EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

OF DISSIMILAR ALUMINIUM ALLOY BY FRICTION STIR

WELDING

CONTENTS
Page No

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Welding

1.2 Types Of Friction Welding

10

1.3 Friction Stir Welding

11

1.4 Principle Of Operations

11

1.5 Advantages Of Friction Stir Welding

13

1.6

13

LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1

Chapter 3

Applications Of Friction Stir Welding

Literature Review

16

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
3.1 Introduction of Plates

26

3.2 Tool Design

Chapter 4

26

MATERIAL DIAGRAM AND

MATERIAL PROPERTIES
4.1 ChemicalComposition (Al6061- Al7075)

36

4.2 MechanicalProperties (Al6061 -Al7075)

2

36

4.3 Welding Parameters andTool Geometry

Chapter 5

36

TEST REPORT

Chapter 6

5.1

Plate Sample 1

38

5.2

Plate Sample 2

40

5.3

Plate Sample 3

42

TEST RESULT
6.1 Test Result

Chapter 7

44

CONCLUSIONS

7.1 Conclusions

47

REFERENCE

48

LIST OF FIGURES

Page No

Fig 1 Types of Friction Welding

10

Fig 2 Welding Zones

11

Fig 3 Tool Pin Profiles

18

Fig 4 Aluminum 7075

32

Fig 5 Aluminum 6061

33

Fig 6 Weld Product

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ABSTRACT

Friction stir welding (FSW), a solid state joining technique is widely used for joining
Aluminumalloys in marine, aerospace, automotive and many other applications of commercial
importance. In the present study, dissimilar Aluminum alloy plates were FS welded by varying
the weld parameters such as Tool rotational speed, weld speed and axial force with cylindrical
tool pin profile. The mechanical properties (Tensile strength) of the Dissimilar Friction Stir
welded (DFSW) specimens were tested and compared with the base materials.

Keywords: Aluminum alloy, Frictions stirs welding, dissimilar welds,

Mechanical properties

1.INTRODUCTION
1.1 WELDING
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or
thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the work pieces and adding
a filler material to form a pool of molten material (the weld pool) that cools to become a strong
joint, with pressure sometimes used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce the weld.
This is in contrast with soldering and brazing, which involve melting a lower-melting-point
material between the work pieces to form a bond between them, without melting the work pieces.
Many different energy sources can be used for welding, including a gas flame, an electric
arc, a laser, an electron beam, friction, and ultrasound. While often an industrial process, welding
may be performed in many different environments, including open air, under water and in outer
space. Welding is a potentially hazardous undertaking and precautions are required to avoid
burns, electric shock, vision damage, inhalation of poisonous gases and fumes, and exposure to
intense ultraviolet radiation.
Until the end of the 19th century, the only welding process was forge welding, which
blacksmiths had used for centuries to join iron and steel by heating and hammering. Arc welding
and ox fuel welding were among the first processes to develop late in the century, and electric
resistance welding followed soon after. Welding technology advanced quickly during the early
20th century as World War I and World War II drove the demand for reliable and inexpensive
joining methods. Following the wars, several modern welding techniques were developed,
including manual methods like shielded metal arc welding, now one of the most popular welding
methods, as well as semi-automatic and automatic processes such as gas metal arc welding,
submerged arc welding, flux-cored arc welding and electro slag welding. Developments
continued with the invention of laser beam welding, electron beam welding, electromagnetic
pulse welding and friction stir welding in the latter half of the century. Today, the science
continues to advance. Robot welding is commonplace in industrial settings, and researchers
continue to develop new welding methods and gain greater understanding of weld quality.

The marine and the aeronautic industries are definitely the most Wanted, interested and
focused fields of research now-a-days predominantly on joining techniques. Actually, mechanical
strength and performances, corrosion resistance, residual stress state, and weight reduction are
some of the most significant issues which are painstaking in the assembly of aeronautical
components and also in transport industry [1]. Heat treatable wrought aluminum-magnesiumsilicon alloy conforming to AA6262 is of medium strength and possess good welding
characteristics over the high strength aluminum alloys and also have similar chemistry to
AA6061 except small addition of lead and bismuth to enhance machinability whereas aluminumzinc-magnesium alloy namely AA7075[2] is of high strength and possess low welding
characteristics. Both the materials AA6262 and AA7075 are extensively employed in marine
fittings, couplings, and hinge pins, camera parts, and screw machine products, automobiles and
aircraft applications.

In contrast to many of the fusion welding processes that are routinely used for joining
structural alloys, FSW is an emerging solid state joining process in which the material that is
being welded does not melt and recast. FSW was invented at The Welding Institute FSW is a
continuous, hot shear, autogenously process involving a non-consumable rotating tool of harder
material than the substrate material. Defect-free welds with good mechanical properties have
been made in a variety of aluminum alloys. When alloys are friction stir welded, solid-state phase
transformations will occur during the cooling of the weld. Due to the absence of parent metal
melting, the new FSW process is observed to offer several advantages over fusion welding. The
material flow behavior is predominantly influenced by the FSW tool profiles, FSW tool
dimensions and FSW process parameters namely tool rotational speed, weld speed and axial
force.

