The National Institute for Aviation Research is seeking
National Science Foundation support for research into friction stir welding, an
economical fabrication process that's being applied to build aircraft including
the new Eclipse 500 (shown). The Institute's Advanced Joining Technology lab
has proposed to develop a friction stir welding performance specification and
process specification guides for industrial partners, to perform "testing and
qualification of common aluminum alloy full-scale aerospace structures pro-
duced using friction stir welding process-es," and to look into initial temper
and post-weld treatments for strength optimization, damage tolerance and
corrosion resistance. The Institute is part of Wichita State University in
Kansas. Neighboring manufacturers include Boeing, Bombardier/Learjet, Cessna
and Raytheon.
