Investigation of Inertia Welding Process for Applying Gilding Metal Rotating Bands to Projectile, 155-mm, M483A1.

摘要

This report provides a summary to develop inertia welding as a process for assembling 90 Cu/10 Zn gilding metal rotating bands to AISI 1340 steel bodies used with the 155-mm M483A1 Projectile. As a result of the effort it was demonstrated that the process is practical and, with some additional effort to gain insight into the effects of several variables, can be made into an efficient, cost effective production operation. Under a modification to the contract, the Company also demonstrated the feasibility of welding the two copper rotating bands to the 8-Inch, M509 Projectile. The program isolated the three most important machine parameters as: (1) flywheel moment of inertia, (2) flywheel angular velocity, and (3) axial thrust delivered by the machine ram which results in radical pressure at the weld interface through action of the collet draw ring. These combine to isolate the energy transfer rate as the primary process parameter, governed by: (1) coefficient of friction between components, (2) relative velocity between components, and (3) the normal force between the sliding surfaces. Recommendations are made for exploring related aspects such as the effect of body heat treatment on banded projectiles, and establishing methods of monitoring the inertia welder to automate the process.