FRICTION STIR WELDING OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS

Presented by MANOJ BALU V.B IM 135506

INTRODUCTION
WELDING
Welding is a process of joining two or more similar metals with or without application of heat ,with or without application of pressure, with or without application of filler materials.

TYPES OF WELDING

Liquid State
Arc Chemical Reaction Resistance Gas

Solid State
Cold Friction Diffusion

Solid/Liquid
Soldering Brazing Adhesive Bonding

Forge

SOLID STATE WELDING

Solid state welding is a non fusion welding process in which materials are joined with the application of pressure. FSW is a solid state welding process, in which heat for welding is produced by rotating a non consumable tool,by friction between tool and the workpiece.

Why FSW for ALUMINIUM alloys?

High thermal conductivity Melting point is low Heavy loss in mechanical properties as compared to base metal Poor solidification microstructure Porosity in fusion zone

Schematics of FSW

Working principle of FSW

A cylindrical tool with a profilated probe is rotated and plunged into the line joining between the two pieces to be joined. Parts have to be clamped in a backing bar to prevent the joint faces from getting apart. The plasticized metal is transformed from leading edge to trailing edge and is forced by the contact of tool shoulder and pin profile.

Working principle of FSW

Joining is mainly done by heat developed due to friction By plastic deformation As a result of this a solid phase bond is formed between the two pieces.

Process parameters
Tool geometry Welding parameters Microstructure classification

Tool geometry
There are mainly two functions of tool which are localised heating and material flow Tool is plunged till the shoulder touches the work piece Friction between shoulder and workpiece results in bigger component of heating Uniformity of microstructure, properties of weld, applying load etc are governed by tool design

Tool geometry

Welding parameters
In FSW welding is governed by following parameters Tool rotation rate Tool transverse speed Angle of the tool Insertion depth of pin into the workpiece Preheating cooling

Microstructure classification
Based on micro structural characterization of grains and precipitates four distinct zones are there A. Unaffected Material B. Heat affected zone (HAZ) C. Thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) D. Weld nugget (Part of thermo-mechanically affected zone)

Microstructure classification
Unaffected material zone -material remote from the weld and which is not affected by heat in terms of microstructure or mechanical properties Heat affected zone-lies closer to weld center and some microstructural properties or mechanical properties are changed

Microstructure classification
Thermomechanical affected zone- plastic deformation occur in this zone. Weld nugget-recrystallised area in the TMAZ or area immediately below the tool shoulder

Microstructure classification

A Unaffected Material B. Heat affected zone (HAZ) C. Thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) D. Weld nugget (Part of thermo-mechanically affected

Comparison
Rolled plates (300mmX150mmX8mm) of AA7039 (Al-Zn-Mg) is welded by GMAW, GTAW AND FSW Non consumable HCS is used as tool for FSW

Precipitation structure in a MIG weld

Precipitation structure in a FSW weld

Topview of MIG weld Topview of FSW weld

Suitable materials for FSW

2000 series Aluminium alloy-which is an alloy of aluminium and copper 7000 series Aluminium alloy-which is an alloy of Aluminium and zinc Copper and its alloys Magnesium and its alloys Plastics

Advantages
Environment friendly since no fumes or spatter is generated and no shieldig gas is required No grinding or brushing is required Weld so obtained is of superior quality with excellent mechanical properties and microstructure

 Improved leak proofness compared to other welding process Reduced weight due to absence of filler materials which is suitable for aerospace applications Automation is possible

Applications
Aerospace-used for welding aviation fuel tanks, cryogenic fuel tanks for space vehicles and wings of aircrafts Ship building and marine industry-used for welding panels for decks Railway applications-used in high speed trains, trams ,container bodies railway wagons etc

Limtations
Work piece must be rigidly clamped Requirement of different length pin tools when welding materials of varying thickness Backing bars must be required Difficulty to weld mild steel due to higher tool wear

Conclusion
FSW process has been an excellent substitute for alloys that have inherent fusion welding problems. Friction stir welds will not encounter problems like porosity, alloy segregation and welds are produced with good surface finish and thus no post weld cleaning is required.80% of yield stress of the base material has been achieved in friction stir welded aluminium alloys. BY friction stir processing (FSP) which is developed for micro structural modification of metallic materials and by designing tools for decreasing the force applied and to increase the welding thickness in future FSW may become applicable to all fields where fusion welding is difficult