Identification of the pin offset effect on the friction stir welding (FSW) via Taguchi – Grey relational analysis: A Case study for AA 7075 – AA 6013 alloys

The aim of this work is to present a case study relating to the dissimilar friction stir welding (FSW) ability of AA 7075‐T651 and AA 6013‐T6 by applying pin offset technique. An orthogonal array L18 was conducted to perform the overlapped weld seams using three different values of pin offset, welding speed and tool rotational speed along with two different pin profiles determine the impact of welding parameters on the tensile properties of friction stir welded joints. The nugget zone for each of overlapped weld seams exhibited a complex structure and also, the pin offset and profile also were found to have a great impact on the microstructural evolution of the nugget zone. The ultimate tensile strength, elongation at the rapture and bending strength of welded joints were measured in the ranges of 194–215 MPa, 1.79–3.34 % and 203–352 MPa. From the Taguchi based Grey relational analysis, the optimum welding condition was determined for the welded joint performed using a single fluted pin profile with the zero pin offset, tool rotational speed of 630 min^?1 and welding speed of 63 mm/min. Microstructural and macro‐structural observations revealed that welded joints exhibiting lower tensile strength are consistent of various types of defects (e. g. cracks, tunnels and cavities). The fracture location of welded joints was found to be on the heat affected zone and between the heat affected zone and AA 6013‐base metal. The tool and pin wear was not observed during the welding applications     

Evolution of microstructures and mechanical properties in similar and dissimilar friction stir welding of AA5086 and AA6061

In this work, thermo-mechanical behavior and microstructural evolution in similar and dissimilar friction stir welding of AA6061-T6 and AA5086-O have been investigated. Firstly, the thermo-mechanical behaviors of materials during similar and dissimilar FSW operations have been predicted using three-dimensional finite element software, ABAQUS, then, the mechanical properties and the developed microstructures within the welded samples have been studied with the aid of experimental observations and model predictions. It is found that different strengthening mechanisms in AA5086 and AA6061 result in complex behaviors in hardness of the welded cross section where the hardness variation in similar AA5086-O joints mainly depends on recrystallization and generation of fine grains in weld nugget, however, the hardness variations in the weld zone of AA6061/AA6061 and AA6061/AA5086 joints are affected by subsequent aging phenomenon. Also, both experimental and predicted data illustrate that the peak temperature in FSW of AA6061/AA6061 is the highest compared to the other joints employing the same welding parameters.     

Effect of welding speed on microstructural and mechanical properties of friction stir welded Inconel 600

In order to evaluate the properties of a friction stir welded Ni base alloy, Inconel 600 (single phase type) was selected. Sound friction stir welds without weld defect were obtained at 150 and 200 mm/min in welding speed, however, a groove like defect occurred at 250 mm/min. The electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) method was used to analyze the grain boundary character distribution. As a result, dynamic recrystallization was observed at all conditions, and the grain refinement was achieved in the stir zone, and it was gradually accelerated from 19 μm in average grain size of the base material to 3.4 μm in the stir zone with increasing the welding speed. It also has an effect on the mechanical properties so that friction stir welded zone showed 20% higher microhardness and 10% higher tensile strength than those of base material.     

Establishing relationship between the base metal properties and friction stir welding process parameters of cast aluminium alloys

In friction stir welding (FSW), the material under the rotating action of non-consumable tool has to be stirred properly to get defect free welds in turn it will improve the strength of the welded joints. The welding conditions and parameters are differing based on the mechanical properties of base materials such as tensile strength, ductility and hardness which control the plastic deformation during friction stir welding. The FSW process parameters such as tool rotation speed, welding speed and axial force, etc. play a major role in deciding the weld quality. FSW Joints of cast aluminium alloys A319, A356, and A413 were made by varying the FSW process parameters and the optimum values were obtained. In this investigation, empirical relationships are established and they can be effectively used to predict the optimum FSW process parameters to fabricate defect free joints with high tensile strength from the known base metal properties of cast aluminium alloys.     

