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Friction stir welding was used to produce a space shuttle external barrel section of 2195-T8 Al-Cu-Li alloy. Seven panels (joint thickness of 8.1 mm (0.32 in)) were joined to form a barrel 8.4 m (27.5 ft) in diameter and 4.6 m (15 ft) long. A computer-based system with axial load control as the command variable in a closed loop system was used to maintain a fixed distance between the tool tip and the back of the workpiece. A tool with a variable depth pin was used for sections of variable thickness. Weld quality was assessed by radiography, dye penetrant and ultrasonic testing.

1st International Symposium, 14-16 Jun 1999, Session 06: Applications 2, Paper 03