrow heat-affected zone helps preserve the molecular and material integrity of the parent metals
- High-strength welds for demanding aerospace applications
- Repeatable, highly automated processing
Candidate Component Geometry
Round and rotationally symmetric parts are generally the strongest candidates.
- Axles and shafts
- Castings and forgings
- Threaded rod and threaded components
- Rods and tubes
- Bar-to-bar and tube-to-bar assemblies
Put material performance where the component needs it.
One of rotary friction welding's most valuable aerospace advantages is the ability to evaluate material combinations that can be difficult, inefficient, or impractical to join with conventional fusion welding.
Suitability depends on the exact alloy designation, heat-treat condition, joint geometry, required mechanical properties, and service environment.
AFW also works with many other metal constructions beyond those listed here.
More efficient component architecture can start at the weld interface.
Friction welding can change how a component is sourced, machined, joined, and validated—not merely replace one welding process with another.
Manufacture individual sections closer to final geometry instead of machining an entire component from one oversized piece.
Join near-net-shape forgings, castings, tubes, bar stock, and other forms into a finished assembly.
Use different metals in different areas of a component when the application and material requirements support a dissimilar-metal design.
Because rotary friction welding is a solid-state process, the base materials do not have to be melted to create the joint.
Computer-controlled welding parameters allow an established process to be repeated consistently through production.
Send the print before the design is locked.
The best time to evaluate friction welding is often before the component design and manufacturing route are finalized. The goal is not simply to determine whether two pieces can be welded; it is to determine whether friction welding creates a better manufacturing path for the complete component.
Establish the process, validate the joint, then repeat it.
Review the Application
AFW reviews the drawing, component geometry, exact materials, heat-treat condition, performance requirements, production volume, and quality documentation.
Develop the Process
Welding parameters, tooling, fixturing, upset requirements, flash behavior, dimensional considerations, and secondary operations are evaluated.
Validate the Joint
Prototype and development welds can be evaluated using destructive, metallurgical, dimensional, and non-destructive methods appropriate to the program.
Move Into Production
Once the process and inspection plan are established, computer-controlled friction welding supports repeatable production to customer requirements.
Aerospace weld integrity has to be measurable.
AFW supports friction-weld development and production with destructive and non-destructive testing methods selected around the customer's requirements.
Destructive & Metallurgical Testing
Available evaluation methods include:
- Bend testing
- Tensile testing
- Torque testing
- Macroetch examination
- Hardness testing
- Impact testing
- Cross-section examination
Non-Destructive & Dimensional Inspection
Ultrasonic testing can be incorporated into production inspection as specified by the application, from sampling plans through 100% inspection when required.
Dimensional inspection can also evaluate drawing-specific characteristics such as overall length, runout, and concentricity.
Start with the component, material problem, or manufacturing constraint.
Friction welding is not a sideline at AFW. It is our core manufacturing process.
AFW has provided subcontract friction welding services since 1986 from its Waukesha, Wisconsin facility.
- North America's largest friction welder
- 18 high-precision, computer-controlled friction welding centers
- 63,000-square-foot climate-controlled facility
- ISO 9001:2015 certified
- AWS C6.1 and C6.2
- ISO 15620
- ASME IX
- Product design and development support
- Material procurement
- Flash removal
- Weld testing and inspection
- Precision machining
- Finishing and special-process coordination
- Inventory management
- ERP system: Vantage by EPICOR
- Corrective / preventative action program
- Weld Procedure Specifications (WPS)
- Internal quality audit program
AFW's role is to help determine whether friction welding makes technical and economic sense for the application, develop the process when it does, and produce it consistently.
Questions engineering and sourcing teams usually need answered first.
Can rotary friction welding join dissimilar aerospace metals?
Yes. Many similar and dissimilar metal combinations are strong candidates for friction welding. Results depend on the exact alloys, heat-treat conditions, component geometry, and required mechanical properties. Some combinations require additional evaluation or may not be appropriate for critical applications.
Can AFW friction weld titanium, Inconel, stainless steel, and other aerospace alloys?
AFW works with a broad range of metals including titanium, stainless steels, carbon and alloy steels, Inconel and other nickel alloys, aluminum, copper, Monel, Incoloy, and other specialty materials. The exact material pair should be evaluated before a design is finalized.
What aerospace parts are good candidates for rotary friction welding?
Round and rotationally symmetric components are generally the best candidates. Typical geometries include shafts, axles, rods, tubes, forgings, castings, threaded components, and similar assemblies. AFW can review the drawing to determine whether the geometry is compatible with available equipment and tooling.
Why use friction welding instead of machining an aerospace component from one piece?
Joining separately manufactured near-net-shape components can reduce premium-material consumption and machining time. It can also allow different materials to be used in different sections of the finished component.
How are aerospace friction welds inspected?
Inspection depends on the application and customer requirements. AFW can use dimensional inspection, destructive testing such as bend or tensile testing, metallurgical examination, and non-destructive methods including ultrasonic testing. Production UT can range from sampling to 100% inspection when specified.
Does friction welding require filler metal?
No. Rotary friction welding creates the metallurgical bond directly between the parent materials without filler metal.
Can AFW help before an aerospace RFQ is fully developed?
Yes. Early review is encouraged when material selection, joint design, geometry, machining allowance, flash, runout, tooling, inspection, or production requirements are still being established.
What should I send AFW for an application review or quote?
When available, send the PDF drawing or STEP model, exact alloy designations, heat-treat conditions, hardness requirements, prototype quantity, annual production volume, delivery requirements, dimensional requirements, FAI or PPAP requirements, material certifications, mechanical testing requirements, and NDT requirements. AFW can begin with partial information if the manufacturing approach is still being evaluated.
Have an aerospace component that is expensive to machine, difficult to join, or a candidate for dissimilar materials?
Send the drawing, material specifications, annual volume, testing requirements, or simply the manufacturing problem you are trying to solve. AFW can help determine whether rotary friction welding is a fit before you commit to the wrong manufacturing path.
Send a Drawing / RFQ Review the Design GuideMaterial Types: castings, forgings, billets, bar stock, pipe, and plate.
Other Industries Served: Aerospace, Agriculture, Automotive, Beverage, Chemical, Food, Heavy Equipment, Medical, Military, Oil and Gas, Power Generation, and Transportation