Analysis of dissimilar friction stir welding process for tensile properties of EN AW 2024 and EN AW 5083

The objective of the present study is to analyze the effect of dissimilar friction stir welding process parameters associated with the tool pin profile. Nine different welding experiments were conducted on EN AW 2024 and EN AW 5083 plates. Each of the welded joints was exposed to metallurgical and mechanical tests to determine the effect of the parameters on the welded joint's strength and characteristics. The welding responses or characteristics were analyzed using the statistical tools, grey relational analysis and analysis of variance. Thus, the contribution of each parameter to the process response (ultimate tensile strength and percentage of elongation) was analyzed, and an optimal welding condition was determined. The results of metallurgical analyses showed that the defective joints were mostly in the welded joints fabricated with a conical threaded pin, and the shape of the stir zone was affected by the pin profile and tool rotational speed. The metallurgical results were consistent with the tensile test results. Statistical analyses showed that the most effective parameter on the welded joint strength and elongation is tool rotational speed with 70.3 %. While the tool pin profile affects the stir zone shape, the strength and elongation are not affected. The effect of welding speed (5.6 %) is not significant on strength and elongation.     

Friction stir welding of dissimilar materials between AA6061 and AA7075 Al alloys effects of process parameters

Dissimilar AA6061 and AA7075 alloy have been friction stir welded with a variety of different process parameters. In particular, the effects of materials position and welding speed on the material flow, microstructure, microhardness distribution and tensile property of the joints were investigated. It was revealed that the material mixing is much more effective when AA6061 alloy was located on the advancing side and multiple vortexes centers formed vertically in the nugget. Three distinct zones with different extents of materials intercalations were identified and the formation mechanism of the three zones was then discussed. Grain refinement was observed in all three layers across the nugget zone with smaller grains in AA7075 Al layers. All the obtained joints fractured in the heat-affected zone on the AA6061 Al side during tensile testing, which corresponds very well to the minimum values in microhardness profiles. It was found that the tensile strength of the dissimilar joints increases with decreasing heat input. The highest joint strength was obtained when welding was conducted with highest welding speed and AA6061 Al plates were fixed on the advancing side. To facilitate the interpretation, the temperature history profiles in the HAZ and at zones close to TMAZ were also measured using thermocouple and simulated using a three-dimensional computational model.     

铝 / 钢异种金属搅拌摩擦焊及其研究进展

铝/钢异种金属连接结构在国防领域和国民生产、生活中更加广泛应用的前提,是获得良好的接头综合性能,但铝/钢焊接时易出现裂纹、金属间化合物等,严重影响了焊接接头质量。摩擦焊作为一种低温高效的固相连接方法,在新材料连接、高性能装备制造等领域受到了高度重视。其中,搅拌摩擦焊由于其可焊接头形式丰富而被重点关注。从搅拌摩擦焊的接头形式、工艺参数、力学性能及界面组织4个方面,分别介绍了铝/钢搅拌摩擦焊的研究进展,为其深入研究提供依据。     

Effects of rotation speed and dwell time on the mechanical properties and microstructure of dissimilar aluminum-titanium alloys by friction stir spot welding (FSSW)

In this study, the effects of rotation speed and dwell time on the mechanical properties and microstructure of friction stir spot welded joints of dissimilar aluminum and titanium alloys were investigated. Aluminum AA6061 and titanium Ti-6Al-4 V alloys were selected as the work piece. The joint quality, mechanical behavior, and microstructural evolution in the welded regions were considerably affected by the welding parameters. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of Ti₃Al intermetallic compounds near the thermomechanical affected zone, which significantly affected the properties of the welding joint. Maximum tensile shear load was produced at 1000 min⁻¹ and 10 s dwell time. Moreover, the welding joint microhardness was improved with increasing the rotation speed.     

