Development of an all-in-one exit hole elimination technique for thin section aluminum
- Thompson B. ,
- Root J. ,
- George R. ,
- et al
- Thompson B. ,
- Root J. ,
- George R. ,
- Eff M. and
- Sedha S.
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A technique was developed to fill the exit hole during the retraction phase of a friction stir welding (FSW) sequence which, by using existing equipment functionality and designing a hollow FSW tool, syringe-type delivery system and pre-loaded aluminium plug, facilitated an all-in-one method of exit hole filling in thin section aluminium (thickness less than 9.5 mm). Four rounds of welding trials were undertaken on AA 6061 aluminium alloys using a NovaTech Model V30K-41x24 5-axis FSW machine: establishing the feasibility of the all-in-one methodology by capturing weld flash during the plunge sequence and extruding this material into an exit hole; refining the technique by finding a balance between the negative volume of the exit hole and the positive volume of the extruded alloy; developing a straight-sided FSW pin tool without flats to create a more favourable exit hole; and demonstrating technique repeatability. The tensile properties of the filled exit hole were compared with those found across the friction stir weldment.
9th International Symposium, 15-17 May 2012, Session 4A: Variants I, Paper 01
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