Outboard motor propeller shaft inertia welding (stainless / carburized steel)

Another place where inertia welders helped solve a problem is in the outboard motor industry. Manufacturers including Evinrude, Mercury, and Chrysler Outboard use inertia welding to fabricate a variety of components, including propeller shafts. The propeller shaft must resist corrosion, but the end in the gearbox must be wear resistant. Stainless steel is used at one end, carburized and hardened steel at the other. The inertia welder joins these parts quicker, at less cost.