Additive friction stir welding: New processes for industry

Additive Joining Researchers Use Additional Materials in Friction Stir Welding

2026-07-06 Source: IKT | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Three research institutions are now working on the development and validation of an innovative additive manufacturing process based on friction stir welding ...

Some may already be familiar with friction stir welding. It can even join different metals together. Researchers now have a new approach to this type of joining in mind, which could bring new advantages to the industry ...(Image: IKT) — Some may already be familiar with friction stir welding. It can even join different metals together. Researchers now have a new approach to this type of joining in mind, which could bring new advantages to the industry ...
(Image: IKT)

In contrast to conventional welding and known methods of additive manufacturing, friction stir welding offers new possibilities to specifically influence material properties. Because of this, the Institute for Plastics Engineering (IKT), the Materials Testing Institute (MPA), and the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research (ENI) at the University of Stuttgart aim to make this joining technology even more usable for industrial applications as part of a project. They also refer to this as additive joining. By introducing filler materials directly into the process zone, the properties of the weld seam can be actively adjusted. This not only allows gaps to be reliably bridged, they say, but also enables the additive construction of complex structures.

Innovative Friction Stir Welding for Metal or Plastic

At the same time, the process offers significant advantages for demanding materials. For metals, for example, the mechanical stirring effect, in which the metal of the joining partners is not truly melted but rather kneaded, results in a fine-grained microstructure with excellent mechanical properties. And for thermoplastic, fiber-reinforced plastics, the fibers can be transported across the joining plane for the first time, creating high-strength and dimensionally stable connections within the seam itself. This is also true for materials that are otherwise difficult to weld, as emphasized. The modular tool concept developed for this purpose is considered a key feature of the research work. The friction stir welding heads developed within this framework are tailored to different tool classes and are intended for use as attachment modules for joining on CNC machines or robotic systems. This also enables the cost-effective retrofitting of existing systems, it is stated further.

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