Submerged Bobbin Tool (SBT) Tunneling Technology

Submerged bobbin toolBobbin Tools (SBT) tunneling is a new friction stir processing (FSP)Friction stir processing (FSP) technique for making integral channelsChannels within malleable materials. Like a conventional bobbin toolBobbin Tools (BT) for friction stir welding (FSW), an SBT toolset has two opposing shoulders spaced apart along the bobbin or probe section of the tool. Unlike a conventional BT, an SBT is used to form integral subsurface channelsChannels by passing the shoulder at the distal end of the probe through the workpiece during processing. Example uses of internal pathwaysInternal Pathways are found in heat exchangersHeat Exchangers, cooling platesCooling Plates, and vacuum toolsTools. Advance uses may include lessening weight and modifying the stiffness of structural components. A preliminary evaluation in AA6061-T6511 plates shows this special form of FSP has low process forcesProcess forces and is therefore capable of being deployed on CNC (computer numerical control) machiningMachining centers and friction stir-capable industrial robots as well as purpose-built FSP machines. Consequently, SBT tunneling holds potential use in a wide range of applications requiring curvilinear internal pathwaysInternal Pathways for wiring, gases, and fluids, as well as internal spaces for the placement of powders and solid materials like compositesComposite.