NTK CUTTING TOOLS

Advanced ceramic technology in the cutting field has developed further. Next, we will provide new value in the field of FSW.

High performance in friction stir welding of high-melting point metals
Achieved significant cost reduction compared to existing tools

Features

High temperature high-strength silicon nitride provides both wear resistance and heat resistance at a high level.
The tool shape design suitable for the material to be welded and the stable balance of material properties enables welding of thick plates of 10 mm or more.
The production technology and manufacturing system based on our experience in cutting tools enable us to achieve reasonable costs compared to PcBN and alloyed material tools.

	Wear resistance	Heat resistance	Tool cost
High melting point alloy ( W, Co, Ni, Pt )	×	○	△
High melting point alloy + Carbide composite	△	△	△
Carbides	△	×	○
HSS	×	×	◎
PcBN	◎	○	×
NTK Ceramics	○	○	○

Expected Application Fields

Steel field : Friction stir welding of thick steel plates
Automotive : High-tensile strength increasingly used to reduce vehicle weight and improve safety Steel Plate Joining
Joining of dissimilar materials such as aluminum alloys and other light metals with ferrous metals

Spec

Tool Materials

High Strength SiAlON Ceramics

Shank dia.

φ8, 10, 12, 16, 20mm

*More than φ20 mm can be available, and more than φ40 mm has been produced.

Case study

High-tensile steel
Welding method		FSW ( Butt joint )
Jointed material	Material	SPFC980 ( High-tensile980MPa )
Jointed material	Thickness (mm)	1.2
Tool shape	Shank Dia. (mm)	φ6
	Shoulder Dia. (mm)	φ6
	Probe Dia. (mm)	φ3
	Probe length (mm)	0.9
Welding conditions	Rotation speed (min^-1)	1000
Welding conditions	Welding speed (mm/min)	100
Welding distance (mm)		850

Thick steel plate
Welding method		FSW ( Butt joint )
Jointed material	Material	Low carbon steel
Jointed material	Thickness (mm)	15
Tool shape	Shank Dia. (mm)	φ37.5
	Shoulder Dia. (mm)	φ37.5
	Probe Dia. (mm)	φ18.5
	Probe length (mm)	14.7
Welding conditions	Rotation speed (min^-1)	200
Welding conditions	Welding speed (mm/min)	50
Welding distance (mm)		500

What is FSW (friction stir welding)?

FSW stands for Friction Stir Welding, a joining technique developed in the United Kingdom in 1991.
A cylindrical tool with a protruding tip is rotated at high speed and pressed against the jointed part of the material to be joined. The frictional heat generated by the tool softens the material to be joined, and the rotation of the tool causes it to flow plastically, resulting in a solid-phase joint. This is a solid-phase welding technique. Unlike arc welding and other forms of fusion welding, the joining process does not melt the materials to be joined. The advantage is that there is less deformation after joining and less strength loss in the joint due to grain refinement in the joint. This has the advantage that the strength of the joint is reduced due to the subdivision of crystal grains in the joint. In addition, the joining process is more energy-efficient than conventional joining methods. The joints can be joined with less energy consumption compared to conventional joining methods.

FSW Application

Currently, joining technologies for aluminum alloys and other materials with low softening temperatures are widely used, and their practical application is progressing in the manufacture of railroad cars, automobiles, and other vehicles. On the other hand, for iron/steel materials such as steel with high softening temperatures, there are few tool materials with excellent high-temperature properties, or existing tools are very expensive. The fact is, however, that tool materials with excellent high-temperature properties are scarce for iron/steel materials with high softening temperatures.