TWI Digital Library

The material flows of aluminium and steel during friction stir welding were visualised in three dimensions using x-ray transmission radiographic real-time imaging. The movement of a miniature spherical tungsten tracer during welding was visualised u…

Sleeve plunge friction spot welding was employed to join AA5042 aluminium alloys under various process conditions and the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the welded joints were investigated. Welding was performed using a three-piece …

The use of friction stir welding, as an alternative to bolted or riveted joints, for the assembly of Airbus wings is discussed. Issues considered include: cost reduction, weight reduction, joint quality, and enhanced in-service performance. Potentia…

Friction stir spot welding experiments were conducted on dissimilar metal joints between AA5052 aluminium alloy and two kinds of steel (980 MPa high tensile strength steel and 270 MPa mild steel), and the microstructure and mechanical properties of …

A friction stir welding technology was developed to facilitate welding extruded profiles together as a whole side wall in an aluminium railway wagon for coal transportation. The material employed was an AA 6061-T6 alloy plate (thickness 7 mm). Some …

An investigation is presented into tool material development of large polycrystalline cubic BN blanks to facilitate friction stir welding of thick section steel specimens (thickness 9.5 or 20 mm). Tool materials were produced from 90% polycrystallin…

An apparatus was developed to analyse the contact condition between the rotating tool and the workpiece during friction stir welding, and empirical tests were performed to determine the friction conditions (static, dynamic and the transition from on…

An investigation is presented into the effect of a paint bake cycle on the performance of friction stir spot welded (FSSW) joints fabricated in heat-treatable 6111-T4 aluminium alloy automotive sheets (thickness 0.93 mm) using a pinless tool and sho…

Work from two projects is described: "Qualistir" for the on-line quality control of friction stir welding in aluminium (by ultrasonic phased array examination of butt welded Al 7075); and a TWI feasibility study on inspection of Al 5083 butt and lap…

The influences of the thermal and mechanical stresses experienced during friction stir welding on the structure of coarse-grained aluminium alloy 2519-T87 were investigated. Plate of 25 mm thickness was welded at a speed of 1.5 mm/s, using a tool sp…

A thermal model with a thermo pseudo mechanical (TPM) heat source was employed to investigate the influence of process parameters (rotational speed, feed rate and tool geometry) on the temperature profile at the interface of dissimilar metal lap joi…

A kinematic approach is presented for modelling the friction stir welding process and the relationship between tool geometry and process parameters. The model was used to describe the correlation between features of the weld nugget, process paramete…

Friction stir welding (FSW) experiments were performed on Al-based alloys prepared by direct-chill casting and continuous casting, and the influence of intermetallic particles and process parameters on onion ring zone morphology and microstructure w…

An investigation was undertaken to examine the effects of high welding speed and the use of thermal boundary conditions during friction stir welding (FSW) on the mechanical properties of AA 7050 aluminium alloy weldments. FSW experiments were perfor…

5083-O aluminium alloy sheets (thickness 3 mm) were butt welded using a gate-type friction stir welding (FSW) machine to investigate tolerance to deviations in butt-line/tool-travel line, gap spacing and tool roll angle, and the welded joints were e…

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the effect of welding conditions on weld macrostructure and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the nugget zone in welds in AA-7010 aluminium alloy made by friction stir welding (FSW).…

Friction stir welding tools of three different compositions (MS80, Q70 and Q60) of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) were tested to examine wear and fracture sensitivity. Three tools were made from each composition and were run for a total …

As the development and implementation of hydrogen fuel systems gains momentum, the production of containers capable of ensuring optimal conditions for hydrogen transportation and storage has become a focal point across various industry sectors. In t…

High-strength aluminum alloys of the AA7xxx-series are increasingly used in demanding environments owing to their excellent strength-to-weight-ratio. The strengthening mechanism of these alloys is dependent on the precipitation of hardening particle…

A tool made from a Co-based alloy strengthened by precipitation of an intermetallic Co3(Al,W) gamma phase with an L12 structure was developed for friction stir welding of high-softening-temperature materials, such as a 0.45%C steel, and the tool wea…