Students: Blair Martin
Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
Co-advisor: Dr. Kumar Sridharan
< font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="3">Collaborators: Dr. Patrick Heaney (Founder and CTO, NCD Technologies LLC), David Burton (Founder and President, Performance Micro Tool, Inc.)

Friction Stir Link, Welding Journal March 2006

Student: Amber Srivastava
Funding: Innovation & Economic Development Research (IEDR), Grant from UW-Madison
Co-advisors: Prof. Nicola Ferrier and Prof. Michael Zinn
Collaborators: Chris Smith (Founder and VP-Engineering, Friction Stir Link, Inc.)
Abstract: ---

Student: Edward Cole
Funding: Graduate Engineering Research Scholars, Office of Naval Research, National Science Foundation, and The Machine Tool Technology Research Foundation (MTTRF)
Co-advisors: Prof. Nicola Ferrier, Prof. Michael Zinn and Prof Neil Duffie
Collaborators:
Abstract: One of the greatest obstacles to implementation of friction stir welding (FSW) is the magnitude of weld process forces required to create a joint. As an effort to make process implementation a lesser burden, the objective of this research is to gain better understanding of FSW process forces. This collective work establishes the FSW tool geometry impacts on measured forces, their individual relationships with the weld nugget geometry, and the effects of process parameters. Results of this work give empirical data to support weld process and tool modifications necessary for weld force reduction.

Student: Axel Fehrenbacher
Funding: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, WARF Technology Development, U.S. National Science Foundation, Machine Tool Technology Research Foundation
Co-advisors: Prof. Nicola Ferrier, Prof. Neil Duffie, Prof. Michael Zinn
Collaborators: Chris Smith (Founder and VP-Engineering, Friction Stir Link, Inc.)
Abstract: The objectives of this research are to use a real-time temperature measurement system developed at the LAMSML to develop a combined temperature and force closed-loop control system for robotic friction stir welding (FSW) that maintains weld quality under various process disturbances. During FSW, several process parameter and condition variations (thermal constraints, material properties, geometry, etc.) are present. The FSW process can be sensitive to these variations, which are commonly present in a production environment; hence, there is a significant need to control the process to assure high weld quality. Reliable FSW for a wide range of applications will require closed-loop control of certain process parameters.

Students: Madhu Vadali, Chao Ma
Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Co-advisors: Prof. Neil Duffie, Prof. Xiaochun Li
Collaborator: Bill Dinauer, Kevin Klingbeil & Tyler Perry (LasX Industries, Inc.)
Abstract: LINK

Student: TBD
Funding: DoE via Wichita State University
Co-advisors: Dr. Michael Overcash (Wichita State University)
Abstract: ---