Friction Welding as
an Alternative for Forging Process
Friction welding is a reliable, cost-effective alternative to low-volume forgings, especially when your welding projects require rapid turnaround times.
Forging industry dynamics over the last few years have left many customers with lengthy lead times for parts. And these lead times are continuing to expand.
American Friction Welding offers you the flexibility of smaller runs - with minimal tooling. Delivery time is a few weeks versus the long lead times of forging, which is extended months
Case Study
Challenge: Gear manufacturer needed an alternative to extensive lead times on forged gear blanks.
Solution: Download (.pdf)
If you have a time-sensitive project on the horizon, contact us to discuss the advantages of friction welding over forging and how we can assist with your current forging applications.
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Friction Welding as an Alternative
for Brazing
When welding integrity is important, friction welding is an excellent alternative to brazing.
Friction Welding is classified as a solid-state welding process that generates heat through mechanical friction between a moving workpiece and a stationary component.
Brazing Welding is a metal-joining process whereby a filler metal is heated above and distributed between two or more close-fitting parts by capillary action.
The most notable difference between these two processes is that brazing welding requires a filler metal, and friction welding does not need any fillers.
Also, brazing creates two points where materials can be displaced: between the inserted filler material and each of the pieces being fused. In friction welding, the two materials are joined directly (without any added filler) and therefore the finished piece has only one point where displacement could occur.
DISADVANTAGES TO BRAZING:
- Gap joint thickness
- Pre-heat temperatures
- Braze alloy temperature
- Time
- Thickness
- Fluxes
- Gasses
- Setting times
By using friction welding, brazing's inherent fusing integrity variables are eliminated. Any inherent oxides are pushed out through the weld flash and can be machined off providing superior welds without porosity.
As an alternative to brazing, good applications for friction welding include small bar-to-bar welds .050" to .250" in diameter.
Recently, an AFW application involved welding electrodes for electrical equipment. Friction welding can be applicable for many electrical contactor applications for OEMs, such as consumable resistance welding tips.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS for choosing friction welding instead of brazing can include a multitude of tasks, parts and components for:
- Fuel Lines
- Fuel Rails
- Radiators
- Plumbing Fixtures
- Drilling Bits
- Tools
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- Cookware
- Aerospace Industry
- Automotive Industry
- Medical Industry
- Security Industry
- Semiconductor Industry
- Defense Industry
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Additional Questions about Brazing versus Friction Welding?
Call AFW to discuss any specific applications in which you are currently using brazing. If you'd like our friction welding specialists to research and provide you with a comparative friction welding assessment, we'd be happy to offer our expertise and guidance to answer any questions that you or your project team may have.
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