Podcast Ep. #27 – A Masterclass on Friction Welding with TWI’s Bertrand Flipo

Aerospace Engineering Podcast

In this episode I am speaking to Bertrand Flipo from The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK. TWI Ltd has a long history of innovation in welding research, having been established as the British Welding Research Association in 1946. TWI Ltd is a world leader in research on friction welding and has been at the forefront of many modern friction welding processes. Briefly put, friction welding is a joining technique that does not melt the parts to be joined. Instead, two components are rubbed together to create heat through friction, and high pressure is then applied to squeeze the two pieces together. During this process the material plastically deforms and the high pressure causes the components to be fused together. Advantages of the process are fast joining times, typically on the order of a few seconds; relatively small heat-affected zones; and because friction welding techniques are melt-free, the material's microstructure can be maintained. I personally learned a lot during the recording of this episode, and Bertrand and his colleagues were very gracious to introduce me to the ins and outs of friction welding. So in this episode you will learn about: the differences between different friction welding techniques the main advantages of friction welding and the challenges to keep in mind some of the aerospace applications where friction welding is a game-changer and much, much more If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by supporting it directly on Patreon, where patrons of the podcast receive exclusive behind-the-scenes content and special episodes. Thanks a lot for listening! This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is brought to you by my patrons on Patreon. Patreon is a way for me to receive regular donations from listeners whenever I release a new episode, and with the help of these generous donors I have been able to pay for much of the expenses, hosting and travels costs that accrue in the production of this podcast. If you would like to support the podcast as a patron, then head over to my Patreon page. There are multiple levels of support, but anything from $1 an episode is highly appreciated. Thank you for your support! This episode is also sponsored by StressEbook.com, which is an online hub for you if you are interested in aerospace stress engineering. StressEbook.com provides world-class engineering services and online courses on the stress analysis of aircraft structures, as well as a free ebook and blog. No matter if you’re a junior or senior structural analyst, stressEbook.com provides you with the skills and know-how to become a champion in your workplace. Selected Links from the Episode TWI website Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding Friction Stir Welding of Lightweight Vehicles Linear Friction Welding Friction Welding of Blisks Friction Welding of Eclipse 500 Stringers TWI Youtube channel Slow Motion of Linear Friction Welding Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding Large-scale Friction Stir Welding