A breakthrough at PNNL could free friction stir from current constraints—and open the door for increased use of the advanced manufacturing technique on commercial assembly lines.

PNNL researchers have developed a new, physics-informed machine learning model that accurately predicts how heat accumulates and dissipates during friction stir processing.

Rotational Hammer Riveting, developed by PNNL, joins dissimilar materials quickly without preheating rivets. The friction-based riveting enables use of lightweight magnesium rivets and also works on aluminum and speeds manufacturing.

Twelve energy-related technologies developed at PNNL have been selected for additional technology maturation funding to help move them from the laboratory and field tests to the marketplace.

A PNNL study that evaluated the use of friction stir technology on stainless steel has shown that the steel resists erosion more than three times that of its unprocessed counterpart.