Induction-assisted Friction Welding: Advances and Applications

The concept of using a rapid "one-shot" welding process in the pipeline industry represents great potential for increasing productivity, and thus, it has been investigated for decades. The early efforts included flash welding, in which the ends of a pipe were heated electrically by resistance, until the material began to melt and arc forms, thus cleaning the surface of oxides, and allowing a joint to be formed after the surfaces were forged together. This was demonstrated by the Paton Welding Institute in the Ukraine for large scale pipes in the 1980s, however large-scale adoption never occurred due to occasional scatter in toughness properties around the circumference of the joint. 

Read more about advances and applications in induction-assisted friction welding.