Conversion of a Conventional Lathe Machine into a Friction Welding Machine and Performing Some Experimental Tests for its Operational Feasibility

Abstract

In today’s manufacturing environment, there is always a need to use cost effective methods and materials for production purposes. Friction welding is one of such method that offers cost effectiveness and high productivity rate as compared to other similar welding processes. Friction welding process has been used widely in the manufacturing world. It is an adjustable and tolerant process that can join most engineering materials. It is a well-established welding process that can produce good quality weldment between similar and dissimilar materials. Due to this flexibility of use of different materials, it has been used in many applications such as aerospace, automotive and other related manufacturing industries etc. The main objective of this research is to study possibility of doing friction-welding on a typical lathe machine instead of doing it on a friction welding machine and also to check the reliability of the welded joint. Conventional Lathe machine was converted into a friction-welding machine by adopting a systematic procedure. The fixture of the attachment was designed, manufactured and installed and different parameters such as applied pressure and spindle rpm were tested in order to achieve the welding joint by friction. The materials used for welding were Stainless Steel 070M20 and Aluminum 2011-T3.