US Patent Issued to Blue Origin Manufacturing on Sept. 16 for "Friction stir welding systems and methods" (Florida, Washington Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 17 -- United States Patent no. 12,415,229, issued on Sept. 16, was assigned to Blue Origin Manufacturing LLC (Huntsville, Ala.).

"Friction stir welding systems and methods" was invented by Michael S. Brendel (Bellevue, Wash.), Ilana K. Lu (Merritt Island, Fla.) and Roger Conant Carter IV (Merritt Island, Fla.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A friction stir welding system can reduce the likelihood of oxide formation in the work pieces being friction stir welded by forming an inert gas atmosphere in which the friction stir welding process is performed. The friction stir welding system includes one or more inert purge gas sources that direct inert purge gas towards the form...