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Space Shuttle ET Friction Stir Weld MachinesNASA and Lockheed-Martin approached the FSW machine vendor community with a specification for longitudinal barrel production FSW weld machines and a shorter travel process development machine in June of 2000. This specification was based on three years of FSW process development on the Space Shuttle External Tank alloys, AL2 195-T8M4 and AL22 19-T87. The primary motivations for changing the ET longitudinal welds from the existing variable polarity Plasma Arc plasma weld process included: (1) Significantly reduced weld defect rates and related reduction in cycle time and uncertainty; (2) Many fewer process variables to control (5 vs. 17); (3) Fewer manufacturing steps; (4) Lower residual stresses and distortion; (5) Improved weld strengths, particularly at cryogenic temperatures; (6) Fewer hazards to production personnel. General Tool was the successful bidder. The equipment is at this writing installed and welding flight hardware. This paper is a means of sharing with the rest of the FSW community the unique features developed to assure NASA/L-M of successful production welds.
Document ID
20030062027
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Thompson, Jack M. (Lockheed Martin Corp. United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2003
Subject Category
Mechanical Engineering
Meeting Information
Meeting: Aeromat 2003 Conference Exposition
Location: Dayton, OH
Country: United States
Start Date: June 9, 2003
End Date: June 12, 2003
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-00016
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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