工艺参数对Al-Mg异种金属搅拌摩擦焊-钎焊复合焊接接头力学性能的影响

目的研究工艺参数对Al-Mg异种金属搅拌摩擦焊-钎焊复合焊接接头力学性能的影响。方法采用搅拌摩擦焊-钎焊方法,在不同焊接工艺参数下焊接2A12-T4铝合金和AZ31镁合金。结果当焊接速度为23.5mm/min、旋转速度为375 r/min时,焊接接头的抗拉剪力达到最大,为5.5 kN,比搅拌摩擦焊接头的最大抗拉剪力的5.0 kN提高了10%。结论搅拌摩擦焊-钎焊复合焊接的工艺参数会显著影响铝/镁异种金属接头力学性能,通过优化工艺参数能够获得力学性能优异的铝/镁异种金属焊接接头。复合焊接接头的抗拉剪力随着焊接速度的增大呈现先增大后减小的趋势。     

Challenges in dissimilar friction stir welding of aluminum 5052 and 304 stainless steel alloys

In this study, dissimilar friction stir welding of aluminum 5052 and stainless steel 304 has been carried out with different process parameters. This investigation provides a better insight regarding the defect formation of the weld joints with tilt angles ranging from 0 ° to 2.5 °. The experiments were conducted according to Taguchi L9 orthogonal array by changing the tool rotational speed, and welding speed. The tool pin was kept 70 % towards the aluminum with the tool rotational speed ranging from 800 min⁻¹ to 1200 min⁻¹ with a varying traverse speed of 5 mm/min to 15 mm/min. The bottom part of the stir zone was perfectly welded without any defects. Tunnel defect was detected just above the bottom welded surface. Microstructural analysis reveals that the weld between both materials is formed on the retreating side, whereas on the advancing side, the weld was formed with void defects. Mostly, the stir zone is filled with irregular shaped aluminum and steel parts which were detached from the base material. Several other defects such as voids, cracks, and fragmental defects were observed in the stir zone irrespective of the process parameters. It was observed from the experimental investigations that the tunnel defect can be reduced by increasing the tilt angle.     

Local melting and tool slippage during friction stir spot welding of Al-alloys

Local melting and tool slippage during friction stir spot welding of different Al-alloy base materials is examined using a combination of detailed microscopy and temperature measurement. The stir zone peak temperature during welding is limited by either the solidus of the alloy in question or by spontaneous melting of intermetallic particles contained in the as-received base material. When spontaneous melting occurs this facilitates tool slippage at the contact interface. Accurate stir zone temperature and grain size measurements are essential elements when estimating the strain rate using the Zener–Hollomon relation. In Al 2024 and Al 7075 spot welds spontaneous melting of second-phase particles produces a drastic reduction in strain rate values. In Al 5754 and Al 6061 spot welds there is a strong correlation between tool rotational speed and estimated strain values. Local melted films dissolve rapidly in the high temperature stir zone and when the spot weld cools to room temperature following welding. Evidence of local melting is observed in Al 7075 friction stir spot welded joints made using a combination of rapid quenching, high plunge rates, and extremely short dwell time settings.     

Optimization of process parameters of friction stir spot welding of polycarbonate sheets and morphological analysis

Friction stir spot welding has a great impact on the joining process of thermoplastics. In this work, effects of varying rotational speed, plunge depth, and dwell time were investigated on polycarbonate sheets and a filler sheet was utilized to reduce the keyhole size of friction stir spot welded joints. The welding parameters were arranged according to Taguchi L₉ orthogonal design of experiments to determine the optimum levels of process parameters. Lap shear tests were performed to examine the mechanical properties. Using analysis of variance and signal to noise ratio, influences of each welding parameter on the lap joint shear load were evaluated. According to achieved results, tool rotational speed has the highest effect while plunge depth has minimum effect on the mechanical behavior of friction stir spot welded joints. Optimum process parameters were attained as 1000 min⁻¹ for rotational speed, 10.5 mm of plunge depth, and 40 s of dwell time. Optimized process parameters showed 15 % improvement compared to the initial welding parameters. Cross-sectional appearances of welded samples which play an important role in determining lap joint shear load were analyzed by morphological and visual comparisons. Failure modes of the fractured samples for lowest, moderate and highest lap joint shear loads were also observed.     

