Inertia Friction Welding
Inertia friction welding is a solid-state welding process renowned for its efficiency and precision. It involves spinning one work piece at high speeds while holding the other stationary. When these two pieces are pressed together, the friction generated at the contact surface heats the materials. This heat, combined with the applied force, causes the materials to deform and bond together, creating a high-strength weld.
Inertia friction welding is a process used by Enbi to manufacture components and industrial rollers.
If now is the time to maximize your profit margin, let’s compare your current manufacturing process with that of inertia friction welding to determine if it’s the right fit for your company.
Learn more about how friction welding works.
Reduce Material Cost by 40–70%
Are you interested in reducing material cost on your industrial rollers? One way inertia friction welding reduces total cost is how it can join a wide variety of metal and material combinations (including dissimilar metals). This offers greater design flexibility as it allows for combinations that can’t be welded using traditional methods.
With inertia friction welding, you can utilize expensive materials in areas where they are required for the design, and substitute lower cost materials in areas where there are no functional requirements other than space. This also offers the added benefit of reducing part weight.
Also, have you ever considered how much money you’re wasting when you see the chips left behind by traditional machining? Inertia friction welding solves this issue by utilizing 4Xs less raw materials, which significantly reduces overall material cost.
Reduce Cycle Time by 50–60%
Is it important for you to reduce your industrial roller cycle time? Another way inertia friction welding improves total cost is by how it significantly reduces production time and labor. In fact, the process is often 10 times faster than utilizing traditional weld processes such as MIG or TIG welding.
If your current machining process includes cutting bar stock with a CNC lathe, inertia friction welding can produce 16Xs as many near-net blanks in the same amount of time it takes CNC lathe turning to produce 1 blank (at a 24 min run time). The main difference here is that inertia welding combines pieces that are already sized to end dimension, while the machining process is used to achieve that end dimension.
Also, because two pieces are being welded together, the heat-affected zone (HAZ) can be controlled so that material properties are less affected, which also helps to reduce cycle time when compared to machining or traditional welding.
Achieve Efficient Quality
How much longer will your product stay competitive if you don’t improve the quality and economy of your industrial rollers? Inertia friction welding offers more design flexibility than traditional welding because the welds produced are full strength, robust, and extremely repeatable.
For example, inertia welding is an eco-friendly process where no gases are emitted and no filler materials are used. It also produces joints of forged quality, with a 100% joint weld through the contact area.
Also, this process helps OEMs meet compliance and high quality standards because we weld in accordance with:
- AWS C6.1; Recommended Practices for Friction Welding
- MIL-STD-1252; Inertia Friction Welding Process, Procedure and Performance Qualification
- ISO 9001:2015
Learn more about the many benefits of Inertia Friction Welding
Industries That Use Inertia Friction Welding:
- Aerospace
- Agricultural
- Automotive
- Construction
- Defense
- Electrical
- Medical
- Mining
- Office Equipment
- Oil & Gas
- Packaging & Conveyors
- Power Generation
- Renewable Energy
- Transportation
Welding Equipment
Our three inertia friction welders offer us a diverse capacity for a variety of client needs. Enbi can weld parts up to 10″ in diameter and over 144″ long.Machine Description | Manufacturer | Bar Ø Capacity | Max Work Envelope |
---|---|---|---|
Inertia Welder 120 | Manufacturing Technology, Inc. | 0.25” – 1.2” | 3.5” x 21.25” |
Inertia Welder 180BX | Manufacturing Technology, Inc. | 0.5″ – 1.8” | 4” x 144” |
Inertia Welder 250B | Manufacturing Technology, Inc. | 1.0” – 10.0” | 10” x 104” |
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Learn More About Inertia Friction Welding
Download our inertia friction welding brochure.
Find your local Enbi facility to enquire about our friction welding options.
Urgent technical question? Contact our experienced engineers for advice.