1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a welding method and apparatus, and in particular, to a welding method and apparatus which separately plasticizes or melts the surfaces to be joined followed by a subsequent weld matrix mixing process.
2. Background of the Invention
Welding processes can be classified into one of two categories, fusion welding and solid state welding. Fusion welding involves melting material to be welded and includes such processes as MIG, TIG and VPPA welding. Solid state welding joins materials without a melting step and include the processes of friction stir and inertia welding. Fusion weld processes typically result in a dendritic type weld microstructure exhibiting inferior mechanical and structural properties. Such inferior material properties are generally seen in metals subsequent to melting. Conversely, solid state weld processes result in a non-dendritic grain structure exhibiting properties superior to those produced with fusion welding processes.
Both fusion welding and solid state welding have respective limitations. As indicted above, fusion welding compromises the microstructure of the material and thus lessens the physical properties and characteristics of the material. Solid state welding such as inertia welding is limited to rounded structures such as pipe or rod structures.
A recent advancement was made when friction stir welding became available for the solid state welding of materials. Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,168,067 B1 to Waldron et al. and 6,053,391 to Heideman et al. With the use of friction stir welding, a solid state weld could, for the first time, be provided in applications requiring longitudinal welds, ranging from several inches to an unlimited length. As described in more detail in the aforementioned patents, the friction stir weld process uses a rotating shoulder/pin configuration. The shoulder produces frictional heat to bring the material into a plasticized state and forges the welded material with extremely large forces. To accomplish the necessary large forces for the forging effect, a very robust backing anvil is required for support. The welding pin spins inside the workpiece at the same rate as the shoulder. The dependent motion of the welding pin and shoulder restricts the speed of the welding process.