TWI

Friction stir welding experiments were conducted on plate specimens (thickness 6 mm) of AA 2219 aluminium alloys (Al, 6.48%Cu, 0.32%Mn) and the crystallographic texture and deformation behaviour of the weld zones (HAZ, thermomechanically affected zo…

The effects of friction stir welding (FSW) on the microstructure, hardness, residual stress state and grain distribution of 2124 Al-SiC composite alloy were investigated. The composite was of AMC225xe aerospace AW2124 alloy reinforced with 25% SiC p…

With regard to the requirement to produce friction stir welded (FSW) lap joints with strength and fatigue properties suitable for commercial regional aircraft, work undertaken by MTS Systems and Bombardier Aerospace to develop pin tools and corrosio…

Friction stir spot welded joints in aluminium alloy 6061-T4 were studied. Sheet of 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 mm thickness was friction stir welded to sheet of 3 mm thickness, using welds of 8-18 mm in length (equivalent in area to circular resistance spot we…

An experimental procedure based on a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical testing system was developed to investigate hot deformation parameters in the high temperature range for application to friction welding related processes. Experiments were conducted…

A review is presented of the application of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) to numerical modelling of the friction stir welding (FSW) process, incorporating coupled physical phenomena such as heat generation, heat transfer and metal flow. Issues …

Aluminium alloy A6N01-T5 (Al, 0.63%Mg, 0.53%Si) hollow extrusions suitable for joining by friction stir welding, to be used in the generation of Japanese railway rolling stock, were designed, and the static and fatigue tensile strength of joints wer…

Details are reported of application of friction stir welding (FSW) to manufacture of double skin bodies of railway carriages for commuter lines in Japan. A "defect free" FSW process is used to weld double skin panels of length 25 m using hollow extr…

Development work by TWI on behalf of the Swedish Nuclear Fuel & Waste Management Co. for the EB and friction stir welding of lids onto Cu radioactive waste disposal canisters (1050 mm diameter, 50 mm wall thickness) is reviewed. In 1986, when th…

Friction stir welding was evaluated as a cheaper alternative to the use of fasteners for the joining of lap joints of the aluminium alloy 7075-T351 motor thrust frame of the Ariane 5 rocket. In initial trials to optimise the tool design for lap join…

A techno-economic assessment study was undertaken with respect to the feasibility of the friction stir welding (FSW) technique for microalloyed DH36 grade shipbuilding steel (0.11%C, 1.48%Mn, 0.02%Nb, 0.02%Al) plates (thickness 6 mm). Single sided f…

A coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach with Abaqus v.6.14 finite element software was employed to model the whole friction stir welding (FSW) process within one continuous model and results for temperature fields, surfaces, weld formation and proces…

The fatigue performance of friction stir welded butt joints in 2024-T3 aluminium alloy plate (thickness 6.35 mm) was investigated by adopting six different tool designs and using a design of experiments analysis over a wide range of process paramete…

In relation to the generation of oscillating process forces during friction stir welding (FSW), hypotheses covering phenomena that can lead to dynamic effects were formulated and a finite element model of the process-machine-system (containing both …

Various dissimilar butt joints were fabricated between 2017A-T451 (Al, 4.14%Cu, 0.72%Mg), 6082-T6 (Al, 1.03%Mg, 0.92%Si) and AlSi9Mg (Al, 8.6%Si, 0.31%Mg) aluminium alloys by friction stir welding using a high pin tool rotational speed (1400 or 1800…

The tool workpiece thermocouple (TWT) temperature measurement method was applied for optimisation of the initial welding phases (plunge and dwell) in conventional FSW (friction stir welding) and FSSW (friction stir spot welding), and an analysis of …

An experimental canister welding machine was developed in order to evaluate FSW as a method of welding the copper canisters used in the long term storage of nuclear waste. Preliminary trials involved the development of a machine with sufficient stif…