Cost comparison of FSW and MIG welded aluminium panels

Weld production tests were made using friction stir (FSW) and MIG welding for welding extruded panels. Production times were measured using a 2-m long double-skinned EN-AW 6005A-profile joint as a basic unit. Production time data were used for productivity calculations of different welding machine arrangements. Furthermore, a cost comparison was made based on the production time, machine investment, license, consumable and tooling costs. MIG welding costs were dominated by labour wages and machine investment and by a lesser degree by filler material costs. FSW costs were dominated by machine investment, fabrication license and labour wages. FSW was more economical than MIG when the annual production volume was large enough, in the order of some tens of km of weld per year.