A new weld repair technique for friction stir welded aluminium structure: inertia friction pull plug welding

The paper gives an analysis on technical characteristics of repair techniques for friction stir welding defects.To overcome the defects,a new repair technique,inertia friction pull plug welding(IFPPW),was researched and its equipment was developed as well.Elementary datum was achieved by investigating the influences of technological parameters on mechanical properties and by analyzing the structural characteristics of repair joint with IFPPW.The study shows that the stability and reliability of welding process of IFPPW can be guaranteed through the constant energy from the flywheel.Integrated with the advantages of friction pull plug welding,the IFPPW,free from back anvil,is considered as a promising technique in repair of termination keyhole of bobbin tool friction stir welding and point-like defects in aluminum alloy welding.