Welded Aeronautical Structures: Cost and Weight Considerations

Product development is limited by engineering design capabilities. Engineering design is one of the most important phases during the development of a new product, particularly in the case of complex and safety-critical systems, in order to consider all safety concerns, e.g. in aircraft and nuclear power plants. In these cases, the introduction of new design concepts and solutions is tightly tapered by existing materials and manufacturing processes. In this chapter, a breakthrough joining process—friction stir welding (FSW)—is discussed from the point of view of manufacturing costs. Friction stir welding is a solid state welding process, widely considered one of the most relevant advances in welding technologies in the last decades. The final cost of the manufacturing processes has a fundamental role in the success of its infusion and massification since this is one of the most important drivers in almost all industries. The application of FSW in new product development for aerospace components allows large weight and cost savings.