Overview
EN ISO 25239-5:2020 / ISO 25239-5:2020 - published by CEN/ISO - defines quality and inspection requirements for friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminium and its alloys. The standard specifies a method to assess a manufacturer’s capability to produce products by FSW to a required quality level. It sets quality, personnel, equipment and inspection requirements, but does not assign those requirements to specific product groups. Friction stir spot welding is excluded (see ISO 18785 series).
Keywords: friction stir welding, FSW, aluminium, ISO 25239-5:2020, quality and inspection, manufacturer capability
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose
- Method for determining manufacturer capability to perform FSW for specified product quality.
- Applies to aluminium and aluminium alloys only; excludes FSSW (spot welding).
- Quality system elements
- Welding procedure specification (WPS) and control of process parameters.
- Equipment suitability, maintenance and reproducibility tests for qualified machine settings.
- Traceability and product identification requirements.
- Personnel
- Requirements for welding operators, inspection/testing personnel, and destructive testing staff.
- Non-destructive testing (NDT) and visual testing personnel requirements aligned with ISO 17637 and ISO 9712.
- Tool and joint control
- Identification and inspection of FSW tools.
- Joint preparation, fit-up, pre-weld cleaning, tack welds and interpass temperature control.
- Inspection and testing
- Inspection before, during and after welding (visual, NDT, destructive testing).
- Handling of damaged or non-conforming welds and guidance on weld geometry correction.
- Annex A (normative): imperfections, testing and acceptance levels - introduces three acceptance levels and adds multiple specific imperfections (e.g., angular misalignment, surface breaking cavities, solid inclusions).
- Referenced test standards
Applications and who uses this standard
- Manufacturers and fabricators using FSW to produce aluminium structures (rail, aerospace, marine, automotive, consumer and food-processing equipment).
- Welding engineers and quality managers establishing WPS, process control and supplier qualification.
- NDT and inspection personnel defining inspection regimes and acceptance criteria.
- Procurement and certification bodies assessing supplier capability for FSW production.
Keywords: FSW quality requirements, FSW inspection, aluminium welding standard, welding procedure, NDT for FSW
Related standards
This standard is essential for organizations that need a structured, auditable approach to ensuring consistent, verifiable quality of aluminium components joined by friction stir welding.