Case Study: Implementation of FSW in the Colombian Rail Transport Sector

Medellin is the second-largest city in Colombia and the only one to have a metro system: Metro de Medellin (MdM), a mass-transport system that on average transports 811 thousand people daily. An exercise was carried out to identify components suitable for FSW and a Tie, part of the doors opening and closing mechanism, was selected. This component was originally manufactured from a bespoke extruded U-shaped AA6063-T83 profile with arc-welded features and machined details. FSW provides a solution for joining aluminum alloys compared to arc welding, but high investment costs for dedicated equipment remains an obstacle for its implementation in small workshops. To take advantage of FSW for small batches, a manufacturing-strategy was proposed based on the capabilities and limitations in the local metalworking sector, enabling implementation on adapted conventional milling machines. A representative demonstrator has been successfully manufactured for further testing. Finally, a cost comparison between the existing manufacturing route and FSW is presented.