The Effect of Friction Stir Welding Parameters on the Weldability of Aluminum Alloys with Similar and Dissimilar Metals: A Review

Abstract

The solid-state welding method known as friction stir welding (FSW) bonds two metallic work parts, whether the same or different, by plastically deforming the base metal. The frictional resistance between both metallic work pieces causes them to produce heat, which produces plastic deformation and welds them. However, the weldability and strength of FSW joints mainly depend on the FSW parameters. This review work highlights the previous research work on the FSW parameters and their effects on the weldability and quality of the aluminum alloys joined with similar and dissimilar metals through the FSW method. About 150 research studies were systematically reviewed, and the articles included data from peer-reviewed journals. It has been concluded that the key parameters, including welding speed, “rotational speed”, “plunge depth”, “spindle torque”, “shoulder design”, “base material”, “pin profile” and “tool type", significantly affect the weldability of the aluminum joint through the FSW method. Also, the selection of these parameters is important and fundamental as they directly affect the joint. It is recommended that future work focus on FSW for aluminum. Among these, the most essential is the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to select the optimum FSW parameters for aluminum welding.

Effect of Friction Stir Welding Processing Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of AA1050 Aluminum Alloy

“…To determine the influence of welding conditions on aluminum alloy welds' mechanical and microstructural properties. According to their results, different rotation rates lead to different levels of hardness, whereas the connection's stiffness and level of hardness are not affected by the traverse speed [17,18]. According to the results of [19], the effects of traverse speed on the mechanical properties of the joint, such as hardness and tensile strength, are more significant than the effects of rotational speed.…”