Apparatus for pressure welding metal workpieces

摘要

A method and apparatus for pressure welding together novel aluminum or magnesium workpieces. Edges of workpieces to be pressure welded together are aligned with each other by abutment and one workpiece retracted from the other a predetermined distance to define an open channel between the edges. The workpiece edges are quickly heated to a temperature within the range of from about 200 DEG to 900 DEG F. by passing a uniform flow of heating gases through the channel such that the edge tip and sides of each workpiece are softened while the edge inner cores remain cooler and harder with their mechanical properties unaffected by the heat and the workpieces then moved into abutment with each other to close the channel and immediately pressed together under high pressure for expulsion of softened metal containing deleterious materials such as surface oxides and creation of a solid-phase weld bond between the relatively cool and hard inner cores. An air curtain can be provided to improve control of the heating of the workpieces and to enhance pressure welding together of workpieces of different gauges and of different metals, such as welding of aluminum to magnesium alloys.