Challenges of Friction Stir Welding of Thick-Section Steel
John M. Seaman, Brian Thompson EWI Columbus, Ohio, USA
ABSTRACT consumable tool is challenging, considering peak welding temperatures
are in excess of 1200°C and the flow stress of these materials remains The welding industry is increasingly interested in applying the solid- high, even at elevated temperatures. These factors all contribute to a state welding benefits of friction stir welding (FSW) to thick-section very degrading environment for any material to withstand. steel. Recent advancements in tungsten-based FSW tools have resulted in full-penetration welds in steel up to 19 mm (0.75 in.) thick. At Despite these challenges, interest in the FSW of steel continues to increased thicknesses, friction stir welds generate higher forces and increase. Potential users see the benefits FSW afforded to the joining of have a lower cooling rate due to higher heat input. Considerations must aluminum and wish to see these benefits applied to hard metals be made in terms of weld thermal management, tool material, tool structures. In contrast to the FSW of aluminum, almost the entire design, and parameter selection. The ability to produce a fully gambit of steels is readily arc welded due to its long history of consolidated weld in thick-section steel is a careful balance of heat development and use by industry. The prolific availability of arc input, tool design, and weld parameters. welding equipment, the portability of these systems, the significant quantity of knowledge, and the low start-up costs of arc welding of KEY WORDS: Friction Stir Welding, Steel, PcBN, Tungsten, steel offers significant advantages. In order for FSW to be accepted as a Rhenium, Tool Wear, Defects suitable joining technology for steel, a significant benefit in these areas must be offered. The traditional FSW benefits of low distortion and INTRODUCTION improved mechanical properties alone are not enough to justify the switch from arc welding to FSW of steel. Over the course of the last 20 years, friction stir welding (FSW) has been established as a fundamental joining method for a wide variety of An inspection of arc welding processes versus FSW has been soft metals, aluminum alloys in particular. Since its invention in 1991 accomplished by several authors (Konkol and Mruczek, 2007, Defalco by TWI (Thomas, Nicholas, Needham, Murch, Templesmith, Dawes), and Steel, 2009). General consensus is that the arc welding costs must it has become a well-established welding process for all grades of be offset by lack of consumables, reduction in the number of skilled aluminum. Due to the hardness differences between the friction stir tool welders, and decreased joint preparation time. An examination of and the material being joined, the development process has been wide potential arc welding costs versus those of friction stir welding of the and successful. These development efforts have demonstrated same part was made by Defalco (2006). In this study, the use of FSW significant benefits to using FSW over arc welding in aluminum offered a 40% reduction over arc welding. A final cost savings benefit applications. With FSW, thicknesses in aluminum of up to 76 mm (3 over arc welding is the reduction of energy consumption. Defalco and in.) have been joined in a single pass (Colligan, 2007). In addition, the Steel (2009) report that a reduction of up to 80% may be realized. In solid-state nature of this process allows for the joining of aluminum addition to this cost benefit, FSW has also been shown to produce alloys which are challenging to join with arc welding, such as 2195, to almost zero weld byproducts, such as hexavalent chrome (Mahoney, be joined with ease. The low heat input of the FSW process results in Nelson, Sorenson, and Packer, 2010). low distortion and excellent weld mechanical properties (Konkol and Mruczek, 2007). With benefits like these, the FSW of aluminum alloys In order for FSW of steel to gain industry acceptance as a replacement has been adopted by several industries including the defense, process for any arc-welding process, it is necessary for the costs of aerospace, railroad, and shipping industries. welding to swing wide in favor of FSW over the arc welding. A potentially significant way of accomplishing this is to simply out- However, the development of the FSW process for hard metals such as perform arc welding in terms of weld completion rate. FSW travel steel, titanium, and nickel-based alloys has been much more limited. speeds are slower than those of arc welding, but it is capable of This is due to the restricted number of tool materials that are capable of consuming a thick-section joint in a single pass whereas arc-welding withstanding the welding forces without fracturing, wearing, or requires multiple passes and a more complicated joint preparation to deforming. The prospect of joining these hard metals with a non- complete. An admittedly simple evaluation of a 19 mm (0.75 in.)-thick