Effect of processing parameters on static strength of dissimilar friction stir spot welds between different aluminium alloys

The effect of processing parameters on static strength and fracture mechanisms of dissimilar friction stir spot welds between different aluminium alloys was studied. Tensile shear strength increased with decreasing tool rotational speed and increasing tool holding time, while cross tension strength decreased with increasing both parameters. Two fracture modes were observed: nugget shear fracture and mixed mode fracture under tensile shear loading, and debonding and pull‐out of the nugget under cross tension loading. Based on experimental observation, the dependence of static strength on processing parameters and the occurrence of different fracture modes were discussed.     

Fatigue behaviour of dissimilar friction stir spot welds between A6061‐T6 and low carbon steel sheets welded by a scroll grooved tool without probe

A6061 and low carbon steel sheets, whose thicknesses were 2 mm, were welded by a friction stir spot welding (FSSW) technique using a scroll grooved tool without probe (scroll tool). Tensile‐shear fatigue tests were performed using lap‐shear specimens at a stress ratio R = 0.1, and the fatigue behaviour of dissimilar welds was discussed. Tensile‐shear force of the dissimilar welds was higher than that of the A6061 similar ones. Furthermore, the dissimilar welds exhibited nearly the same fatigue strengths as the A6061 similar ones, indicating FSSW by a scroll tool was effective technique for joining aluminium to steel sheet. Fatigue fracture modes of the dissimilar welds were dependent on load levels, where shear fracture through the interface between A6061 and steel occurred at high load levels, while crack grew through A6061 sheet at low load level.     

Failure mode of laser welds in lap‐shear specimens of high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel sheets

In this paper, the failure mode of laser welds in lap‐shear specimens of non‐galvanized SAE J2340 300Y high strength low alloy steel sheets under quasi‐static loading conditions is examined based on experimental observations and finite element analyses. Laser welded lap‐shear specimens with reduced cross sections were made. Optical micrographs of the cross sections of the welds in the specimens before and after tests are examined to understand the microstructure and failure mode of the welds. Micro‐hardness tests were also conducted to provide an assessment of the mechanical properties in the base metal, heat‐affected and fusion zones. The micrographs indicate that the weld failure appears to be initiated from the base metal near the boundary of the base metal and the heat‐affected zone at a distance away from the pre‐existing crack tip, and the specimens fail due to the necking/shear of the lower left load carrying sheets. Finite element analyses based on non‐homogenous multi‐zone material models were conducted to model the ductile necking/shear failure and to obtain the J integral solutions for the pre‐existing cracks. The results of the finite element analyses are used to explain the ductile failure initiation sites and the necking/shear of the lower left load carrying sheets. The J integral solutions obtained from the finite element analyses based on the 3‐zone finite element model indicate that the J integral for the pre‐existing cracks at the failure loads are low compared to the fracture toughness and the specimens should fail in a plastic collapse or necking/shear mode. The effects of the sheet thickness on the failure mode were then investigated for laser welds with a fixed ratio of the weld width to the thickness. For the given non‐homogenous material model, the J integral solutions appear to be scaled by the sheet thickness. With consideration of the plastic collapse failure mode and fracture initiation failure mode, a critical thickness can be obtained for the transition of the plastic collapse or necking/shear failure mode to the fracture initiation failure mode. Finally, the failure load is expressed as a function of the sheet thickness according to the governing equations based on the two failure modes. The results demonstrate that the failure mode of welds of thin sheets depends on the sheet thickness, ductility of the base metal and fracture toughness of the heat‐affected zone. Therefore, failure criteria based on either the plastic collapse failure mode or the fracture initiation failure mode should be used cautiously for welds of thin sheets.     

Fatigue strength of self‐piercing riveted joints in lap‐shear specimens of aluminium and steel sheets

The self‐piercing riveting (SPR) process is gaining popularity because of its many advantages. This study investigated the fatigue strength of SPR joints in tensile‐shear specimens with dissimilar Al‐5052 and steel sheets. A structural analysis of the specimen was conducted. For this specimen, the upper steel sheet withstood applied load in a monotonic test and played a major role in the low‐cycle region. In the high‐cycle region, however, the harder surface of the upper steel sheet reduced the fatigue strength by enhancing fretting crack initiation on the opposite softer aluminium surface. Therefore, the fatigue endurance of the specimen was reduced. The fatigue endurance of a SPR joint with the combination of steel and aluminium sheets was found to be governed by the strength of the lower sheet, which is more vulnerable to the applied loading. Thus, it is desirable to use a stronger metal sheet as the lower sheet with regard to the fatigue performance. Scanning acoustic microscopy was effectively used to reveal and prove the formation and growth of subsurface cracks in SPR joints. The structural stress can predict the fatigue lifetimes of the SPR joint specimens within a factor of three.     