A review of numerical analysis of friction stir welding

Friction stir welding is a relatively new solid-state joining technique which is widely adopted in different industry fields to join different metallic alloys that are hard to weld by conventional fusion welding. Friction stir welding is a highly complex process comprising several highly coupled physical phenomena. The complex geometry of some kinds of joints and their three dimensional nature make it difficult to develop an overall system of governing equations for theoretical analyzing the behavior of the friction stir welded joints. The experiments are often time consuming and costly. To overcome these problems, numerical analysis has frequently been used since the 2000s. This paper reviews the latest developments in the numerical analysis of friction stir welding processes, microstructures of friction stir welded joints and the properties of friction stir welded structures. Some important numerical issues such as materials flow modeling, meshing procedure and failure criteria are discussed. Numerical analysis of friction stir welding will allow many different welding processes to be simulated in order to understand the effects of changes in different system parameters before physical testing, which would be time-consuming or prohibitively expensive in practice. The main methods used in numerical analysis of friction stir welding are discussed and illustrated with brief case studies. In addition, several important key problems and issues remain to be addressed about the numerical analysis of friction stir welding and opportunities for further research are identified.     

2195铝锂合金搅拌摩擦焊接头盐雾腐蚀行为研究

本文研究了厚度为8 mm的2195铝锂合金母材及搅拌摩擦焊接头在3.5wt.％NaCl介质中的盐雾腐蚀行为,计算了不同腐蚀周期下的腐蚀速率,并通过OM、SEM、TEM观察分析母材与焊核区的腐蚀微观形貌.结果 表明:2195铝锂合金母材及搅拌摩擦焊接头在3.5％ NaCl腐蚀介质中的主要腐蚀形式为点蚀,随时间的延长发展为...     

Material flow during friction stir spot welding of dissimilar Al2024/Al materials

In the present paper, the material flow and intermixing during friction stir spot welding of dissimilar Al2024/Al materials were investigated. The dissimilar materials had quite different strength. The microstructural evolutions taking place during a series of lap and butt welds were observed. The effect of penetration depths, dwell time, rotational speed and tool geometry were systematically investigated. The material flow and formation of the intermixed region were explained by a modified model.     

Effects of Tilt Angle on the Properties of Dissimilar Friction Stir Welding Copper to Aluminum

In the present investigation, dissimilar materials such as electrolytic tough pitch copper, and aluminum 6061-T651 were welded by friction stir welding technology. Effects of tool tilt angle on the mechanical and metallurgical properties were studied experimentally for dissimilar material systems. In the present study, the tool tilt angle was varied from 0° to 4° with an interval of 1°, while the other parameters such as rotational speed, welding speed, tool pin offset, and workpiece material position were kept constant. Macrostructure analysis, tensile test, macro hardness measurement, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectrographic tests were performed to evaluate the weld properties of dissimilar copper–aluminum joints. The results revealed that a defect free dissimilar copper–aluminum friction stir welding was achieved by tilt angles 2°, 3°, and 4°. The maximum tensile strength was reported to be 117 MPa and the macro hardness was reported to be 181 VH (in the nugget zone) at a tilt angle of 4°. The macro hardness was increased as the tilt angle increases from 0° to 4°. In addition to this, the thermo-mechanically affected zone (at the copper side) was found to be the weakest zone for a dissimilar copper–aluminum friction stir welding system.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of friction stir welded dissimilar copper/brass joints

In this study, an experimental investigation has been carried out on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded copper/brass dissimilar joints. Effect of axial tool force to welding quality has been investigated under obtained optimal tool rotation rate and tool traverse speed conditions. The tool for the dissimilar copper/brass friction stir welding manufactured from X155CrMoV12–1 cold work tool steel with material number of 1.2379. The friction stir welding quality was investigated by welding surface inspections, microstructural studies, micro hardness measurements and tensile tests. The experimental studies have shown that constant axial tool force during pre‐heating and during welding process are very important. As a result, by using 2.5–3 kN of axial tool force during pre‐heating and 5.5 kN of axial tool force during welding process, copper/brass dissimilar joints with well appearance and higher mechanical strength can be obtained.     

