Friction welding brings many advantages to pump and valve manufacturing, as the process provides a high-strength, cost-effective solution to join piping system components together. The result is a complete metal fusion of butt welds and socket welds without the need for fluxes, fillers, gasses, or external heat input. The solid-state process requires minimal joint preparation and eliminates the possibility of porosity or slag inclusion. The narrow heat-affected zone of the weld area protects the molecular integrity of both components. The weld is completed under computer control with the bonding method providing consistent and repetitive results with a faster production turn-around.
Cost savings result by reducing the amount of raw material, post-weld machining, and tooling required to produce a completed part. Design flexibility provides valve body construction from one metal and shaft selection from a lower cost stock or vice versa. The joining of dissimilar welding materials is possible where conventional methods may not work.
The AFW team will work with you to engineer the correct design solution, establish consistent welding procedures, and ensure superior strength for all welded connections.
Click to view other examples of welding dissimilar metal shapes.
