11/17/2015

DesignfaxTechnologyforOEMDesignEngineers

November10,2015

Volume11Issue42

Designfaxweekly
eMagazine
SubscribeToday!

Newtechniquecanweld'unweldable'metals
Thetechnologycouldbeappliedtomakecarsofthefuturestrongerusing
lessenergy.
ByPamFrostGorder,OhioStateUniversity

EngineersatOhioStateUniversityhavedevelopedanewweldingtechniquethat
consumes80percentlessenergythanacommonweldingtechnique,yetcreates
bondsthatare50percentstronger.
Thenewtechniquecouldhaveahugeimpactontheautoindustry,whichis
poisedtooffernewcarsthatcombinetraditionalheavysteelpartswithlighter,
alternativemetalstoreducevehicleweight.

BuyersGuide

Archives
ViewArchives

Partners
ManufacturingCenter
ProductSpotlight

ModernApplicationsNews
MetalworkingIdeasFor
Today'sJobShops

ToolingandProduction
Strategiesforlarge
metalworkingplants

Despiterecentadvancesinmaterialsdesign,
alternativemetalsstillposeachallengeto
manufacturersinpractice.Manyareconsidered
unweldablebytraditionalmeans,inpartbecause
highheatandresolidificationweakenthem,said
GlennDaehn,professorofmaterialsscienceand
engineeringatOhioState,whohelpeddevelop
thenewtechnique.
"Materialshavegottenstronger,butwelds
haven't.Wecandesignmetalswithintricate
microstructures,butwedestroythemicrostructure
whenweweld,"hesaid.
GlennDaehn,professorofmaterials
"Withourmethod,materialsareshapedand
bondedtogetheratthesametime,andthey
actuallygetstronger."

scienceandengineeringatOhio

State.

DaehnexplainedthenewprocessinakeynoteaddressattheMaterialsScience&
Technology2015meetingheldearlyOctoberinColumbus.
Inacommontechniquecalledresistancespotwelding,manufacturerspassahigh
electricalcurrentthroughpiecesofmetal,sothatthemetals'naturalelectrical
resistancegeneratesheatthatpartiallymeltsthemtogetherandformsaweld.The
drawbacks:generatinghighcurrentsconsumesalotofenergy,andthemelted
portionsofmetalareneverasstrongafterwardastheywerebefore.
Overthelastdecade,Daehnandhisteamhavebeentryingtofindwaysaround
thoseproblems.They'veamassedmorethanhalfadozenpatentsonasystem
calledvaporizedfoilactuator(VFA)welding.
InVFA,ahighvoltagecapacitorbankcreatesaveryshortelectricalpulseinsidea
thinpieceofaluminumfoil.Withinmicroseconds(millionthsofasecond),thefoil
vaporizes,andaburstofhotgaspushestwopiecesofmetaltogetheratspeeds

http://www.designfax.net/cms/dfx/opens/articleviewdfx.php?nid=4&bid=506&aid=4344&et=featurearticle&pn=03

1/4

11/17/2015

DesignfaxTechnologyforOEMDesignEngineers

approachingthousandsofmilesperhour.

Adiagramshowingvaporizedfoilactuatorwelding,anewtechniquedevelopedatTheOhio
StateUniversityforweldingdifferentmaterialstogether.[ImagebyGlennDaehn,courtesyof

TheOhioStateUniversity.]

Thepiecesdon'tmelt,sothere'snoseamofweakenedmetalbetweenthem.
Instead,theimpactdirectlybondstheatomsofonemetaltoatomsoftheother.
Seenunderahighpoweredmicroscope,thebondisactuallyquitebeautiful,and
oftenfeaturesdelicatecurlicuesinspotswhereveinsofbothmaterialsextend
outwardandwraparoundeachother.

Microscopeviewofcopper(top)weldedtotitanium(bottom)usinganewtechniquedevelopedat

TheOhioStateUniversity.[ImagebyGlennDaehn,courtesyofTheOhioStateUniversity.]

Thetechniqueuseslessenergybecausetheelectricalpulseissoshort,and
becausetheenergyrequiredtovaporizethefoilislessthanwhatwouldbe
requiredtomeltthemetalparts.
Sofar,theengineershavesuccessfullybondeddifferentcombinationsofcopper,
aluminum,magnesium,iron,nickel,andtitanium.Theyhavecreatedstrongbonds
http://www.designfax.net/cms/dfx/opens/articleviewdfx.php?nid=4&bid=506&aid=4344&et=featurearticle&pn=03

2/4

11/17/2015

DesignfaxTechnologyforOEMDesignEngineers

betweencommercialsteelandaluminumalloysafeatthatisimpossible
normally.Also,highstrengthsteelandaluminumjointogetherwithweldregions
thatarestrongerthanthebasemetals.

Microscopeviewofsteel(top)weldedtoaluminumalloy(bottom)usinganewtechnique
inventedatTheOhioStateUniversity.[ImagebyGlennDaehn,courtesyofTheOhioState

University.]

Thetechniqueispowerfulenoughtoshapemetalpartsatthesametimeitwelds
themtogether,savingmanufacturersastep.
Daehnandhisteamnowwanttojoinwithmanufacturerstofurtherdevelopthe
technology,whichwillbelicensedthroughOhioState'sTechnology
CommercializationOffice.

http://www.designfax.net/cms/dfx/opens/articleviewdfx.php?nid=4&bid=506&aid=4344&et=featurearticle&pn=03

3/4

11/17/2015

DesignfaxTechnologyforOEMDesignEngineers

Vaporizing Foil Actuator Welding by Collision of D...

ThisprojectisfundedbytheDepartmentofEnergyandtheNationalScience
Foundation(NSF),andwasoneofthefirsttoparticipateinICorps@Ohio,anew
collaborationmodeledafterandapprovedbyNSF'ssuccessfulICorps
commercializationprogram.Ohioisthefirsttohaveastatewidecollaborationthat
isbasedontheNSFmodel,yetfullyfundedbythestate.Theprogramisfunded
andsupportedbytheOhioDepartmentofHigherEducation.
PublishedNovember2015

Ratethisarticle
[Newtechniquecanweld'unweldable'metals]
Veryinteresting,withinformationIcanuse
Interesting,withinformationImayuse
Interesting,butnotapplicabletomyoperation
Notinterestingorinaccurate
EmailAddress(required):
Comments:

Submit

Copyright2015byNelsonPublishing,Inc.Allrightsreserved.ReproductionProhibited.
Viewourtermsofuseandprivacypolicy

http://www.designfax.net/cms/dfx/opens/articleviewdfx.php?nid=4&bid=506&aid=4344&et=featurearticle&pn=03

4/4