A method for forming a lightweight flanged axle shaft particularly for use within automotive vehicles for transmitting power from a power source, such as the differential, to a driven wheel. The method includes extruding a tubular blank through a die throat by pushing the blank through the die throat and causing the blank to collapse inwardly around a mandrel-like member located within the die throat to thereby form an elongated, thin wall, hollow tube. A flange member, which is separately stamped out of metal, is formed with a disk-like flange and an integral central tubular-shaped hub whose free edge is of approximately the same diametrical size and thickness as the end of the shaft. The flange hub and the shaft end are welded together, face to face, by engaging the two and rapidly spinning one relative to the other to generate sufficient heat to fuse them together upon discontinuance of the rotation. This produces a one-piece, long, hollow, thin wall, lightweight, hollow shaft with a hollow flange having a hollow flange hub integrated with the shaft end. The opposite end of the shaft is configured, such as with spline teeth, for fastening that shaft end to a drive or driven member while the flange at the opposite end of the shaft is fastened to the opposite drive or driven member.

In a friction agitation joining method for joining metallic joining members, a joining device having a column-shaped rotor of a larger diameter and a pin-shaped probe of a smaller diameter integrally formed on an end of the rotor and protruded along an axis of the rotor is used for joining the metallic joining members. The probe is rotated and inserted into or around a butted portion of the joining members to soften a contact portion contacted by the probe by friction heat and to agitate the contact portion so that the joining members are butt joined. Each joining member has a thick portion at a butting side thereof The rotating rotor is contacted to the thick portions under pressure to soften the thick portions by friction heat so that a gap formed at the butted portion is filled with the materials of the softened thick portions.

Sucker rod is made at a well site by welding 40 foot lengths of straight round bar. The welded rod is then coiled on large radius coils at the well site. Round bar is prepared for welding by pencil pointing and then mig welded. The coils are large enough that the bending stress of the rod is not exceeded.

A friction welded product for rock drilling and method for manufacturing thereof, the product including a first component (25) and a second component (22) of parent material joined by a friction weld (27). The components have a central inner passage (26) and both components are made from a steel having a chemical composition such that the hardness in the most tempered part of the heat affected zone close to the weld is at least the same as that of the core hardness of the rod. Further, the product exhibits normal hardness when cooled to room temperature subsequent to the friction welding thereby having a minimum core hardness at the heat affected zone above 390 HV1.

A force-transmitting device comprising an aluminum alloy shaft portion, a steel end portion, and a transition portion having a first portion of aluminum alloy and a second portion of steel which is bonded to the first portion at a bonded joint. The shaft portion is welded to the first portion and the end portion is welded to the second portion, forming an integral force-transmitting device. The device is configured to transmit a force between the shaft portion and the end portion by way of the bonded joint. A device constructed in accordance with the present from two different metals achieves weight savings over prior art single-metal devices, and is simpler to fabricate than prior art two-metal devices.