TECHNOLOGY IN FOCUS
of spatter and fumes also contributes to safer operating conditions. In summary, the integration of
PCBN tooling in FSW of steel delivers a compelling combination of economic, structural, operational and environmental advantages. These benefits position PCBN FSW as a highly viable solution for advanced manufacturing sectors requiring high integrity steel joints with minimal distortion and reduced lifecycle costs.
2. How does the extreme hardness and other unique properties of PCBN tools deliver the superior performance that is critical for FSW? The superior performance of PCBN tools in friction stir welding, particularly for high strength and high temperature materials such as steels and nickel-based alloys, is primarily attributed to their extreme hardness, thermal stability, and wear resistance. These properties are critical in ensuring tool longevity, weld quality, and process efficiency in demanding FSW applications. PCBN is one of the hardest known
materials, second only to diamond. This extreme hardness enables PCBN tools to maintain their structural integrity under the intense mechanical stresses and high temperatures generated during FSW of hard metals such as API X65 and Inconel 625. The hardness of PCBN also contributes to minimising tool deformation, which preserves tool geometry, and enhanced material stirring and mixing, which is essential
for producing defect-free welds. PCBN exhibits
excellent thermal stability and resistance to softening. Unlike other tool materials that soften at elevated temperatures, PCBN retains its hardness and strength at temperatures exceeding 1,000 °C. This is crucial in FSW, where the tool must sustain prolonged exposure to high thermal loads without degradation. In the welding of
high strength structural steels like S355 and S460, as well as advanced automotive high-strength steels up to 1,470 MPa, E6’s tools have demonstrated low volumetric wear rates, even under high mechanical loads and repeated plunges. This has the potential to reduce tool replacement frequency, lower overall operational costs and ensure dimensional stability of the weld over a prolonged period. PCBN is chemically inert with
respect to most ferrous and non- ferrous alloys, reducing the risk of tool material interaction that could degrade weld quality. In summary, PCBN tools deliver
superior performance in FSW due to their unmatched combination of hardness, thermal stability, and wear resistance.
These properties are essential for welding high-strength alloys where conventional tools fail. However, optimal process parameters must be carefully controlled to avoid premature tool degradation due to thermal softening or insufficient plasticisation.
3. What impact are PCBN tools having in different industrial sectors? The adoption of PCBN tools in FSW
is poised to significantly advance several industrial sectors, particularly as this welding technology matures and gains certification through emerging ISO standards for the FSW of steel.
Renewable energy FSW with PCBN tools could provide
benefits to the renewable energy sector, particularly in components such as: • Wind tower monopiles – FSW fine grain microstructures enhance mechanical properties.
• Heat exchangers and pressure vessels – stainless or duplex steels, FSW can offer leak tight high integrity joints and the solid-state nature of FSW could assist with avoiding sensitisation and intergranular corrosion.
• Hydrogen storage and transport systems – hydrogen embrittlement is a concern in fusion welding. FSW with
44 / WELDING WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 04 - AUGUST 2025
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