PROGRESS IN FRICTION STIR WELDING OF ALUMINIUM AND STEEL FOR MARINE APPLICATIONS

摘要

Friction stir welding of aluminium was first demonstrated in 1991, and most of the early industrial applications were in the marine industry, joining AA6xxx extrusions for use in decks, bulkheads, on a variety of vessels. Since then, significant progress has been made in improving productivity, for example early welding speeds were about 1m/min or less in 6mm 6082-T6, and speeds of 6m/min are now possible. There has been growing interest in the friction stir welding of steel, especially for naval applications. Although the process has been successfully demonstrated, further development is needed to improve tool material technology and process control, and to obtain more data on the performance of welds. Process economics for welding steel have also not been fully established, and the robustness of the process for shipyard applications needs further consideration. The paper reviews current progress and potential of friction stir welding of both aluminium and steel for marine applications, and provides a comment on the state of the art, and what may be achieved in the near future.