Effect of tool geometry and process condition on static strength of a magnesium friction stir lap linear weld

Friction stir lap linear welding is conducted on overlapped AZ31 magnesium plates with different welding tools. Welds are made mainly with the orientation such that the weld retreating side on the upper plate is to be placed under load. Welding tools consist of a concave shoulder and a pin having a cylindrical, or triangular, or pie shape. This work addresses the effects of tool geometry and process condition on lap shear strength of welds. The shape of the hook formed due to upward bending of the plate interface on the retreating side and the strength of friction stir processed material are quantitatively characterized. Compared to the cylindrical tool, the triangular tool effectively suppresses the hook on the retreating side due to enhanced horizontal material flow. This primarily leads to a 78% increase in optimized weld strength. A ‘pure’ shear surface present on the tool pin significantly reduces weld strength.     

Residual stress effects on fatigue crack growth in a Ti‐6Al‐4V friction stir weld

Recent studies have illustrated a predominant role of the residual stress on the fatigue crack growth in friction stir welded joints. In this study, the role of the residual stress on the propagation of fatigue cracks orthogonal to the weld direction in a friction stir welded Ti‐6Al‐4V joint was investigated. A numerical prediction of the fatigue crack growth rate in the presence of the residual stresses was carried out using AFGROW software; reasonable correspondence between the predictions and the experimental results were observed when the effects of residual stress were included in the simulation.     

Comparative study of fatigue and fracture in friction stir and electron beam welds of 24 mm thick titanium alloy Ti‐6Al‐4 V

In this study, friction stir welding of Ti‐6Al‐4 V was demonstrated in 24 mm thickness material. The microstructure and mechanical properties, fatigue, fracture toughness and crack growth of these thick section friction stir welds were evaluated and compared with electron beam welds produced in the same thickness material. It was found that the friction stir welds possessed a relatively coarse lamellar alpha transformed beta microstructure because of slow cooling from above the transus temperature of the material. The electron beam welds had a fine acicular alpha structure as a result of rapid solidification. The friction stir welds possessed better ductility, fatigue life, fracture toughness and crack growth resistance than the base meal or electron beam welds. Thus, even though friction stir welding is a relatively new process, the performance benefits it offers for the fabrication of heavy gage primary structure make it a more attractive option than the more well‐established electron beam welding method.     

Effect of welding parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of AA7075‐T6 friction stir welded joints

The effects of advancing speed and rotational speed on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of friction stir welded 7075‐T6 aluminium alloy sheets were studied. The fatigue strength of sound joints was measured and compared to tensile testing results. Macrographs and microhardness maps were carried out to reveal the microstructure transformations. Fractographic observations were made to identify the failure mechanisms. The effects of welding parameters on the fatigue strength are discussed in terms of welding pitch k (mm/rev) and heat input (J/mm). At a high welding pitch, crack initiation at the root of the circular grooves left by the tool on the weld surface is the most detrimental failure mechanism. As the size and the depth of the grooves are related to the welding pitch, the fatigue strength increases when the welding pitch is reduced. However, when the heat input is excessive, the failure is caused by sub‐surface defects produced after abnormal stirring and/or by softening of the heat‐affected zone. Lateral lips on the weld surface edges also have an effect on the fatigue strength for intermediate welding pitch values.     

Rib loading effects on weld root fatigue failure modes at rib‐to‐deck welded joint

The service life of orthotropic steel decks is dependent on the fatigue resistance of rib‐to‐deck welded joints, which is often tested using two kinds of experimental models in terms of the rib loading condition. Different weld root fatigue failure modes have been observed in the different models, but the role of rib loading remains unclear. This paper aims to clarify the effect of rib loadings on the weld root fatigue failure modes at rib‐to‐deck welded joints. The loadings are decomposed into the deck loadings and rib loadings according to the principle of superposition. Formulae of the weld root notch stress intensity factors and T‐stress under rib loadings are developed by multiparameter regression analysis and subsequently used for the local stress analysis. The fatigue failure modes determined from the local stress field agree well with the experimental results. The results reveal that the weld root failure modes depend on the rib loadings but are independent of the weld geometries. The averaged strain energy density (SED) that can capture both weld geometry and loading condition effects is used to correlate the fatigue test data of different weld root failure modes. The SED is capable of evaluating the fatigue strength of the rib‐to‐deck welded joint failed by different weld root failure modes with a narrow scatter band.     

Fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded AA2024‐T3 alloy: longitudinal and transverse crack growth

The fatigue crack growth properties of friction stir welded joints of 2024‐T3 aluminium alloy have been studied under constant load amplitude (increasing‐ΔK), with special emphasis on the residual stress (inverse weight function) effects on longitudinal and transverse crack growth rate predictions (Glinka's method). In general, welded joints were more resistant to longitudinally growing fatigue cracks than the parent material at threshold ΔK values, when beneficial thermal residual stresses decelerated crack growth rate, while the opposite behaviour was observed next to K_C instability, basically due to monotonic fracture modes intercepting fatigue crack growth in weld microstructures. As a result, fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) predictions were conservative at lower propagation rates and non‐conservative for faster cracks. Regarding transverse cracks, intense compressive residual stresses rendered welded plates more fatigue resistant than neat parent plate. However, once the crack tip entered the more brittle weld region substantial acceleration of FCGR occurred due to operative monotonic tensile modes of fracture, leading to non‐conservative crack growth rate predictions next to K_C instability. At threshold ΔK values non‐conservative predictions values resulted from residual stress relaxation. Improvements on predicted FCGR values were strongly dependent on how the progressive plastic relaxation of the residual stress field was considered.     

