Innovative Flash Control in Inertia Welding Available to Purchase

Inertia welding is widely used to join cylindrically shaped objects such as disks and shafts in turbine engines, turbochargers, etc. Flash control in many of these applications is not critical because the excess material is on external surfaces and can readily be removed by machining. Internal flash on hollow vessels, however, may be difficult or impossible to remove and may be either controlled by the use of flash traps or the part can be used as welded. Both internal flash and flash traps reduce internal volume and the conditions are not always acceptable. To address this short-coming, several innovative methods have been tested to determine their effect on flash control in inertia welding of hollow vessels. The methods include introduction of high pressure inert gas and incorporation of an expendable mandrel to divert the flash. Both gas and internal mandrels appear promising methods for diverting flash.