1.2 TYPES OF FRICTION WELDING :

1.3 FRICTION-STIR WELDING (FSW)

FSWis a solid-state joining process (the metal is not melted) that uses a third body tool to
join two faying surfaces. Heat is generated between the tool and material which leads to a
very soft region near the FSW tool. It then mechanically intermixes the two pieces of metal at
the place of the join, then the softened metal (due to the elevated temperature) can be joined
using mechanical pressure (which is applied by the tool), much like joining clay, or dough. It
is primarily used on aluminum, and most often on extruded aluminum and on structures
which need superior weld strength without a post weld heat treatment. (non-heat treatable
alloys),

1.4PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the FSW process: (A) Two discrete metal work pieces
butted together, along with the tool (with a probe).

fig.2 (B) progress of the tool through the joint, also showing the weld zone and the
region affected by the tool shoulder.
A constantly rotated non consumable cylindrical-shouldered tool with a profiled nib is
transversely fed at a constant rate into a butt joint between two clamped pieces of butted material.
The nib is slightly shorter than the weld depth required, with the tool shoulder riding atop the
work surface.
Frictional heat is generated between the wear-resistant welding components and the work
pieces. This heat, along with that generated by the mechanical mixing process and the adiabatic
heat within the material, cause the stirred materials to soften without melting. As the pin is
moved forward, a special profile on its leading face forces plasticized material to the rear where
clamping force assists in a forged consolidation of the weld.
This process of the tool traversing along the weld line in a plasticized tubular shaft of
metal results in severe solid state deformation involving dynamic recrystallization of the base
material..

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1.5 ADVANTAGES

Some of the advantages of friction stir welding are

As a solid state process it can be applied to all the major aluminum alloys and avoids
problems of hot cracking, porosity, element loss, etc. common to aluminum fusion

welding processes
It uses non-consumable tool to perform welding
It generates anticipated microstructures in the weld
Conventionally impossible material combinations can be welded by FSW
It is environment friendly as there is no formation of hazardous gas, noise or flame
FSW does not rely on specialized welding skills; indeed manual intervention is seldom
required

1.6 APPLICATION
Commercial applications have been reported across many industries, and some selected
examples are shown below which illustrate the widening appeal of the process. This list is
representative rather than exhaustive, and it should be emphasized that new applications are
appearing all the time. It should be noted that FSW does not restrict the operating temperature
range of aluminum alloys, with applications ranging from cryogenic temperatures (e.g. liquid
oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket fuel tanks) to mildly elevated temperatures (e.g. heat
exchangers in heating systems). Most FSWs used in production are butt welds, although lap
welds and friction stir spot welds are also being applied with increasing frequency.

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Marine
It is believed that the first commercial application of FSW was the joining of 6xxx series
alloy extrusions for use in fish freezing plants for fishing vessels. There have been numerous
applications of the process for joining 6xxx extrusions for incorporation in bulkheads and decks
in various high speed aluminum vessels, and in large steel cruise ships which now often have
lightweight aluminum superstructures. In such applications, the FSW panels are very flat due to
the low distortion, and are cut up and welded into larger structures, usually by MIG welding.
Friction stir welding has been used extensively in the aluminum superstructures of cruise ships
such as the 'Seven Seas Navigator' which contain many kilometers of friction stir welds, mostly
in 6xxx grade extrusions. The world's largest aluminum vessel, the Japanese fast ferry
'Ogasawara', launched in 2004, makes extensive use of FSW in its superstructure.

Aerospace
The first major application was the use of the process to replace fusion welding in fuel
tanks for unmanned Delta II and later Delta IV rockets. The manufacturer (Boeing) has reported
virtually zero defect incidence, and significant cost savings over the previous variable polarity
plasma arc (VPPA) process. The process has also been adopted for the large fuel tank for the
Space Shuttle.
Almost all the major airframe manufacturers are investigating the use of FSW (alongside
other welding processes such as laser welding) to replace many of the rivets in current structures.
The first aircraft to make extensive use of FSW in its airframe, the Eclipse 500 business jet, has
recently completed certification and is now in production. In this aircraft, over 7300 fasteners
(approximately 60% of the total) are replaced by 263 friction stir welds.

