Heavy-Duty Friction Stir Welding Robot

The equipment is used for friction stir welding on complex, three-dimensional component geometries. The focus is on manufacturing processes with high degrees of freedom, which allow flexible tool path control and the processing of complex 3D welds. Due to the large workspace of the robot, different workpieces and geometries can be replicated and examined.

The system consists of a powerful stir welding spindle with a maximum speed of 2,500 rpm, a maximum torque of 60 Nm and a clamping force of up to 10 kN. The spindle has an integrated torque measurement system and can be equipped with a spike tool holder.. The system offers a large processing area and is operated via a KUKA KRC2 control unit.
The temperature in the weld joint can be measured using a temperature measurement device, and a real-time system enables temperature-controlled process management. The welding process is force-controlled. In addition, a snapshot sensor is integrated into the system in line, which enables the height profile of the weld to be captured.

The desired impact of the equipment lies in the experimental investigation and the in-depth process understanding of the stir welding process. The comprehensive capture of force, torque and temperature data, as well as the height profile of the weld, creates the basis for non-destructive, inline-capable quality assurance. The process data obtained enables the identification of anomalies, process instabilities and weld defects. This makes a valuable contribution to the further development of data-based process monitoring and the transferability of friction stir welding to industrial applications with high quality requirements.