EADS ETL
Technology
The DeltaN® system provides high-quality welding on thick welded sections, using the solid-state friction stir welding technique.
Description
A challenge in using friction-stir welding with thick sections is the inhomogeneous heat distribution that occurs from the top-side to the root-side of the welded sheet or plate. The EADS-developed DeltaN® welding system tool decreases welding distortion and vertical down-forces on all section thicknesses and creates a nearly fully-symmetrical heat input throughout the welded section’s thickness.
The DeltaN® concept puts the high revolutions on the pin, and zero revolutions on the tool’s shoulder. It reduces contrapoints and opens new applications for friction-stir welding, such as dissimilar materials in butt joint configuration.
Applications
Production applications in which friction-stir welding processes are applied.
Value-added benefits
The DeltaN® tool generates a superbly smooth welded surface similar to that of rolled sheet, with no need for post-weld-machining. With a simple, robust design, it enables a reduction of the welding distortion, and significantly reduces vertical down-force (compared with typical standard tools).
Status
Available for production applications, with technical consultancy support available for easier introduction and start-up.