Rail
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High speed aluminum railcars such as the Japanese Shinkansen are normally built from
complex double skin extrusions in 6xxx alloys. Since the welds which join these are long (up to
25m) and straight, FSW is an ideal process, and the very low distortion is cited as a major benefit
Automotive
There are few long straight welds in road vehicles, and so adoption of FSW has primarily
been for components such as suspension parts, wheels, seat components, crash boxes, etc. where
several leading companies are already using the process in production. The needs of the
automotive sector have driven the development of robotic FSW, to cope with the complex shapes
and high volume/low cost culture of this market. Significant interest is now being shown in
friction stir spot welding, where the linear translation of the tool is either very small or zero.
Friction stir spot welding is rapidly gaining acceptance as an efficient method of joining
aluminum sheet, and is already in production, for example on the Mazda Rx-8 sports car, where it
is used on the aluminum bonnet and rear doors. Friction stir welding is also being developed for
lightweight armored vehicles, where the ability of the process to weld material of around 2540mm thickness in one pass is being exploited.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
There is various welding process avail for aluminum alloy. Here we were using friction
stir welding (FSW) to two various aluminum alloys to join it .The friction stir welding (FSW) of
steel was a challenging task. Experiments were conducted here, with a tool having a conical pin
of 0.4mm clearance. The process parameters were optimized by using the Taguchi technique.
13

The various list of Literatures are reviewed for this project are given under references
M. Koilraj et al [1] joining of dissimilar AlCu alloy AA2219-T87 and AlMg alloy
AA5083-H321 plates was carried out using friction stir welding (FSW) technique and the process
parameters were optimized using Taguchi L16orthogonal design of experiments. The rotational
speed, transverse speed, tool geometry and ratio between tool shoulder diameter and pin diameter
were the parameters taken into consideration. The optimum process parameters were determined
with reference to tensile strength of the joint. The predicted optimal value of tensile strength was
confirmed by conducting the confirmation run using optimum parameters. That study shows that
defect free, high efficiency welded joints can be produced using a wide range of process
parameters and recommends parameters for producing best joint tensile properties. Analysis of
variance showed that the ratio between tool shoulder diameter and pin diameter was the most
dominant factor in deciding the joint soundness while pin geometry and welding speed also
played significant roles. Micro structural studies revealed that the material placed on the
advancing side dominates the nugget region. Hardness studies revealed that the lowest hardness
in the element occurred in the heat-affected zone on alloy of 5083 side, where tensile failures
were observed to take place.

P. Periyasamy et al [2] Silicon carbide particulate (SiCp) reinforced cast aluminum (Al)
based metal matrix composites (MMCs) had gained wide acceptance in the fabrication of light
weight structures requiring high specific strength, high temperature capability and good wear
resistance. Friction stir welding (FSW) process parameters play major role in deciding the
performance of welded joints. The ultimate tensile strength, notch tensile strength and weld
nugget hardness of friction stir butt welded joints of cast Al/SiCp MMCs (AA6061 with 20%
(volume fraction) of SiCp) were investigated. The relationships between the FSW process
parameters (rotational speed, welding speed and axial force) and the responses (ultimate tensile
strength, notch tensile strength and weld nugget hardness) were established. The optimal welding
parameters to maximize the mechanical properties were identified by using desirability approach.
From that investigation, it was found that the joints fabricated with the tool rotational speed of
1370 r/min, welding speed of 88.9 mm/min, and axial force of 9.6 kN yield the maximum
ultimate tensile strength, notch tensile strength and hardness of 265 MPa, 201 MPa and HV114,
respectively.

14

M. Simoncini et al [3] investigated the effect of welding parameters and tool

configuration on the surface appearance, mechanical and micro structural properties of similar
and dissimilar friction stir welded joints in AA5754 and AZ31 thin sheets was widely
investigated. Two different tool configurations, with and without the pin, were used. As far as the
similar friction stir welded joints in AZ31 and in AA5754 alloys were concerned, it was shown
that the pinless tool leads to the obtaining of higher values of the tensile strength and ductility
as compared to the pin one. On the contrary, by considering the dissimilar friction stir welding
between AZ31 and AA5754 thin sheets, the welding process becomes very critical as the pin
less tool was used. Sound dissimilar joints were obtained using the pin tool configuration,
even though the effect of the material position with respect to the welding tool was a very
important factor to be considered. A marked improvement in the surface appearance and
mechanical properties was obtained by placing aluminum alloy in the advancing side and
magnesium alloy in the retreating one. An investigation had been also carried out in order to
evaluate the micro structural properties of similar and dissimilar welded joints
Mandeep Singh Sidhu et al [4] described the friction stir welding process, various
welding variables like tool rotation, transverse speed, tool tilt, plunge depth and tool design, for
the welding of aluminum alloys or various dissimilar alloys

