The AMP Technology Centre and TWI are to host a free one day seminar on joining steels using friction stir welding technology.

Friction Stir Welding of steel has been in development for over a decade, however recent developments in tool technology are now taking this technique out of the laboratory and into industry.

Tool materials have been developed that have excellent high temperature wear resistance and consistent weld lengths in excess of fifty metres.

This seminar will provide an overview to this exciting technology and provide attendees with the opportunity to asses the potential benefits of applying this joining technique to their products.

The day will include a series of presentations highlighting the recent technological advancements and also a range of live welding demonstrations including joining a six metre length panel. There will be an opportunity for attendees to participate in discussions on routes for exploitation, and also to arrange one to one discussions the following day with TWI staff on their own particular interests in this technology.

Shipbuilding, bridge decking, pipe seam welding, large steel platforms and just about any application which requires long uninterrupted steel welds, are now attractive target markets for the friction stir process. The ability to create long, repeatable welds, with excellent mechanical strength and low distortion, means that the joints demand little post weld processing.

The process can also weld very high-strength steels, such as pipeline steels, shipbuilding steels and pressure vessel steels, some which are difficult or impossible to weld using fusion processes.

For further information please visit http://www.twi.co.uk/content/e19102010.pdf