Photo Gallery: FSW Rig

The pictures are of a Test Rig for an experimental welding process, the rig applies a tensile load to two samples simultaneously of up to 38 tonnes each.

The samples are only 125mm wide and must have the load applied on the centre line, to achieve this, special hydraulic cylinders were designed and manufactured working at up to 350 Bar. The cylinder bore size required to provide this load would not allow the cylinders to be positioned side by side, the cylinders were mounted one behind the other so that the cylinder centres are 125mm apart.

The load on each sample was infinitely variable and digitally displayed, also sample extension was digitally displayed accurate to 0.01mm, measured by LVDT's mounted under the main bed of the rig.

The hydraulic pressure to each cylinder, and therefore the load applied, was controlled by proportional pressure reducing valves, operating in closed loop control with pressure transducers providing feedback to the electronic control module. The operator can select the pressure required for each cylinder, by entering it into the control module, and the proportional system maintains the required pressure throughout the test.

Jaws that could easily be attached to the ends of the samples, without distortion, that would opperate at 38 tonnes load were designed and fixed directly to the cylinder rods.

The original experiment was successful, further, much larger, rigs have now been designed to take the proccess into production.

Click image for close-up