Modeling of friction stir welding process for tools design

A three-dimensional friction stir welding (FSW) process model has been developed based on fluid mechanics. The material transport in the welding process has been regarded as a laminar, viscous, and non-Newtonian liquid that flows past a rotating pin. A criterion to divide the weld zone has been given on the basis of cooperation of velocity field and viscosity field. That is, the η₀-easy-flow zone that existed near the tool pin corresponded to the weld nugget zone; the area between the η₀-easy-flow zone and η₁-viscosity band is corresponded to the thermal-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ). The model gives some useful information to improve the understanding of material flow in FSW through the simulation result of velocity distribution. In order to appraise the friction stir pin design, three kinds of pin geometry, one is column pin, the second is taper pin, and the last one is screw threaded taper pin, were used in the model. The pin geometry seriously affected the simulation result of velocity distribution in the η₀-easy-flow zone. The velocity distribution in the η₀-easy-flow zone can be considered as the criterion of optimizing friction stir tool design. This study will benefit to direct the friction stir tool design.