15

Fig.4. Tool pin profile

Bo Li et al [5] investigated the effects of welding parameters, especially the value of pin
off-set, on weld formation, microstructures and mechanical tensile properties of the lapbutt
joints of dissimilar aluminum were investigated. The parameter of pin off-set played a very
important role and exerted stronger influence upon the joint quality. Three typical micro flowpatterns of plasticized materials were found in the weld-zones: circumfluence, laminar-flow and
turbulent-flow. Some weld-defects and the morphologies of onion rings were detected.
K. Kalawaselvan et al [6] focused on the effect of FSW parameters on the tensile strength
of AlB4C composite joints. The central composite design of four factors and five levels was
used to control the number of experiments. A mathematical model was developed to analyze the
influence of FSW parameters. The results indicated that the joint fabricated using rotational
speed of 1000 r/min, welding speed of 1.3 mm/s, axial force of 10 kN and the reinforcement of
12% showed larger tensile strength compared with the other joints. The developed model was
16

optimized to maximize the tensile strength using generalized reduced gradient method. The
metallographic analysis of the joints showed the presence of various zones such as weld nugget
(WN) zone, thermo mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ). The
substantial grain refinement of aluminum matrix as well as significant size reduction of B4C
particles was observed in the weld nugget. TMAZ was plastically deformed, thermally affected
and exhibited elongated aluminum grains.
S. Malarvizhi et al [7] In that work the influences of the tool shoulder diameter (one of
the heat generation source) on the macrostructure, microstructure and tensile properties of the
dissimilar AA6061 Aluminum and AZ31 Magnesium alloys were experimented. From that
investigation, it was found that the joints fabricated using a shoulder diameter of 21 mm (3.5
times the plate thickness) exhibited superior tensile properties compared to its counterparts.
M. Dehghani et al [8] Joints of Al5186 to mild steel were performed by using friction stir
welding (FSW) technique. The effects of various FSW parameters such as tool traverse speed,
plunge depth, tilt angle and tool pin geometry on the formation of inter metallic compounds
(IMCs),tunnel formation and tensile strength of joints were investigated. At low welding speeds
due to the formation of thick IMCs (which was characterized asAl6Fe and Al5Fe2) in the weld
zone the tensile strength of joints was very poor. Even at low welding speeds the tunnel defect
was formed. As the welding speed increased, the IMCs decreased and the joint exhibited higher
tensile strength. The tunnel defect could not be avoided by using cylindrical 4mmand 3mm pin
diameter. By using a standard threaded M3tool pin the tunnel was avoided and a bell shape
nugget formed. Therefore tensile strength of the joint increased to90%ofaluminum base alloy
strength. At higher welding speed and lower tool plunge depth, the joint strength decreased due
to lack of bonding between aluminum and steel. Based on that fin dings, a FSW window has
been developed and presented.
C.W. Tan et al [9] in that paper 5A02 aluminum alloy and pure copper were joined by
friction stir welding (FSW). A defect-free joint was obtained when one of process parameters, i.e.
the traverse speed was lowered from 40 mm/min to 20 mm/min. A good mixing of Al and Cu was
observed in the weld nugget zone (WNZ). A large amount of fine Cu particles were dispersed in
the upper part of the WNZ producing a composite-like structure. In the lower part, nano-scaled
intercalations were observed and identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These
layered structures were subsequently confirmed as Al4Cu9 (c), Al2Cu3 (e), Al2Cu (h),
respectively. Formation of these microstructures caused an inhomogeneous hardness profile.
17

Particularly, a distinct rise in hardness was noticed at the Al/Cu interface. Excellent metallurgical
bonding between Al and Cu gave rise to good behaviors in the tensile and bending strength.

Dejia Liu et al [10]dissimilar friction stir welding (FSW) of ZK60 and AZ31magnesium
alloys was studied. Two kinds of material arrangements, with ZK 60 or AZ31in advancing side
(AS),were applied. The results showed that the dissimilar plates with both material arrangements
were joined successfully .No obvious defect was observed. Microstructure and texture variation
across the joints were examined by scanning electron microscope(SEM) and electron back
scatteddiffraction(EBSD).The grains in stir zone(SZ)were significantly refined during FSW(_8.7
mm inAZ31sideand _2.7 mm inZK60side).These condphases in ZK60side were broken up,
which contributed to grain refinement. Two-dimensional(2D)hardness maps across the normal
direction(ND)transverse direction(TD)sections in the joints were obtained. Clear boundary was
observed between SZ and AZ31 base metal, but it was less clear between SZ and ZK60 base
metal. The mixture of materials, grain refine men and broken up of particles were responsible
for the sharp increasing of hardness between SZ and AZ31 base metal. The transverse ultimate
tensile strength (UTS)of the joints was7882% of AZ31 base metal. The joints consistently
fractured in the transition region of the AZ31 side. The sudden hardness decrease from SZ to
AZ31 base metal might result in deformation in compatibility at the interface, which was
considered as the main cause for the failing in theAZ31side.In addition, the activation of
twinning in SZ-side(with c-axwasparalleltoTD) and slip in the region adjacent to the SZside(with c-axwasat _451 angle toTD) aggregated the deformation in compatibility in the
transition region oftheAZ31side.As a result, the break of the specimens started at the boundary of
transition zone(TZ)/SZ. Many extension twins were observed inAZ31SZ-side after fracture.
Although theZK60SZ-side presented the similar texture with the AZ31SZ-side, much less
extension twins were observed in the former because of the hindering effects by there fined
grains and secondary particles
P. Cavaliere et al [11] Friction stir welding (FSW) demonstrated the enhancement of
fatigue resistance for aluminum and magnesium alloys, with respect to traditional fusion
techniques. In addition, the possibility to join dissimilar alloys representing an important aspect
for such technology as well as the reduction of residual stresses and apparent necessity to avoid
heavy heat treatments were also positive factors. In that paper, the results about the fatigue
properties and the fatigue crack growth behavior of dissimilar 2024-7075 jointed aluminum
sheets were presented for FSW
18