Effects of weld geometry and sheet thickness on stress intensity factor solutions for spot and spot friction welds in lap-shear specimens of similar and dissimilar materials

In this paper, three-dimensional finite element analyses for spot welds with ideal geometry in lap-shear specimens of different materials and thicknesses were first conducted. The computational results indicate that the stress intensity factor and J integral solutions based on the finite element analyses agree well with the analytical solutions and that the analytical solutions can be used with a reasonable accuracy. Three-dimensional finite element analyses based on the micrographs of an aluminum 6111 resistance spot weld, an aluminum 5754 spot friction weld, and a dissimilar Al/Fe spot friction weld were also conducted. The computational results indicate that the stress intensity factor and J integral solutions based on the finite element analyses for the aluminum 6111 resistance spot weld and aluminum 5754 spot friction weld with complex geometry are in good agreement with the analytical solutions for the equivalent spot welds with ideal geometry. However, the stress intensity factor and J integral solutions based on the finite element analysis for the Al/Fe spot friction weld with complex geometry are completely different from the analytical solutions for the equivalent spot weld with ideal geometry. Different three-dimensional finite element analyses based on the meshes that represent different features of the complex geometry of the Al/Fe spot friction weld were then conducted. The computational results indicate that the stress intensity factor and J integral solutions for the Al/Fe spot friction weld based on the finite element analysis agree reasonably well with the analytical solutions for the equivalent spot weld with consideration of gap and bend. The computational and analytical results suggest that the stress intensity factor and J integral solutions based on the finite element analysis and the analytical solutions with consideration of gap and bend may be used to correlate with the fatigue crack growth patterns of Al/Fe spot friction welds observed in experiments.     

An investigation on friction spot welding of AA2198‐T8 thin sheets

The feasibility of joining 1.6‐mm‐thick sheets of AA2198‐T8 by the novel friction spot welding technology and the resulting microstructural features on the welds cross sections were assessed, with further evaluation of the process parameters on the weld performance. Besides the intrinsic discontinuity related to the interface between the sheets, the hook feature was found to be inherent to the welding process, and its morphology was determinant to the weld performance and fracture mode. A beneficial response on the shear strength was achieved with the minimization of the hook feature because of the absence of a potential site for crack nucleation, although the generation of other defects, depending on the combination of parameters, could erase this benefit. Through statistical analysis, the most influent parameters on the weld performance were plunge depth and welding time. In the present study, regardless of the weld discontinuities, the optimum shear strength revealed a satisfactory performance in mechanical terms for aerospace applications.     

Structure‐property investigations on a laser beam welded dissimilar joint of aluminium AA6056 and titanium Ti6Al4V for aeronautical applications Part I: Local gradients in microstructure,hardness and strength

Untersuchungen zu Struktureigenschaften von laserstrahlgeschweißte Mischverbindungen aus Aluminium AA6056 und Titan Ti6Al4V für Anwendungen in der Luftfahrt Teil I: Lokale Gradienten in Mikrostruktur, Härte und Festigkeit Durch eine spezielle Stossvorbereitung wurden laserstrahlgeschweißter Mischverbindungen aus den Blechwerkstoffen AA6056 und Ti6Al4V hergestellt und zwar ohne die Verwendung von Zusatzwerkstoffen. Die große Differenz der Schmelztemperaturen erlaubt das selektive Erschmelzen des Aluminiumwerkstoffs, der wieder um den Titanwerkstoff benetzt, sodass es zur Ausbildung einer mechanisch‐stabilen und tragfähigen Verbindung kommt. Die Al‐Legierung wurd ein den Wärmebehandlungszuständen T4 und T6 verschweißt, um den mikrostrukturellen Einfluss auf die Eigenschaften der Verbindungen untersuchen zu koönnen. Die Prozessfolgen sahen vor, dass beim Schweißen im Zustand T4 eine Warmauslagerung, beim Schweißen im Zustand T6 eine Kaltauslagerung definierter Dauer folgte. Die Charakterisierung lokaler Eigenschaftsgradienten hinsichtlich Gefüge, Mikrohärte und Festigkeit waren grundlegend für die Untersuchungen zum Ermüdungsrissausbreitungs‐ und Bruchverhalten der Mischerbindungen. Dabei wurden mögliche Bereiche, von denen Bruchversagen ausgehen könnte, identifiziert. Es hat sich gezeigt, dass die Eigenschaftsänderungen fast ausschließlich auf die Aluminiumseite beschränkt blieben. An der Grenzfläche zwischen Ti6Al4V und AA6056 wurde zudem eine schmale intermetallische Reaktionsschicht nachgewiesen. Diese lokalen Eigenschaftsänderungen im Gefüge, in der Härte und Festigkeit auf der Al‐Seite sowie der intermetallische Phasensaum in Verbindung mit geometrischen Unterschieden sind im Rahmen der Untersuchungen als mögliche kritische Bereiche identifiziert worden.