TWI

A review is presented of various models developed to understand the effects of thermal cycles and metal flow behaviour on the microstructure and properties of welded joints fabricated by friction stir welding of steel, and a comprehensive numerical model is proposed to incorporate the variation of material properties, process parameters and contact conditions arising owing to slipping and sticking of plasticised material and the tool. The steel was treated as a non-Newtonian, incompressible, viscoplastic material and governing equations and boundary conditions were solved using FLUENT software. Numerically computed temperature fields and peak temperature dependence on process variables were compared with literature data and results from two-sided butt welding experiments on C-Mn steel plate.

7th International Symposium, 20-22 May 2008, 2B: Modelling 1, Paper 01