TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 716/December 2000
R Johnson
Background
In a continuing programme to improve tool design, it is important to be able to measure the forces required to push the tool through the workpiece; minimising the forces generated in friction stir welding (FSW) will increase process efficiency and may appreciably reduce the heat generation and thermal cycling of the material being welded.
In 1999 TWI evaluated the forces developed during FSW using a rotating dynamometer instrument, the Kistler 9123. The evaluation of FSW forces has now been developed further by using a larger Kistler 9124A rotating dynamometer. The range of materials has been broadened to include 6082-T6, 5083-H111, 2014-T6 and 7075-T7351 aluminium alloys, as well as a preliminary assessment of the effects of some variations in the FSW tool design.
Objective
- To determine the effects of FSW parameters and tool geometry on the forces and torques generated during FSW of selected nominally 6mm thick aluminium alloys.