TWI Digital Library

The origin of the lines of micrometre sized oxide particles observed in aluminium alloy friction stir welds was investigated. Butt and bead on plate welds were prepared using 6 mm plate of aluminium (99.999%Al and 99.5%Al) and aluminium alloy 6056 (…

Preliminary results from a 3-dimensional heat and material flow computer simulation program for friction stir welding are given and compared with experimental observations. The simulation is based upon solutions of Navier-Stokes equations and nonlin…

The microstructure, crystallographic texture and grain distribution were determined in a transverse cross section of a friction stir weld and in a plan-view section through the embedded friction stir welding (FSW) tool. The weld was obtained by FSW …

The microstructure, mechanical properties and fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded (FSW) and MIG welded butt joints in aluminium alloy 2519-T87 (Al, 5.3-6.4%Cu, 0.1-0.5%Mn, 0.02-0.1%Ti) plate of 25.4 mm thickness were compared. Friction stir we…

The distortion, mechanical properties and microstructure of friction stir, submerged arc and GMA welds in HSLA-65 steel (0.09%C, 1.32-1.39%Mn, 0.01-0.06%Ni, 0.041-0.067%V, 0.03-0.035%Nb) and DH-36 steel (0.18%C, 0.90-1.60%Mn, 0.25%Cr, 0.40%Ni, 0.08%…

A description is presented on the friction stir welding (FSW) equipment developed for the joining of thin gauge complex-contour aluminium structures for the construction of the Eclipse 500 twin-engine jet aircraft. The design and capabilities of the…

The use of a new tool material, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), developed by Brigham Young University in association with Advanced Metal Products, for friction stir welding (FSW) high-temperature materials was investigated. The manufactu…

Friction stir welding tool developments to enhance the range of process applications, welding speed and quality are described. The scroll shoulder tool has a shoulder profile which moves surface material towards the probe. It improves surface qualit…

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the link between the microstructure and the mechanical and corrosion properties for a friction stir welded aerospace aluminium alloy 7349-T6 (Al, 1.4-2.1%Cu, 1.8-2.7%Mg, 7.5-8.7%Zn) developed for …

Aluminium alloy 7050-T751 was friction stir welded using a range of process parameters, and finite element analysis was used to calculate the time-temperature distributions so that the resultant weld properties could be related to the welding parame…

The feasibility of friction stir welding (FSW) HSLA-65 steel (0.10%C, 1.4%Mn), which is being considered by the US Navy for ship structural applications, was assessed. Single-pass FSW was performed on 6.4 mm (0.25 in) plates and two-pass FSW was per…

The use of friction stir welding for the repair of cracks in aluminium alloy 2024 aircraft wing skin structures, and the repair fatigue life were investigated. An artificial crack, 42 mm in length, in a flat section 2024-T351 alloy of 3.2 mm thickne…

Friction stir welding was used to produce a space shuttle external barrel section of 2195-T8 Al-Cu-Li alloy. Seven panels (joint thickness of 8.1 mm (0.32 in)) were joined to form a barrel 8.4 m (27.5 ft) in diameter and 4.6 m (15 ft) long. A comput…

The non-destructive testing (NDT) aspects of the Qualistir project for the on-line quality control of friction stir welding in aluminium are described. Definitions are given for the following defects: voids, wormholes, lack of penetration, faying su…

The development of three-dimensional column-type friction stir welding (FSW) equipment for robotic FSW of joints with complex shapes is described. The process requires a large force and precision control for tool penetration. The specification of th…

The influence of pores and residual stresses on fatigue crack propagation was studied for friction stir welded joints in aluminium alloys 2024-T3 and 6013-T6 of thickness 4 mm. Good welds and pore-containing welds were produced using tools with and …

The relationship between microstructure and properties, and the influence of microstructure on the fracture toughness of friction stir welded aluminium alloys with weld zone strength undermatching were investigated. Welds were made in 5005-H14, 2024…

The fine scale precipitation in the nugget zone and in the HAZ of a weld in aluminium alloy AA-6082 (Al, 0.7%Mg, 0.5%Mn, 0.9%Si) of thickness 5-10 mm made by friction stir welding (FSW) was examined using transmission electron microscopy. The dissol…

Friction stir welding (FSW) was employed to join ultra fine grained C-Mn steel (0.14%C, 0.2%Si, 1.84%Mn) sheets of 5 mm thickness using a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride tool, and the metallurgical and mechanical properties of the joint were eva…

The effects of rotation speed, welding speed and Z-axis force on process response variables (power, specific energy, torque, X-axis force) and properties (nugget hardness, strength and ductility, nugget grain size and HAZ hardness) of AA2524-T351 fr…