TWI

An experimental investigation was conducted to examine weldability, material thickness, welding speed and joint geometry aspects of robotic friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminium alloy aircraft structures. An ABB IRB7600-500 serial design robot was developed taking into account the hybrid force/position control system and the operator interface. The system was evaluated by welding trials performed on AA 2024-T6, AA 2050-T3, AA 7020-T6 and AA 7075 alloys. Both lap joint and butt joint configurations were considered. Issues discussed include the plunge phase operation, maximum welding speed (up to 10 mm/s), and the use of direct and indirect force control strategies to handle the robot's compliance.

7th International Symposium, 20-22 May 2008, 8A: Process/Control 3, Paper 04