Including supporting the friction welding side pressure of laser to the surface of workpiece, so that their contact workpiece surfaces be made to leave welding procedure characteristic and central area spaced apart to workpiece surface

摘要

A laser-assisted friction stir welding method for joining workpieces, that includes the step of providing a side face for each workpiece between first and second workpiece surfaces, each side face shaped such that, in a pressed-together condition, the side faces touch each other at the second workpiece surface and are spaced from each other in a middle region of the side faces so that a gap exists between the side faces at the first workpiece surface. The method also includes pressing together the side faces so as to form a joint area, and advancing a welding probe, while the probe is in rotary motion, along the joint area at the first workpiece surface and irradiating workpiece material located in front of the welding probe using laser radiation so as to plasticize the workpiece material along the joint area. The method also includes removing the welding probe from the joint area before the workpiece material completely solidifies.