Possibility of joining thin sheets of Al, Mg alloys and Ti GRADE 3 in FSW process

摘要

Processes based on a joining of materials in the solid state, constitute an effective solution to the aspects of strength and durability of the produced element. In recent years there has been a great interest of research and industry to develop unconventional methods of joining construction materials in the transport industry, including Friction Stir Welding. This paper presents the characteristics of the FSW process based on the joints of thin sheet of Al and Mg alloys and technically pure GRADE 3 titanium (AMS-T-9046/AMS 4900) of 0.4 and 0.5 mm in thicknesses. Analyzing the joints properties and metallurgical modifications through the influence of the main process variables, which affects the quality of the FSW joints. The welding process was carried out on a 3 axial vertical numerically controlled milling machine, equipped with a specially prepared fixing device, using tungsten carbide tools and ceramics tool. Geometric parameters were adjusted to the thickness of the sheet using the algorithm according to literature [12]. During the process, axial and radial forces were measured using a precision piezoelectric dynamometer to analyze the effect of the plasticization in the joined area. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of FSW joints was determined by the static tensile test at room temperature. On this basis, the efficiency of the joint was determined as compared to the parent material (PM). It has been shown that the FSW method allows for the production of high quality defect free joints both from non-ferrous metals as well as from pure GRADE 3 titanium (AMS-T-9046/AMS 4900). Efficiency of FSW connections exceeds 80% of the tensile strength of parent material. It has been shown that the FSW process can be an alternative for arc welding, riveting or RSW welding.