Woong-Seong et al [12] Chang For the purpose of improving the strength of that
dissimilar joint, the present study was carried out to investigate the improvement in inter metallic
layer by using a third material foil between the faying edges of the friction stir welded and hybrid
welded Al6061-T6/AZ31 alloy plates. The difference in micro structural and mechanical
characteristics of friction stir welded and hybrid welded Al6061-T6/AZ31 joint was compared.
Hybrid butt welding of aluminum alloy plate to a magnesium alloy plate was successfully
achieved with Ni foil as filler material, while defect-free laser-friction stir welding (FSW) hybrid
welding was achieved by using a laser power of 2 kW. Transverse tensile strength of the joint
reached about 66% of the Mg base metal tensile strength in the case of hybrid welding with Ni
foil and showed higher value than that of the friction stir welded joint with and without the third
material foil. That may be due to the presence of less brittle Ni-based inter metallic phases
instead of Al12Mg17.
M. Dehghani et al [13] Defect-free butt joints of 3003 Al alloy to mild steel plates with 3
mm thickness were performed using friction stir welding (FSW). A heat input model reported for
similar FSW was simplified and used to investigate the effects of welding speed, rotation speed
and tool shoulder diameter on the microstructure and properties of dissimilar welds. The
comparison between microstructure, inter metallics and strength of welds shows the good
conformity between the results and the calculated heat input factor (HIF) achieved from the
model. The joint strength was controlled by Al/Fe interface at HIF of 0.20.4, by TMAZ at HIF
of 0.40.8 and by intermetallics and/or defects at HIF>0.

B.T. Gibsona et al [14] article provides an introduction to the basic principles of friction
stir welding (FSW) as well as a survey of the latest research and applications in the field. The
basic principles covered include terminology, material flow, joint configurations, tool design,
materials, and defects. Material flow was discussed from both an experimental and a modeling
perspective. Process variants were discussed as well, which include self-reacting (SR-FSW),
stationary shoulder, friction stir processing (FSP), and friction stir spot welding (FSSW), assisted
FSW, and pulsed FSW. Multiple aspects of robotic friction stir welding were covered, including
sensing, control, and joint tracking. Methods of evaluating weld quality were surveyed as well.
The latest applications were discussed, with an emphasis on recent advances in aerospace,
automotive, and ship building. Finally, the direction of future research and potential applications
were examined.
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K. Elangovan et al[15] paper reports on studies of the influences of various post-weld

heat treatment procedures on tensile properties of friction stir-welded AA6061 aluminum alloy
joints. Rolled plates of 6-mm thick AA6061 aluminum alloy were used to fabricate the joints.
Solution treatment, an artificial aging treatment and a combination of both were given to the
welded joints. Tensile properties such as yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and joint
efficiency were evaluated. Microstructures of the welded joints were analyzed using optical
microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A simple artificial aging treatment was found
to be more beneficial than other treatment methods to enhance the tensile properties of the
friction stir-welded AA6061 aluminum alloy joints

Lei Cui et al [16] In the present study, AA6061-T4 T-joints were successfully fabricated
by friction stir welding (FSW) in three different combination ways of skins and stringers.
Distributions and formation mechanisms of tunnel defects, bond defects, original joint line with
severe plastic deformation (OJLwSPD) defects, and zigzag line defects in T-joints were
investigated by macro- and micro-observations. Influences of defects distributions and welding
parameters on the tensile behaviors of T-joints were examined. To a better understanding of
failure behaviors of T-joints, fracture locations and fracture surfaces of tensile samples were also
investigated.
H. JamshidiAval

et al [17] In that work, thermo-mechanical behavior and micro

structural evolution in similar and dissimilar friction stir welding of AA6061-T6 and AA5086-O
have been investigated. Firstly, the thermo-mechanical behaviors of materials during similar and
dissimilar FSW operations have been predicted using three dimensional finite element software,
ABAQUS, then, the mechanical properties and the developed microstructures within the welded
samples have been studied with the aid of experimental observations and model predictions. It
was found that different strengthening mechanisms in AA5086 and AA6061 result in complex
behaviors in hardness of the welded cross section where the hardness variation in similar
AA5086-O joints mainly depends on re crystallization and generation of fine grains in weld
nugget, however, the hardness variations in the weld zone of AA6061/AA6061 and
AA6061/AA5086 joints were affected by subsequent aging phenomenon. Also, both
experimental and predicted data illustrate that the peak temperature in FSW of AA6061/AA6061
was the highest compared to the other joints employing the same welding parameters.
20

