TWI Digital Library

The application of suitable friction stir welding (FSW) tools and procedures to common structural geometries in industry, with emphasis of FSW of hard metals including steel, titanium and nickel based alloys in butt, T-joint, corner joint and circum…

A controller was developed and tested for the friction stir welding of copper canisters, used in the nuclear industry. The cascaded loop controller determines the power input requirement and tool temperature to achieve a stable, robust and repeatabl…

A friction stir welding tool with a variable length probe (suitable for variable thickness joints, repairs and circumferential welding) was developed and evaluated for the welding of aluminium alloy 2195. Tapered sheet, of both increasing and decrea…

Dissimilar lap joints between aluminium alloys and various steel grades were fabricated by friction stir welding (FSW), FSW tool wear was measured and a phenomenological law was developed with respect to pin length reduction over weld length to repr…

A review is presented of the progressive emergence of conceptual tools associated with friction stir welding (FSW) at the Marshall Space Flight Center, USA, from the discovery of the shear surface, wiping metal transfer and the invention of a kinema…

The joining of hot rolled aerospace quality AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy (Mg, 2.5-3.5%Al, 0.7-1.3%Zn, 0.2-1.0%Mn) sheets (thickness 4.95 mm) was investigated using an MTS ISTIR friction stir welding (FSW) machine, the quality of the butt joints produce…

An overview is presented of the twenty year history and technological developments relating to the application of friction stir welding (FSW) to aluminium alloy railway car body shells. Issues discussed include the history of railway car body shell …

An investigation is presented into a methodology for simulating the entire friction stir welding (FSW) process using a hybrid mesh free method on a graphics processing unit (GPU) and its implementation for different FSW applications such as butt joi…

Quantification approaches applied to phase space data generated from friction stir welding aluminium alloys under varying process conditions are reported. A multi-step, micro-wormhole, non-destructive evaluation phase-spaced, (PS) algorithm that com…

Numerical simulations and experimental tests were undertaken to visualise material flow and to study the effect of the flow field on the mixing mechanism and particle break-up in friction stir welding of metal matrix composites. A 3D thermo-fluid mo…

A brief review is presented of the state of development of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) tool materials for friction stir welding (FSW) of high-temperature materials (high alloy steels and Ni based alloys) with respect to weld penetrati…

Fatigue tests were performed using lap-shear specimens of friction stir spot welded Al, 0.8%Mg, 1%Si alloys. Sheet specimens (thickness 2 mm) were subjected to PWHT of solution treatment and/or ageing. Weld zone microstructure was observed by SEM. F…

Nondestructive testing of friction stir welds is discussed. The ultrasonic testing of friction stir welded joints, advantages of phased array testing and test applications are presented briefly. The eddy current array testing technique is illustrate…

The feasibility of using friction stir welding (FSW) in the construction of an aircraft central wing box from butt-welded extrusions was evaluated. An FSW procedure for welding 7055 T77511 and 7349 T6511 10 mm thickness extrusions was developed by T…

The design, construction and use of a purpose-built friction stir welding machine for the welding of 15.9 mm (0.625 in) thickness, 1.88 m (74 in) long aluminium alloy 6061-T6 plate and extruded sections to form the side panels of a laser system is d…

A softening model was constructed for friction stir welding (FSW) of 2xxx series aluminium alloys and was combined with previously derived thermal cycle modelling work. A thermal model of energy input and heat conduction was used to calculate therma…

The development and use of friction stir powder processing (FSPP) to overcome defect formation and to control mechanical properties is discussed and FSPP of AA 1050 aluminium (Al, 0.06%Si, 0.34%Fe, 0.02%Cu) is reported. In FSPP, powder with a contro…

An arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formulation was developed to simulate the plunge, dwell and welding stages of the friction stir welding process using "FORGE3" finite element software, and the friction coefficients from a viscoplastic law were…

An investigation incorporating experimental measurements and thermomechanical simulations was undertaken to examine the effects of underwater friction stir welding (FSW) on an AISI 321 stainless steel sheet (thickness 3 mm) and to analyse the mechan…

With regard to heavy vehicle component applications, friction stir welding (FSW) and refill friction stir spot welding were employed to fabricate 5083 aluminium multisheet packs for superplastic forming (SPF) into 3D structural or integrally stiffen…