Building on metal’s strengths
Friction stir welding (FSW), a method for producing metallic structures, has recently been proven to significantly decrease both the weight and cost of finished products compared to standard metal-working techniques. Thus, metal parts can once again be competitive with carbon-fibre composites, in particular in the aerospace field. In fact, FSW will be used in production of Airbus aircraft and major European aircraft manufacturers support the development of FSW technology in other applications. Thus, the ‘Cost effective integral metallic structure’ (COINS) project was developed to advance FSW technology and provide innovations in design. The COINS research team consisted of 15 partners from academia, research organisations, industry and end users. The collaboration resulted in compilation of a data design handbook covering all details of project results. The team made important advancements regarding the FSW process, reducing risk as a result of heightened technical readiness. In addition, the COINS team published or presented 17 papers and held a workshop dedicated to FSW advancements. Of note, the Journal of Aerospace Engineering planned to devote a special issue specifically to the COINS project. The COINS project demonstrated the feasibility of using FSW technology to produce metal parts for the aircraft industry, making it a cost-effective solution where metallic parts are proposed and making it more competitive as well with carbon composites. The metal manufacturing industry may have just gotten a boost.
