TWI Digital Library

A new "stop action" technique was used to investigate material flow during the friction stir welding of aluminium alloy 6061-T6 plate of thickness 6.4 mm (0.25 in). The technique involved stopping the welding process and examining the microstructure…

In relation to the production of local metal matrix composites (MMCs) by friction stir processing (FSP), an investigation was undertaken into the influence of tool geometry and process parameters on the shape of the nugget zone and the assessment of…

Butt joints were fabricated by friction stir welding (FSW) in 4340 steel (0.43%C, 0.69%Mn, 0.76%Cr, 1.76%Ni, 0.24%Mo, 0.43%V, 0.16%Cu) and between 4340 steel and Inconel 718 (Ni, 17-21%Cr, 4.7-5.5%Nb, 2.8-3.3%Mo) and their microstructure and mechani…

An experimental investigation was undertaken to study the effects of different pin profiles (threaded conical, square, pentagon and hexagon) and the same process parameters on temperature distribution around the tool and resulting microstructure dur…

With regard to the application of AA 2219 aluminium alloys to space launch vehicle propellant storage tanks, an investigation is presented into the influence of process parameters (tool rotational speed, shoulder downward force and weld transverse s…

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 …

The effects of multiple overlapping friction stir weld runs (with 100% overlap) on the welding parameters and weld properties during the repair of high-strength AlCuMgZn alloy were investigated. Square butt welds were made in 7050-T7451 alloy (Al, 6…

A geometric feature, termed the "Wiper", was developed to improve the weld track surface finish produced by friction stir welding (FSW) and processing tools with scrolled shoulders, and experiments were undertaken to investigate the influence of "Wi…

A review is presented of the development programme to achieve a production-ready procedure to manufacture copper canisters for Swedish radioactive waste storage using friction stir welding (FSW) for encapsulation, incorporating adaptive thermal mana…

A discussion is presented on research studies carried out to develop friction stir welding (FSW) as a method for the production of thick (50.8-76.2 mm; 2-3 in) aluminium alloy 7050 tailored blanks suitable for use in the aerospace industry. Single r…

Two initiatives are presented to develop friction stir welding (FSW) and friction stir spot welding (FSSW) design data for the aerospace industry: a path independence initiative for FSW butt joints and qualification of FSSW welds for lap joints as i…

Thick section friction stir welds were made in 25.4 mm (1 in) 5083-H131 and in 18.4 mm 2195-T8P4 aluminium alloy plates by single-pass friction stir welding (FSW) using new welding tool designs. The alloys are used for aerospace applications. The sh…

An investigation is presented into the effects of process parameters (welding and rotational speeds) during friction stir welding (FSW) on the hardness and tensile properties of welded joints fabricated in butt configuration sheet specimens (thickne…

Friction stir processing (FSP) experiments were undertaken on three Ni-based alloys (Alloy 625 (Ni, 21.6%Cr, 8.6%Mo, 3.7%Fe), Alloy 718 (Ni, 23.7%Fe, 18.1%Cr, 3.1%Mo, 1%Ti) and Hastelloy X (Ni, 21.3%Cr, 19.2%Fe, 8.3%Mo)) using a W-Re tool, process p…

An investigation is presented into the metallurgical features of welded joints in various structural aluminium alloys prepared by friction stir welding (FSW) and into the microstructure and hardness distribution of the weld zone. The experimental sp…

The application of friction stir welding to the construction of airframe structures of precipitation-hardened aluminium alloys, using butt, lap and T-joints, is described. A landing gear strut door was manufactured by welding an Alclad 7075-T6 skin …

A fully integrated approach to facilitate optimisation of the friction stir welding (FSW) process was developed, incorporating a model for the FSW process, coupling material flow and thermal analysis, a model for precipitation evolution, a microstru…

The results of two testing programmes dealing with the metallurgical and mechanical properties of friction stir weldments (thickness 6 and 25 mm) in the aluminium alloys 2024, 5083, 6082/6060 and 7075 are reported, and a systematic study of the key …

A slide presentation outlining the development of a low cost transportable friction stir welding machine for use in stiffened panel production in shipyards. The development of the use of fixed geometry bobbin tools and of specifically designed equip…

An investigation is presented into the influence of tool flats, tool runout magnitude and relative tool runout orientation on the high speed forces acting transversely and longitudinally on the friction stir welding tool. Partial penetration bead-on…