The use of friction stir welding for the production of Mokume Gane-Type materials

Mokume gane is a highly desirable and unique decorative material but production is difficult at both workshop and industrial levels. This paper describes a novel method for producing mixed metal, multi-colored, layered materials using friction stir welding (FSW) and compares the results with mokume gane made by a number of different conventional methods. FSW was invented in 1991 by TWI, a UK-based research and technology organization, and has found widespread use in the joining of aluminum and, more recently, steels. By adapting FSW it has been possible to successfully bond many layers of dissimilar metals such as silver, copper and brass, etc., while simultaneously producing unique patterns in the metal, minimizing further processing, reducing waste and potentially lowering costs. The technique avoids many of the problems experienced in workshop production, e.g., melting of lack of bonding, while allowing production of small, customized ingots and mass production of large sheets, with up to several square meters possible.