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A description is presented of the self reacting friction stir welding (SR-FSW) process and the specially designed welding head; results are reported from tests determining the mechanical properties of SR-FSW welds in AA-2219 and AA-2195 aluminium alloys. The SR-FSW process uses a tool with an additional shoulder section on the underside of the workpiece; the shoulders are independently actuated and reduce processing load. Results are reported from tensile and microhardness tests on similar and dissimilar welds of AA-2195-T8 and AA-2219-T87 aluminium alloys of thickness 8.13-25.4 mm (0.32-1.0 in) and of different thickness combinations.

4th International Symposium, 14-16 May 2003, Session 6B: Process & Equipment 2, Paper 02