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High Rotation Speed Friction Stir Welding for 2014 Aluminum Alloy Thin Sheets

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Abstract

In this study, 2014 aluminum alloy sheets with 1 mm thickness are welded successfully by friction stir welding (FSW) robot under the condition of high rotation speed. When the high rotation speed of 10,000-16,500 rpm is applied, the lower axial pressure (less than 200 N) is obtained, which reduces stiffness requirements for equipment. Welding deformation is inevitable because high rotation speed can easily result in rapid heating rate and uneven heat input. The welding distortion caused by two cooling methods is measured, respectively, by laser range finder. The experimental results show that the welding distortion is smaller under the condition of water cooling. When the rotation speed is up to 15,000 rpm and welding speed 50-170 mm/min, the whole welding process is controllable. Under the higher rotation speed condition, the welding defects disappear gradually and more stable mechanical properties can be obtained up to 75% of base metal (ω = 16,000 rpm, ν = 110 mm/min). The results of different welding parameters demonstrate that the high rotation speed can increase material mixing and reduce the axial force (z force), and it can benefit lightweight sheet welding by using FSW robot.

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Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by Qing Lan Project and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51675248, 51375218 and 51405206) and the Natural Science Fund of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (15KJB460009).

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212003, China

    Shujin Chen, Yang Zhou, Junrong Xue & Ruiyang Ni

  2. Hua Heng Welding Technology Co. Ltd, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China

    Yue Guo

  3. School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5095, Australia

    Jianghui Dong

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  1. Shujin Chen
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  2. Yang Zhou
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  3. Junrong Xue
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  5. Yue Guo
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  6. Jianghui Dong
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Correspondence to Shujin Chen or Jianghui Dong.

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Chen, S., Zhou, Y., Xue, J. et al. High Rotation Speed Friction Stir Welding for 2014 Aluminum Alloy Thin Sheets. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 26, 1337–1345 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2524-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2524-y

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