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Friction Stir Welding in Mazda RX-8

Mazda Motor Corporation has introduced friction stir welding, a new method that uses pressure and friction instead of resistance to create heat for welding metal. This process significantly reduces energy consumption by about 99% compared to resistance welding of aluminum and 80% for steel, and it eliminates the need for filler metal and shielding gas. Currently, it is used on the hood and rear door panels of the 2004 Mazda RX-8, with potential for future repair procedures as its application expands.

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Manivannan Muthuswamy Parijatham
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10 views1 page

Friction Stir Welding in Mazda RX-8

Mazda Motor Corporation has introduced friction stir welding, a new method that uses pressure and friction instead of resistance to create heat for welding metal. This process significantly reduces energy consumption by about 99% compared to resistance welding of aluminum and 80% for steel, and it eliminates the need for filler metal and shielding gas. Currently, it is used on the hood and rear door panels of the 2004 Mazda RX-8, with potential for future repair procedures as its application expands.

Uploaded by

Manivannan Muthuswamy Parijatham
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

July 14, 2003

Technical Information For The Collision Industry

Friction Stir Welding – A New Joining Method


Mazda Motor Corporation has intro- and hood of the 2004 RX-8, their new
duced a new type of welding process four-door, rotary engine sports car. One
to the automotive industry that does not of the major advantages to the type of
use resistance to create heat. Instead, welding process is the considerable
pressure and friction are used to create reduction in the amount of electric-
the heat necessary to fuse two pieces of ity required to weld a panel. Due to
metal. This type of welding is called fric- aluminum’s ability to quickly dissipate
tion stir welding. heat when resistance welding, a large Figure 1–Mazda’s new friction stir
amount of current is required to instan- welder making a weld on a body
assembly.
Friction stir welding uses a pin that ro- taneously pass through the aluminum.
tates at very high speeds and high pres- Mazda states that energy consumption
sure to create enough friction to melt has been reduced by about 99 percent
metal. This type of welding process uses when compared to resistance weld-
a non-consumable pin tool, requires no ing aluminum and around 80 percent
filler metal, and no shielding gas (see compared to resistance-welding steel.
Figure 1). Mazda prefers this method over riveting,
because of the expense of rivets, and
When friction stir welding, the pin tool mechanical clinching, which requires
runs the length of the required weld large equipment. Figure 2–Mazda’s new friction stir
welder making a weld on a body
area, stirring and forging the two pieces assembly.
together by heat and force (see Figure Currently, the only parts being friction
2). The rotational speed of the pin var- stir welded are the hood and rear door
ies from a few hundred revolutions per panels on the 2004 Mazda RX-8 (see
minute to several thousand. The special- Figure 3 and 4). Door skin damage that is
ized welding gun holds both sides of the not repairable will require replacement of
metal in place with a welding tool. The the door shell–the door skin will not be
welding tool then spins while force is serviced separately. The same holds true
applied. This creates the frictional heat for the hood assembly. However, as the
required to melt the metal. use of this welding process increases, we
may be seeing potential repair proce- Figure 3-The front side of a friction
stir weld.
Currently, Mazda uses this process on dures if this welding process in used in
hem flanges on the aluminum rear doors the assembly of the vehicle structure.

Figure 4-The back side of a friction


stir weld.

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