PISTON ROD ASSEMILES
AND CYLINDER BODY FABRICATION

Swanson industries specialized inertia welding forces two component surfaces together, one rotating and one stationary, under increasing pressure. In some cases inertia welding is used for cylinder body fabrication, such as joining rings to tubes or welding end-caps to tubes.

Dissimilar metals can also be welded without filler material. Forged quality joints with a 100% butt joint weld through the contact area yields joint strength equal to or stronger than parent materials

ADVANTAGES

Swanson maintains six inertia welding machines with varying capacities, depending on material heat affected zone and any specified weld tonnage requirements. The MH700 is one of the largest in the world

 

 

 



Before Welding
1. Parts are mounted in the Inertia Welder
2. Rotating Part is spun up to speed of 1,000 RPM.

Phase 1 (First Friction)
1. Parts are rubbing together, at low force, to accomplish a clean-up of the two surfaces to be welded.
2. The force applied during First Friction is ~30% of the Second Friction.
Phase 2 (Second Friction)
1. The increased pressure brought about during second friction causes the metal to become "plastic" and flows outward from center to form the characteristic "Flash".
2. Once the designed Flash is accomplished, the rotation is rapidly stopped. The Process then moves to the Forge Phase.
Phase 3 (Forge)
1. The Forge is caused by the application of the highest of the three process pressures. The forge phase takes place while the components are at a complete stop.
2. The pressure is maintained until the weld joint is sufficiently cooled. 3. This step promotes refinement of the microstructure of the weld.

Flash Removal
The flash is removed (if desired) by conventional machining practices. Removal of the Weld Flash is optional.
 
Machine Type

Thompson 100t F/W
MTI 250 Inertia
MTI 250 Inertia
(2) MTI 400 Inertia
MH 700 Inertia 		Diameter Capacity

1" to 3-1/4"
1-1/4" to 2-1/2"
1-1/2" to 2-3/4"
2" to 4-1/2"
4" to 7.7"		 Solid Cross-Sectional Capacity

0.78 to 8.29 in.sq
1.22 to 4.9 in.sq
1.77 to 5.9 in.sq
3.14 to 12.56 in.sq
15.56 to 44.16 in.sq