The Current Progress in the Application of Friction Stir Welding in Transportation Industries

The use of the friction stir welding (FSW) process as a relatively new solid-state welding technology in the transport industries has pushed forward several developments in different related aspects of these strategic industries. Due to the geometric limitations involved in the conventional FSW process, many variants have been required in recent years to suit the different types of geometries and structures. As a result, numerous variants such as refill friction stir spot welding (RF-SSW), stationary shoulder friction stir welding (SS-FSW), and bobbin tool friction stir welding (BT-FSW) have been developed. These developments have led to a wider application of FSW technology in various transport industries, such as automobile, shipbuilding, high-speed trains, and aerospace industries.