Design and Fabrication of Fixtures for Friction Stir Welding

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process with no defects that usually arise from conventional heating. FSW aluminum alloys are made in a general grinding machine. The high cost and unavailability of FSW systems have prompted this project to design and create a new version. Adjustments must be made and made to withstand high vibrations and high temperatures during the welding process. The workpiece was subjected to torque, transverse, axial, and lateral forces composed of metals. In this work, the construction of the facility was done using 2D AUTOCAD drawings and 3D modeling using SOLIDWORKS. When designing an object, a number of factors are taken into account, such as the appropriate distance specified for the installation of the base plate and the welding material. The test rig is designed to prevent the dispersion or lifting of the samples throughout the assembly process and to ensure uniform distribution of temperature and plates. Due to the presence of these forces, a major challenge is the resistance of all these forces and this is one of the objectives of building the structure. Through the FSW process, there is the design, development, and testing of a new storage area for the general grinding machine.