Technical Guide
Rotary Friction Surfacing (RFS) & Cladding Toolpaths
Rotary Friction Surfacing is a solid-state joining technology where a rotating consumable alloy rod is pressed against a substrate under high axial load. Severe plastic deformation and frictional heating generate a viscoplastic boundary layer that metallurgically bonds to the substrate without bulk melting, eliminating dilution and solidification cracking in superalloys and dissimilar metal pairs.
1. Volumetric Conservation & Layer Thickness
Because friction surfacing is a solid-state plastic shear process with negligible evaporation loss, deposit layer thickness is strictly governed by axial consumption rate $v_z$ and forward travel rate $v_x$:
$$T_{ ext{layer}} = rac{v_z \cdot \pi D_{ ext{rod}}^2}{4 \cdot W_{ ext{bond}} \cdot v_x}$$
Where:
• $D_{ ext{rod}}$ = Consumable rod diameter (mm)
• $v_z$ = Axial vertical feed rate (mm/min)
• $v_x$ = Forward traverse table speed (mm/min)
• $W_{ ext{bond}}$ = Effective bonded track width ($pprox 0.85–0.95 \cdot D_{ ext{rod}}$)
Where:
• $D_{ ext{rod}}$ = Consumable rod diameter (mm)
• $v_z$ = Axial vertical feed rate (mm/min)
• $v_x$ = Forward traverse table speed (mm/min)
• $W_{ ext{bond}}$ = Effective bonded track width ($pprox 0.85–0.95 \cdot D_{ ext{rod}}$)
2. Multi-Track Serpentine CAM Strategy
- Stepover Overlap ($40–55\%$): To deposit continuous planar clad wear plates, multi-track passes must overlap the advancing side of preceding tracks to avoid unbonded kissing bonds.
- Bi-directional / Unidirectional Hatching: Unidirectional toolpaths maintain consistent advancing/retreating shear asymmetry across all deposited tracks.
Order Precision Solid-State CAM Vectors
SpotItLive generates 1:1 metric serpentine toolpaths and multi-track boundary DXF, SVG, and EPS vector packages.
View Pricing & Order →