异种铝合金回填式搅拌摩擦点焊工艺的研究

目的 研究搅拌头转速和轴套下压量对异质铝合金回填式搅拌摩擦点焊接头的组织及力学性能的影响。方法 采用回填式搅拌摩擦点焊技术对7050铝合金和2524铝合金进行搭接焊试验,焊接完成后利用光镜、体式显微镜、扫描电镜对组织进行观察,另外,测试拉伸剪切载荷和显微硬度分布,最后对断裂行为进行了研究。结果 接头区域可以分为焊核区、热力影响区、热影响区、母材4个区域,焊核区晶粒呈细小等轴状,热力影响区晶粒呈粗大长条状。随搅拌头转速的增大,拉剪载荷降低,当转速为1500 r/min时拉剪载荷值最高,其值为7.499 44 kN。热影响区的显微硬度比母材低,最小值为HV106。接头的断裂方式可以分为剪切型断裂、塞型断裂、剪切-半环型断裂。结论 在一定工艺参数范围内,通过适当降低搅拌头转速能显著提高接头的拉剪载荷,轴套下压量对接头的断裂方式影响显著。     

Analysis of high temperature plastic behaviour and its relation with weldability in friction stir welding for aluminium alloys AA5083-H111 and AA6082-T6

The influence of the plastic behaviour of two aluminium alloys, very popular in welding construction, on friction stir weldability, is analysed in this work. The two base materials, a non-heat-treatable (AA5083-H111) and a heat-treatable aluminium (AA6082-T6) alloy, are characterised by markedly different strengthening mechanisms and microstructural evolution at increasing temperatures. Their plastic behaviour, under different testing conditions, was analysed and compared. The two base materials were also welded under varied friction stir welding (FSW) conditions in order to characterise their weldability. The relation between weldability, material flow during FSW and the plastic behaviour of the base materials, at different temperatures, was analysed. It was found that the AA6082 alloy, which displays intense flow softening during tensile loading at high temperatures, and is sensitive to dynamic precipitation and overageing under intense non-uniform deformation, displays good weldability in FSW. Under the same welding conditions, the AA5083 alloy, which in quasi-static conditions displays steady flow behaviour at increasing temperatures, and is sensitive to moderate hardening at high strain rates, displays poor weldability.     

Developments of mathematical models for prediction of tensile properties of dissimilar AA6061-T6 to Cu welds prepared by friction stir welding process using Zn interlayer

Amount of intermetallics formed at the weld interface in dissimilar friction stir welding may be reduced by use of suitable interlayer materials such as Zn. In the present investigation, mathematical models have been developed for prediction of tensile properties of dissimilar AA6061-T6 to pure Cu welds prepared by friction stir welding process with Zn interlayer. Experiments were planned as per Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology. Three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design with 15 runs was employed. Three process parameters: tool rotation speed (710, 1000 and 1400 rpm), tool travel speed (28, 56 and 80 mm/min) and tool pin offset (+0.5, +1.0 and +1.5 mm towards AA6061-T6 sheet) were considered. Lacks of fit for the developed models were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Validities of the developed models were checked by conducting confirmation runs. Predicted and experimental results of confirmation runs were found in reasonable agreements. Microstructural characterization revealed typical microstructure composed of intercalation of base metals. It was observed by X-ray diffraction analysis that use of Zn interlayer coupled with tool offset of +1.0 and +1.5 resulted in elimination of intermetallics of Al–Cu system at the weld interface, improving dissimilar weld quality.