L.M. Marzoli et al [18] established a friction stir welding (FSW) process parameters
envelope for an AA6061 alloy reinforced with 20% of Al2O3 particles, and determine properties
of the obtained joints. After a brief description of the FSW technique, and the difficulties in
joining MMCs, experimental procedure was illustrated. Microstructure has been observed with
optical microscope, and images have been analyzed with image analysis software. Micro
hardness and tensile tests have been also carried out. The tools stirring effect has a substantial
influence on the reinforcement particles distribution and shape. Tensile testing revealed joint
efficiencies over 80% for the Rp0, 2 and of slightly more than 70% for the Rm, with failure
outside the stir zone. The parameter envelope determined in the present study resulted in defect
free, high strength welds. Results also indicate that the alloy investigated could be welded with
process parameter comparable to those used for its unreinforced counterpart.
K. Elangovan et al [19] AA6061 aluminum alloy (AlMgSi alloy) had gathered wide
acceptance in the fabrication of light weight structures requiring a high strength-to-weight ratio
and good corrosion resistance. Compared to the fusion welding processes that were routinely
used for joining structural aluminum alloys, friction stir welding (FSW) process was an emerging
solid state joining process in which the material that was being welded does not melt and recast.
That process uses a non-consumable tool to generate frictional heat in the abutting surfaces. The
welding parameters such as tool rotational speed, welding speed, axial force, etc., and tool pin
profile play a major role in deciding the weld quality. In that investigation an attempt has been
made to understand the effect of tool pin profile and tool shoulder diameter on FSP zone
formation in AA6061 aluminum alloy. Five different tool pin profiles (straight cylindrical,
tapered cylindrical, threaded cylindrical, triangular and square) with three different shoulder
diameters have been used to fabricate the joints. The formation of FSP zone has been analyzed
macroscopically. Tensile properties of the joints have been evaluated and correlated with the FSP
zone formation. From that investigation it was found that the square pin profiled tool with 18 mm
shoulder diameter produced mechanically sound and metallurgically defect free welds compared
to other tool pin profiles.

PuneetRohilla et al [20] AA 6061 has gathered wide acceptance in the

fabrication of the light structures required to high strength. Compared to the fusion welding
processes that were used for joining structural aluminum alloys, friction stir welding (FSW)
process was an emerging solid state joining process in which the material that was being welded
does not melt and recast. In that experimental work, an extensive investigation has been carried
21

out on FSW butt joint. Welded joints were made with the help of tool made of high speed steel
(HSS) alloy steel. Tools were of two different pin profiles viz. straight cylindrical, and square.
The welded joints were made on aluminum grade AA 6061 plates of 6 mm thick. Tests were
conducted to determine the tensile strength, percentage elongation and micro hardness. In my
investigation, tool rotation and traverse speeds were kept constant i.e. 2000 rpm and 20 mm/min.
The variables were shape of the tool and having passes one sided and both sided. Cylindrical tool
pin profile exhibited superior tensile properties compared to other joints, irrespective of tool
rotational speed in double pass. The joints fabricated by single pass have shown lower tensile
strength and also percentage of elongation compared to the joints fabricated by double pass and
that trend was common for all the tool profiles.
H. JamshidiAval et al [21] AA2219 aluminum alloy had gathered wide acceptance in the
fabrication of light weight structures requiring a high strength to weight ratio. Compared to the
fusion welding processes that were routinely used for joining structural aluminum alloys, friction
stir welding (FSW) process was an emerging solid state joining process in which the material that
was being welded does not melt and recast. That process uses a non-consumable tool to generate
frictional heat in the abutting surfaces. The welding parameters and tool pin profile play major
roles in deciding the weld quality. In that investigation, an attempt has been made to understand
the effect of welding speed and tool pin profile on FSP zone formation in AA2219 aluminum
alloy. Five different tool pin profiles (straight cylindrical, tapered cylindrical, threaded
cylindrical, triangular and square) have been used to fabricate the joints at three different welding
speeds. The formation of FSP zone has been analyzed macroscopically. Tensile properties of the
joints have been evaluated and correlated with the FSP zone formation. From that investigation it
was found that the square pin profiled tool produces mechanically sound and metallurgically
defect free welds compared to other tool pin profiles.
Eur.Ing. C.E.D.Rowe et al [22] that paper looks at some current uses, variations in tool
design, improved welding techniques and new tool materials being developed for the welding of
more difficult aluminum alloys to give increased tool life.
M.LakshmanRao et al [23] indicates towards further extension of the process to join
dissimilar metal combinations like Fe-Al and Al-Cu was currently underway. That paper
highlights the role of tool geometry, because tool geometry plays a major role in FSW. Proper
selection of a tool material and shape of the pin reduces number of trials and tooling cost. In
addition that study also highlights the wear effect due to friction between sliding surfaces.
22

