Difference Between Friction Welding and Inertia Welding - Friction welding supplies energy from conventional drive source such as an electric or hydraulic motor whereas inertia welding employs a flywheel to supply the weld energy, i.e., the inertia welding utilises stored kinetic energy in a rotating flywheel. Flywheel is coupled rigidly to one weld member.
The use of flywheel in the system has certain advantages:
(i) The flywheel is in effect an infinite power source; it cannot stall until all the kinetic energy has been converted to heat energy and mechanical working at the weld interface.
The power demanded by the inertia weld is met with by the flywheel by simply decelerating at the required rate. Against this, in friction welding, the size of the motor limits the power.
(ii) The forging action is readily controlled by proper selection of the flywheel.
