Linear Friction Welding of Similar and Dissimilar Materials: A Review

Linear friction welding (LFW) has distinction of being a unique process which can join components in a variety of materials, shape and size configurations in an extremely low cycle time. The conventional arc welding, friction stir welding and rotary friction welding are also very popular and a lot of work has been reported on materials joined by these processes. The ability to join huge and small size parts, in a variety of similar and dissimilar materials, shapes and sizes make LFW un-paralleled. Such joint configurations are very common in transportation sectors including aerospace and railways. Very little work is reported on the LFW process in comparison to aforementioned popular welding processes. An attempt is made in this article to present the state of the art on LFW of various materials in similar and dissimilar combinations. Materials in promising applications such as space, aircraft, aerospace and railways are the main focusses. This work is expected to act as a single window to showcase all aspects of LFW on ferrous and non-ferrous materials in similar and dissimilar combinations. The manuscript begins with an overview on the principle of operation and classification, and subsequently extends the topic to detailed discussion on the joint characteristics, microstructure, material combination and application domain. The literature on LFW was studied and classified based on similar and dissimilar materials, effects of parameters on properties and microstructure responses, evolution of heat and stress conditions, and applications. The article presents, at the end, a meticulously carved out concluding summary which is expected to provide future directions and also an easy to figure out coverage on the discussion.

Graphical Abstract