Ajay Kumar Revuri et al [24] The welding tool, its pin profile, shape and dimensions
plays a vital role in making the weld joint. In Friction Stir Welding, the stress distribution of tool
pin was affected by the thermo mechanical characteristics of the work piece. In that paper, three
tools with different pin shapes such as Conical, Cylindrical and Frustum were designed with
threads in their profiles .Initially the tools dimensions were based on the base material plate
thickness taken in to consideration, the induced structural stresses were checked with in the
permissible stress limits. The tools were modeled in CATIA and analysis was performed in
ANSYS software for exploring stress distributions and displacement vector sum in the pin, at
different speeds and temperatures. The frictional force between the tool shoulder and work piece
was considered for simulating the stress and displacement vector in the pin profiles. The tool pin
profiles considered for structural and thermal analysis was used in that studies are cylindrical,
conical, and frustum. The vanishes stress distributions in pin profiles, displacement vector sum of
the pin profiles, were obtained from ANSYS software and the pin with optimum strength was
determined.
H. S. Patil et al [25] investigated the effects of different welding speeds and tool pin
profiles on the weld quality of AA6082-O aluminum. That material had gathered wide
acceptance in the fabrication of light weight structures requiring a high strength-to-weight ratio.
Tri-flutes and taper screw thread pin were used as tool pin profiles in that research. The
appearance of the weld was well and no obvious defect was found using these tools.
Consequently, the obtained results explain the variation of stress as a function of strain and the
effect of different welding speed and pin profiles on yield strength ultimate tensile strength and
elongation. The friction stir welded plates of AA6082-O by using the taper screw thread pin
profile reaches the ultimate tensile strength of 92.30% of the base metal ultimate strength and %
elongation of 27.58%.

23

3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
3.1 INTRODUCTION TO PLATES
Here in this project, two dissimilar aluminum alloy plates (AA6061 & AA 7075) of size
100x49.6x6 mm will prepare by roll sheets. The dissimilar alloy plates will join by friction stir
welding by the basic process parameter of spindle rotation speed, tool tilt angle; force applied on
metal, movement of tool on metal is fixed.
3.2 TOOL DESIGN
Three various FSW tools are designed by varying the tool pin profile. The configurations
of the designed FSW tools are:

Tool pin profile of straight cylinder, square and tapered cylinder without draft.
Tools having D/d ratio of 3.
Out of various tool materials like tool steel, high speed steel (HSS), high carbon high

chromium (HCHCr), carbide and nitride, HSS is chosen as tool material because of its high
strength, high melting point and low cost.
The FSW tools will manufacture by CNC lathe and CNC milling machine.

24

AWS designations for wrought Al alloy groups and basic temper

designations applicable to heat-treatable Al alloys
Wrought alloy groups

1xxx

Basic temper designations

F

As fabricated

Unalloyed 99% Al

Copper principal alloying element:

gives substantial increases in

2xxx

strength, permits precipitation

hardening, reduces corrosion

Annealed: there may be a suffix to indicate the

specific heat treatment.

resistance, ductility and weldability

Strain hardened (cold worked): it is always

Manganese: increases strength

3xxx

through solid solution strengthening

and improves work hardening

4xxx

magnesium produces precipitation

Solution heat treated: applied to alloys that

precipitation hardens at room temperature
W

Magnesium: increases strength

(natural aging) after a solution heat treatment.

The designation is followed by a time indicating

hardening

5xxx

amount of cold work and any heat treatments

that have been carried out

Silicon: increases strength and

ductility, in combination with

followed by two or more digits to signify the

the natural aging period, e.g. W 1 h

T

Thermally aged:

through solid solution strengthening

T1: cooled and naturally aged

and improves work hardening ability

T2: cooled, cold worked and naturally aged

T3: solution heat treated, cold worked and
naturally aged
T4: solution heat treated and naturally aged
T5: cooled and artificially aged
T6: solution heat treated and artificially aged
T7: solution heat treated and averaged or
stabilized
25

T8: solution heat treated, cold worked and

artificially aged
T9: solution heat treated, artificially aged and
cold worked

6xxx

Magnesium-silicon
Zinc-magnesium: substantially

7xxx

increases strength, enables

precipitation hardening, can cause
stress corrosion

Other elements - Li, for example,

8xxx

substantially increases strength and

Young's modulus

26

FLOW MECHANISMS AND TOOL DESIGN

The metal flow and heat generation in the softened material around the tool are
fundamental to the friction stir process. Material deformation generates and redistributes heat,
producing the temperature field in the weld. But since the material flow stress is temperature and
strain rate sensitive, the distribution of heat is itself governed by the deformation and temperature
fields. In fact their control lies at the core of almost all aspects of FSW, for example, the
optimization of process speeds and machineloading, the avoidance of macroscopic defects, the
evolution of the microstructure, and the resulting weld properties.
As noted above, almost all the material in the weld is extruded between the rotating pin on the
retreating side and the surrounding material which is too cold and too lightly stressed to deform
(see Fig.1). In its simplest form, this essential flow mechanism can be illustrated by twodimensional simulations depicting streamlines round a rotating tool placed in a steady flow of
material. Figure 3a shows streamlines past a cylindrical tool, redacted by computational fluid
dynamics (CFD). A longitudinal weld seam is formed behind the advancing edge of the tool
where the two flows come together. Further modeling studies have investigated how this twodimensional flow is perturbed by:
1.

the addition of tool features such as flats and flutes

2.

