Influence of tool thread on mechanical properties of dissimilar Al alloy friction stir spot welds

Abstract

The influence of threaded and wear simulated (half thread) tools on the mechanical properties of dissimilar Al alloy friction stir spot welds is investigated. With lower tool rotational speed settings, the failure loads of Al 5754/Al 6111 lap joints made using a threaded tool were clearly higher than that of a half thread tool. However, the failure load of the joints made using a half thread tool increased when the tool rotational speed increased, and finally, as the rotational speed was further increased, the failure load became almost the same as the failure load of joints made using a threaded tool. In Al 5052/Al 6061 butt joints made using the threaded and half thread tools, the area of the stir zone on the bonded cross-section corresponded with the actual bonded region on the fracture surface. Therefore, the thread on the rotating pin has limited influence on the mechanical properties of the friction stir spot lap joints.

State of the art about dissimilar metal friction stir welding

“…Tool wear is also an issue in dissimilar welding particularly when working with very hard materials. As tool wear changes the geometry of its features, it may lead to modification of the material flow and thus decreasing weld performances [15].…”