RICHLAND, WA—Engineers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) here have developed a new process for joining aluminum and steel. Friction stir dovetailing was inspired by assembly techniques used in woodworking.
“In woodworking, dovetails and glue are used to securely join pieces of wood together,” says Scott Whalen, a PNNL engineer who is leading the R&D project. “Friction stir dovetailing is a similar approach for metals.”