Changes in the contact conditions between tool and work piece, from sticking friction to
slipping at a lower interfacial shear stress.

Predicted streamlines round a fluted tool are shown in Fig.3b and c. Complete sticking generates
a dead metal zone round the tool, whereas the flow interacts closely with the tool features when
slipping takes place. Another characteristic of the process - a line initially perpendicular to the
welding direction is swept into a backwards 'bulge' in the wake of the tool - can also be seen
in Fig.3b and c. Marker experiments have confirmed this behavior (Fig.3d). One way of
quantifying the mixing effect of the tool is the ratio of the swept volume to the pin volume.For
25mm thick plates this has found to be 11: 1 for a cylindrical pin, 18 : 1 for the Whorl and 26 :
1 for the MX-Trifoliate pin (see Fig.2c), each having similar root diameters and lengthwith the
Trifoliate giving the more parallel sided weld zone. Further refinements include the
Trivextoolwhich was designed to reduce the down and traverse forces required and the Triflat
tool for thicker section materials.
27

a) typical generic flow path of plate material round clockwise rotating pin in FSW, taken from
two-dimensional CFD model with cylindrical tool moving from left to right (after Seidel and
Reynolds),
b, c) effect of interfacial boundary conditions (b stick; c slip) on predicted flow from twodimensional CFD model with profiled tool (after Cole grove and She cliff): change in thickness
of streamlines indicates final location of points initially forming straight line transverse to weld
line (analogous to Cu foil in d) and
d) Metallographic marker experiment using transverse copper foil, illustrating flow induced by
pin (after Reynolds)

28

MATERIALS DIAGRAM AND MATERIAL

PROPERTIES

29

Schematic diagram for aluminum alloy 7075

30

Schematic diagram for aluminum alloy 6061

31

Fig.3.Friction stir welding lathe

32

Schematic diagram ofWeld product

Schematic diagram ofWeld product

33

Table1.Chemical composition (wt %) of BMs

Elements

Si

Cu

Mn

Mg

Zn

Al

AA6061

0.640

0.262

0.15

0.88

0.25

Bal

AA7075

0.104

1.560

0.063

2.32

5.950

Bal

Material

UTS (MPa)

YS(MPa)

%E

Hardness(VHN)

AA6061-T6

310

276

17

108

AA7075-T6

589

471

20.8

195

Table2.Mechanical properties of BMs

Sl.No

Process parameters

Values

Tool rotational speed (rpm)

900

900

900

Weld speed (mm/min)

35

40

45

Axial force (KN)

Tool shoulder diameter (mm)

18

Tool pin diameter (mm)

Pin Length (mm)

5.8
34

Table 3: Welding Parameters and Tool geometry

35

Testing

36

CONCLUSION

The Friction stir welding used successfully to join dissimilar aluminium alloys (AA6061
and AA7075).

Better mechanical properties (tensile strength) were obtained with the FSW plate fabricated
with 900 rpm tool rotational speed.

Maximum tensile strength was obtained when the horizontal velocity was 40mm/min and the
tensile strength was found to be 310.12Mpa.
The best strength is obtained when the horizontal speed is 40mm/min, rotating speed is
900rpm and horizontal axial force applied is 5kN.

37

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1.

M. Koilraj , V. Sundareswaran , Friction stir welding of dissimilar aluminum alloys AA2219

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2.

P. Periyasamy , b. Mohan, Multi-objective optimization of friction stir welding

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3.

3.M. Simoncini , A. Forcellese, Effect of the welding parameters and tool configuration on
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4.

Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Sukhpal Singh Chatha, Friction Stir Welding Process and its
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5.

Bo Li, YifuShenK. Kalaiselvan , N. Murugan , Role of friction stir welding parameters on

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6.

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S. Malarvizhi , V. BalasubramanianInfluences of tool shoulder diameter to plate thickness

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8.

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38

11.

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12.

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13.

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Lei Cui, Xinqi Yang, Guang Zhou, XiaodongXu, ZhikangShen Characteristics of defects
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17.

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18.

L.M. Marzoli a, A.v. Strombeck a, J.F. Dos Santos a,*, C. Gambaro b, L.M. Volpone c
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19.

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20.

PuneetRohilla, Narinder Kumar Experimental investigation of Tool Geometry on

Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welding of AA6061.

21.

H. JamshidiAval, S.Serajzadeh, A.H kokabi. Influences of tool pin profile and welding
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22.

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friction Stir welding
39

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24.

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25.

H. S. Patil, S. N. Soman. Experimental study on the effect of welding speed and tool pin
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40