TWI Digital Library

The feasibility of short-cycle friction stir spot welding for joining thin sheet aluminium alloys and steels, both galvanised and ungalvanised, was evaluated. Welds were made between 6111-T4 AlMgSi alloy (Al, 0.75%Cu, 0.25%Fe, 0.75%Mg, 0.2%Mn, 0.69%…

A fully coupled thermomechanical formulation was proposed for the numerical modelling of friction stir welding (FSW) to facilitate the efficient simulation of different types of material flows and accurate computation of the resulting thermomechanic…

With regard to the capability of ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir welding (UVeFSW) to improve weld formation quality as well as the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints, experiments were undertaken to clarify the …

The friction stir welding (FSW) process was determined for stiffener to skin lap joints of different aluminium alloys (similar 2024 T3, similar 2139 T3 and T8, dissimilar PA 765 T79 extrusion on 2139 T8 skin) and FSW procedures with retractable pin …

The feasibility of friction stir welding (FSW) for welding aluminium alloy 7020, used for the construction of light armoured fighting vehicles, was investigated and compared with MIG welding. Two joint configurations were tested: butt welding in 100…

A model which considers heat transfer to both tool and workpiece was developed to predict temperature distributions for the friction stir welding (FSW) process. The model assumes a cylindrical pin generating heat at the interface by friction, and th…

Different aluminium alloys were joined by friction stir welding (EN AW-5754-H14 to sheets of the same material, extruded profile EN AW-6063-T6 sheets to high pressure die cast EN AC-46000) and characterised by x-ray and microscopy studies, and the m…

The weldability of magnesium alloys by friction stir welding was studied using three die-cast alloys of thickness 6 mm (AM50 and AM60 Mg-Al-Mn alloys; AZ91 Mg-Al-Zn alloy) and one wrought alloy of thickness 6.4 mm (AZ231 Mg-Al-Zn alloy). Surface app…

Finite element models of the friction stir welding of aluminium alloys are reviewed and the results compared with experimental measurements. Contact between the pin and the workpiece is considered in two ways: frictional contact; or assuming the mat…

Experiments were conducted to compare heat input and weld hardness in friction stir welding (FSW) and MIG welding of aluminium alloy. Material A-6N01-T5 (Al, 0.8%Mg, 0.6%Si) of thickness 4 mm was used. The heat inputs were measured by calorimetry. H…

The Skew-Stir™ variant of friction stir welding (FSW), in which the axis of the tool is at an angle to that of the machine spindle, is described. The technique provides an improved path for metal to flow around the tool during welding, resulti…

The microstructure of a friction stir weld (of unknown welding parameters) in titanium alloy (Ti, 6%Al, 4%V) is described. The microstructure was studied using optical microscopy, SEM and TEM. The features of the parent material, HAZ and the thermom…

Guidance notes devised for Lloyd's Register of Shipping surveyors for use in the quality assurance of friction stir welded aluminium alloys are presented.The notes cover: welding equipment, materials welded, and welding requirements (weld qualificat…

Modelling tools were developed to describe the relationships between process parameters, microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the weld in friction stir welding (FSW). Experiments were conducted using aluminium alloy 6056. Initial t…

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods were used to model the metal flow in the friction stir welding (FSW) process in order to optimise the pin profile to minimise the traversing force; welding experiments were carried out to validate the findi…

Friction stir welding (FSW) was investigated in aluminium alloys used in aircraft structures. Extruded shapes in alloys 2024 (Al, 4.96%Cu), 7475 (Al, 5.96%Zn, 2.57%Mg, 1.62%Cu) and 7050 (Al, 6.29%Zn, 2.36%Mg, 2.00%Cu) were welded; welds were evaluat…

The influence of friction stir welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminium alloy 6061 was investigated. Aluminium alloy 6061-T651 plate of 6.4 mm (0.25 in) thickness was friction stir welded and the joints characterised by o…

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…

This study investigates the impact of process parameters on FSW of AISI 304 stainless steel hemispheres of various diameters without internal support. Optical microscopy was employed to investigate joint macrostructure, defect formation, and weld pe…