TECHNOLOGY IN FOCUS
PCBN tools minimises the thermal input, reducing the susceptibility of embrittlement. FSW also produces homogenous weld zones that are critical for hydrogen containment.
• Sub-surface channeling in steels for use in nuclear/fusion energy cooling plates.
Automotive Using PCBN tools for FSW of advanced
high strength tailor welded blanks in the automotive industry offers a range of performance, manufacturing, and sustainability benefits. These advantages are particularly relevant as the industry pushes toward lightweighting, safety, and electrification. Key benefits include:
• Advanced high strength steel tailor- welded blanks often combine steels of different grades and thicknesses to optimise crash performance and weight. E6’s PCBN tools have been successfully tested at a customers’ facility on different grades of AHSS as well as at high speeds FSW.
• PCBN tools provide defect-free, full penetration welds in these challenging material combinations, outperforming traditional fusion welding methods that struggle with brittle intermetallics or heat affected zone softening.
Other applications could include in-wheel motors and steel battery enclosures. PCBN FSW could also enable an
increased use of multi-material designs, resulting in greater design flexibility in the automotive industry.
Shipbuilding The shipbuilding sector has
requirements to weld thick steel plates with high corrosion resistance, as well as the demand for long, continuous
welds with minimal distortion. E6 participated in the European
shipbuilding RESURGAM project, which was focused on enabling mass adoption of FSW for steel hulls and offshore structures. This is particularly relevant for underwater and robotic welding, where tool longevity and weld reliability are paramount. Throughout the project, E6’s PCBN tools were successfully tested on a range of steel grades and even underwater.
4. Can you explain the EU- funded STWIN project and how it’s creating a smarter, defect- free FSW process for complex steel assemblies by integrating AI and digital twin solutions? Can you also highlight the role of PCBN in this project? The EU-funded STWIN project (Smart
Technologies for Welding Intelligence) is a cutting-edge initiative aimed at revolutionising FSW of steel by integrating AI and Digital Twin technologies. It is funded under the Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS), and operating under
Grant Agreement Number 101112504, the project involves a consortium of European research and industrial partners. The STWIN project is developing
a flexible and intelligent FSW system capable of: • Automatically fabricating complex 3D steel structures
• Handling various joint configurations • Welding a wide range of steel grades and thicknesses, including high- strength and dissimilar grades The project focuses on zero-defect
manufacturing by combining: • Real-time quality monitoring • Advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) • AI-driven weld quality prediction • Digital twin simulations to optimise process parameters and tool paths The STWIN project represents a
paradigm shift in steel welding, combining PCBN tooling, AI, and digital twins to deliver a smart, defect-free FSW process. It aligns with the broader goals of Industry 4.0, offering a pathway to automated, high-integrity steel joining in safety-critical and high-performance applications. E6’s PCBN tools play a pivotal role
in the STWIN project, due to their demonstrated effectiveness in welding a broad spectrum of steel grades and their proven compatibility with complex three-dimensional weld paths. Extensive independent tool longevity trials have confirmed the extended operational life of E6’s PCBN tools across various steel types and thicknesses, reinforcing their unique suitability for critical high-performance, defect-free friction stir welding (FSW) applications.
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