Friction Stir Welding Replaces Rivets In Aircraft Structures

Eclipse Aviation awarded the contract to MTS Systems in April 2001 for a unique friction stir welding (FSW) system -- the world's first production application of this technology for the fabrication of aircraft structures. This award culminates a joint development activity during which MTS and Eclipse have researched and proven the efficiency and reliability of friction stir welding for the Eclipse 500 jet.

"Eclipse's needs for high volume, low cost production has been the catalyst for our process development,'' said Sidney W. Emery, Jr., chairman and CEO of MTS.

"The benefits of friction stir welding are numerous,'' said Oliver Masefield, vice president of engineering for Eclipse. "It eliminates the need for thousands of rivets resulting in reduced assembly costs, better quality joining and stronger and lighter joints. Because this process is significantly faster than other structural joining processes we can drastically reduce the cycle time in production.''

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Friction stir welding will be used in place of rivets in the assembly of most major assemblies of the Eclipse 500, including the cabin, aft fuselage, wings and engine mounts.

MTS, recognized worldwide for its expertise in mechanical motions and forces, pioneered a unique multi-axis control capability allowing the precision joining of curved surfaces. Eclipse selected MTS for the production system based on the technical validation of the process and MTS's ability to design and deliver large complex systems that operate under tight process controls.

Eclipse Aviation is working closely with FAA certification representatives on the certification of this technology. Successful joining of these first components is a major step in the validation and certification of friction stir welding in the assembly of the Eclipse 500 jet.

Friction stir is a novel welding technique invented by The Welding Institute in 1991. A rotating pin is pressed into the interface of the components to be joined. Frictional heat causes the material to soften without reaching the melting point. The material extrudes around the pin as it traverses the joint and is forged by downward pressure from the pin's shoulder. Friction stir welding is faster than traditional joining technologies such as auto-riveting or fusion welding, the joints are higher quality, the process is highly repeatable, and structures can be made lighter because of the higher quality joints.

About MTS

MTS Systems Corporation is a global supplier of integrated simulation solutions that help customers accelerate and improve their design, development and manufacturing processes. MTS supplies products for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products and structures - including computer-based testing and simulation systems, modeling and testing software, and consulting services -- as well as products for automating manufacturing processes. Additional information on MTS can be found on the worldwide web at http://www.mts.com

About Eclipse

Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. Contact Eclipse at http://www.eclipseaviation.com