Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Material Flow Tracking for Various Tool Geometries During the Friction Stir Spot Welding Process

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study applied powder-tracing techniques to mount Cu and W powders on A6061-T6 aluminum sheets to investigate the material flow mechanism of friction stir spot welding (FSSW) using various geometric tools. The experimental results showed that the geometry of the tools plays a crucial role and determines the entrances of material flow during FSSW. It was believed that instantaneous voids were filled up with material flow in all directions for triangular pins, and the voids were located at the pin bottom for cylindrical pins. In accordance with the plastic rule of material flow, the pressure gradient is the necessary condition to cause material flow during FSSW; therefore, the transient constraint space (TCS) is required to generate pressure in this space. Enlargement of the TCS accompanies the evolution of the stir zone (SZ). A generated void causes a steep pressure gradient, which is regarded as the entrance of material flow. A tool with screw threads causes downward driving force, which determines the intermixing behavior between the upper and lower sheets, and also affects the size of the SZs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. C. Schilling and J. Santos, Method and Device for Joining At Least Two Adjoining Work Pieces by Friction Welding, US Patent, No. 6722556, 2002

  2. R. Hancock, Friction Welding of Aluminum Cuts Energy Costs by 99%, Weld J., 2004, 83, p 40

    Google Scholar 

  3. S. Kalpakjian and S.R. Schmid, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, 6th ed., Prentice Hall, Singapore, 2010

    Google Scholar 

  4. R.S. Mishra and M.W. Mahoney, Friction Stir Welding and Processing, ASM International, Materials Park, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  5. D. Codd, Advanced, Lightweight Materials Development and Technology for Increasing Vehicle Efficiency, http://www.kvastainless.com/pdf/KVA_lightweighting_X1.pdf, December 9, 2008

  6. X. Cao, M. Jahazi, J. Immarigeon, and W. Wallace, A Review of Laser Welding Techniques for Magnesium Alloys, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2006, 171, p 188–204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. T. Zhu, Z.W. Chen, and W. Gao, Incipient Melting in Partially Melted Zone During Arc Welding of AZ91D Magnesium Alloy, Mater. Sci. Eng. A., 2006, 416, p 246–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. J. Adamiec, The Influence of Construction Factors on the Weldability of AZ91E Alloy, Arch. Metall. Mater., 2011, 56, p 769–778

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. A. Kouadri and L. Barrallier, Study of Mechanical Properties of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy Welded by Laser Process Taking into Account the Anisotropy Microhardness and Residual Stresses by X-Ray Diffraction, Metall. Mater. Trans. A., 2011, 42, p 1815–1826

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. P. Su, A. Gerlich, T.H. North, and G.J. Bendzsak, Intermixing in Dissimilar Friction Stir Spot Welds, Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2007, 38, p 584–595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Q. Yang, S. Mironov, Y.S. Sato, and K. Okamoto, Material Flow During Friction Stir Spot Welding, Mater. Sci. Eng. A., 2010, 527, p 4389–4398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. H. Badarinarayan, Y. Shi, X. Li, and K. Okamoto, Effect of Tool Geometry on Hook Formation and Static Strength of Friction Stir Spot Welded Aluminum 5754-O Sheets, Int. J. Mach. Tools Manuf., 2009, 49, p 814–823

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. W. Yuan, R.S. Mishra, S. Webb, Y.L. Chen, B. Carlson, D.R. Herling, and G.J. Grant, Effect of Tool Design and Process Parameters on Properties of Al Alloy 6016 Friction Stir Spot Welds, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2011, 211, p 972–977

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. S. Horie, K. Shinozaki, M. Yamamoto, and T.H. North, Experimental Investigation of Material Flow During Friction Stir Spot Welding, Sci. Technol. Weld. Join., 2010, 15, p 666–670

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. M. Assidi, L. Fourment, S. Guerdoux, and T. Nelson, Friction Model for Friction Stir Welding Process Simulation: Calibrations from Welding Experiments, Int. J. Mach. Tools Manuf., 2010, 50, p 143–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. D. Kim, H. Badarinarayan, I. Ryu, J. Kim, C. Kim, K. Okamoto, R.H. Wagoner, and K. Chung, Numerical Simulation of Friction Stir Spot Welding Process for Aluminum Alloys, Met. Mater. Int., 2010, 16, p 323–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Y.C. Lin, J.J. Liu, B.Y. Lin, C.M. Lin, and H.L. Tsai, Effects of Process Parameters on Strength of Mg Alloy AZ61 Friction Stir Spot Welds, Mater. Des., 2012, 35, p 350–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. M. Fujimoto, S. Koga, N. Abe, S.Y. Sato, and H. Kokawa, Analysis of Plastic Flow of the Al Alloy Joint Produced by Friction Stir Spot Welding, Weld. Int., 2009, 23, p 589–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Keelung Road, Section 4, Taipei, 10673, Taiwan, ROC

    Yuan-Ching Lin, Ju-Jen Liu & Jiun-Nan Chen

  2. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Lee-Ming Institute of Technology, Taishan, Taipei, 24352, Taiwan, ROC

    Ju-Jen Liu

Authors
  1. Yuan-Ching Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ju-Jen Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiun-Nan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuan-Ching Lin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lin, YC., Liu, JJ. & Chen, JN. Material Flow Tracking for Various Tool Geometries During the Friction Stir Spot Welding Process. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 22, 3674–3683 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-013-0680-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-013-0680-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation