Flowweld® - Friction element welding

Flowweld^®
Excellent fastening performance for difficult combinations of materials

Flowweld^® – friction element welding from ARNOLD UMFORMTECHNIK starts where conventional joining processes used in the manufacture of vehicle bodies reach their limits. The joining process is distinctive for its fastening performance in difficult combinations of materials. The comprehensive system joins the fastening element securely and economically.

Flowweld^®
joins lightweight metals to high-strength steel

The market’s demands

Multi-material mix and joinability of ultra high strength steels to aluminum
Wide variety of sheet thicknesses
Using existing quality characteristics
Reliable high-volume production thereby cost reduction at each joint
Saving weight, Material flexibility, Corrosion-resistance
Fastener element and system technology from a single supplier
Global availability and support
No preparation of assembly point necessary

ARNOLD provides the solution

Flowweld^®
Friction element welding to join multi-material mixes

Technical advantages of Flowweld^®

Base plate thicknesses start at 0.8 mm and steel strength classes up to 1900 MPa are possible
Aluminum thicknesses from 0.8 to 3.0 mm can be joined with just two lengths of fastener element
System technologydesigned especially for frictionelement welding
Shearing strength of up to 12.0 kN, cross tensions up to 8.0 kN
Joining direction - aluminum to steel
Car body
Hybrid material combinations with adhesive are possible
Achievable flange widths min 17.0 mm

Commercial advantages of Flowweld^®

Fastener element and system technology from a single supplier
Proven integrated system ensures suitability for high-volume production
Standard OEM assembly cycle times
Globally available technical support from ARNOLD

Flowweld^®
The steps of the joining process

01 | Positioning

Press the components together, provide the fastening element

02 | Penetration

Penetrate and displace the cover material

03 | Friction

Remove base plate coating, warm the joint zone

04 | Compression

Compress the fastening element

Flowweld^®
Features

Drive

Axial force and rotational speed transmission

Intake surface

Securely positioning of the fastening element at the driving tool

Underhead channelling

Room for raised material

Flange

Head setting on cover material

Profiled tip geometry

Reliable penetration of cover material and friction on base plate

Shaft

Material for friction welding process

1,5525 20MnB4	10	3.5 mm	5.0 / 7.0 mm	Zink-Nickel	2.2 g	3.5 mm	11.9 mm
Material	Strength class	Shaft diameter	Shaft length	Coating	Weight	Head height	Head diameter

Joining system technology

Max downholder
force 4.0 kN

Max axial force
10.0 kN

Max rotational
speed 25,000 rpm

Everything you need.

Application-related and near-series testing

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Calculations and simulations for technical evaluation and optimization

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Brochure Flowweld^®

Friction element welding
PDF – 5 MB

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White Paper
Flowweld^®

Friction element welding

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InfosheetFlowweld^®

Friction element welding
PDF – 292 KB

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Flowweld^®
Excellent fastening performance for difficult combinations of materials

Flowweld^®
joins lightweight metals to high-strength steel

The market’s demands

ARNOLD provides the solution

Flowweld^®
Friction element welding to join multi-material mixes

Technical advantages of Flowweld^®

Commercial advantages of Flowweld^®

Animation
Flowweld^® – Excellent fastening performance for difficult combinations of materials

Flowweld^®
The steps of the joining process