As a pioneer in friction stir welding (FSW) technology, Mazak MegaStir showcased its patented high-speed Instrumented Tool Holder (ITH) for friction stir welding (FSW) during Fabtech 2025. One of the capabilities is that the tool holder can be used in Mazak HYBRID Multi-Tasking machine operations that combine subtractive processes with that of FSW assembly/joining.
"This hybrid platform provides the ability to join assembly components on the same machine with the same operator and consolidates factory floor footprints while decreasing capital expenditures," said Dale Fleck, general manager, Mazak MegaStir.
By adding friction stir welding to milling machines as a tooling change out, Fleck says it "adds efficiency to the machine. We also have rapid operation, so we can go from operation one to 'op' two and to 'op' three with just a quick tool change out. It's really an all -in -one solution."
Mazak MegaStir's term for this multitasking concept is called "on-machine assembly," he said. "On-machine assembly combines additive with current technologies that are available, subtraction and joining. So, most Mazak milling machines are designed for subtraction. We remove metal through the milling process. The next step would be to take a second part, whether it's a complex machine part or just sheet metal, and join that to the first part. And from doing that, we join it using stir welding, the best joining technology possible."
Mazak MegaStir takes the process to the next level with its fast-moving ITH that utilizes wireless Bluetooth communication with the tool holder that sits in the tool crib. "If you're interested in improving your throughput, improving your efficiency, friction stir welding at 10 meters a minute, which is the fastest joining process that you can do, look into Mazak," he said.
For the Mazak MegaStir process, the FSW Instrumented Tool Holder is pulled – via a normal tool change cycle – from the tool magazine of a Mazak vertical or horizontal machining center to perform FSW operations. The ITH collects temperature, Z-axis load data, and other information to enable operators to manage the FSW process. FSW software available through Mazak’s MAZATROL Smooth CNC allows real-time monitoring of FSW’s three main processes – plunging, traversing, and extracting.
FSW minimizes the heat-affected zone (HAZ), which is typically the weakest part of a weld. Instead of an HAZ, FSW creates a thermo-mechanical zone that retains the base metal's strength because of its refined grain structure. This results in a stronger, more reliable weld. Residual stresses are also lower, reducing distortion and improving overall structural integrity.
diamond tipped FSW pin tools.
Attendees also experienced Mazak MegaStir-patented ultra-hard diamond tipped FSW pin tools designed specifically for joining aluminum alloys and deliver higher performance, longer tool life and superior weld quality. With the strength of polycrystalline diamond, the tools provide effective thermal conductivity for improved weld surface finishes and allow for higher spindle speeds that boost FSW productivity rates.
Key benefits include up to 150 times more tool life, lower operating costs and shorter return on investment (ROI). The tips are available in standard and customized versions and are thermocouple-ready, Fleck said.
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Related Glossary Terms
- alloys
alloys
Substances having metallic properties and being composed of two or more chemical elements of which at least one is a metal.
- aluminum alloys
aluminum alloys
Aluminum containing specified quantities of alloying elements added to obtain the necessary mechanical and physical properties. Aluminum alloys are divided into two categories: wrought compositions and casting compositions. Some compositions may contain up to 10 alloying elements, but only one or two are the main alloying elements, such as copper, manganese, silicon, magnesium, zinc or tin.
- computer numerical control ( CNC)
computer numerical control ( CNC)
Microprocessor-based controller dedicated to a machine tool that permits the creation or modification of parts. Programmed numerical control activates the machine’s servos and spindle drives and controls the various machining operations. See DNC, direct numerical control; NC, numerical control.
- gang cutting ( milling)
gang cutting ( milling)
Machining with several cutters mounted on a single arbor, generally for simultaneous cutting.
- heat-affected zone
heat-affected zone
That portion of the base metal that was not melted during brazing, cutting or welding, but whose microstructure and mechanical properties were altered by the heat.
- machining center
machining center
CNC machine tool capable of drilling, reaming, tapping, milling and boring. Normally comes with an automatic toolchanger. See automatic toolchanger.
- milling
milling
Machining operation in which metal or other material is removed by applying power to a rotating cutter. In vertical milling, the cutting tool is mounted vertically on the spindle. In horizontal milling, the cutting tool is mounted horizontally, either directly on the spindle or on an arbor. Horizontal milling is further broken down into conventional milling, where the cutter rotates opposite the direction of feed, or “up” into the workpiece; and climb milling, where the cutter rotates in the direction of feed, or “down” into the workpiece. Milling operations include plane or surface milling, endmilling, facemilling, angle milling, form milling and profiling.
- polycrystalline diamond ( PCD)
polycrystalline diamond ( PCD)
Cutting tool material consisting of natural or synthetic diamond crystals bonded together under high pressure at elevated temperatures. PCD is available as a tip brazed to a carbide insert carrier. Used for machining nonferrous alloys and nonmetallic materials at high cutting speeds.
