Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding for Aerospace and Automotive Applications

JOINT INDUSTRY
PROJECT OUTLINE

Summary

Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) has recently emerged as an important

variant of the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process and is an area of
significant and increasing interest in the transport sector.

FSSW, in its basic form, involves using a FSW tool to make a spot weld
(i.e. no traversing motion). Key benefits reported by current users include
improved joint performance and process reliability, and energy savings of
over 90% in comparison to resistance spot welding (RSW).

One of the FSSW process variants is the refill friction stir spot welding
(RFSSW), which eliminates the tool exit hole present in standard FSW and
FSSW joints. There are many applications for which joining thin section
aluminium components using RFSSW can be utilised; these include aircraft
fuselage (stringer to skin) and automotive body panels. The advantages of
the RFSSW process include:

 Cost and weight savings are achievable due to the removal of the need
to use steel rivets;

 Corrosion potential is reduced as there is no need to isolate steel rivets

from aluminium components, also resulting in cost savings;

 The tensile shear and hardness properties are higher in RFSSW than
RSW, even when welding through Alodine, anodized material and with
faying sealants;

 A single tooling set-up can join a range of sheet thicknesses;

 Improved aerodynamic performance;

 Weldable material combinations include Al-Al, Al-Ti, Al-Fe and Ti-Ti.

TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)1223 899000
Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding for Aerospace and Automotive Applications

Project Concept

TWI has demonstrated the process capabilities and potential of the RFSSW process for thin section aluminium
(up to 4mm) but there are a range of process related challenges that require investigation and optimisation
namely:

 RFSSW tool durability;

 Speed of welding cycle (increasing the number of welds per minute for automotive applications);

 Reliable NDT approaches to determine weld quality;

 Mechanical properties such as fatigue and fatigue crack growth performance are not fully investigated for
aerospace application.

Objectives

This Joint Industry Project (JIP) will aim to address the challenges related to the RFSSW process.

Specific objectives will be to:

 Demonstrate the feasibility of the RFSSW technique to weld thin section aluminium;

 Assess tool materials, designs and performance (tool durability);

 Assess weld stability and process reproducibility;

 Evaluate weld mechanical properties;

 Assess NDT approaches to determine weld quality;

 Determine requirements of fixture and work-holding for non-flat components (curved parts);

 Assist, where appropriate, in the development of business cases for the adoption of RFSSW.

Benefits

Sponsors will benefit from an early assessment of the new RFSSW technique for joining thin section aluminium
alloys, which may have the potential to offer advantages, such as:

 Increases production rates;

 Reduces tooling costs;

 Improves mechanical properties;

 Reduces weight for the selected part.

The results of this project will provide data to assist sponsors in commercial evaluation of the technique and the
calculation of return on investment on RFSSW against current conventional joining and welding techniques.

Approach

Using the unique capabilities of the KHI Robotic RFSSW system, the RFSSW process capabilities will be
assessed. Based on previous work, welding trials will be carried out, initially to make sound welds. The weld
properties will be assessed and improved through process optimisation. Destructive and non-destructive weld
assessments will be used to determine the weld properties and to identify appropriate non-destructive solutions
respectively. Information will also be generated for calculation of return-on-investment on adopting the RFSSW
process compared to the current, conventional welding and joining techniques.

TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)1223 899000
Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding for Aerospace and Automotive Applications

a) Conventional FSSW b) Refill FSSW

Comparison of surface finish in the as-welded condition

Plunging Filling up Finish

The RFSSW process principle (the shoulder-first-plunge variant)

Copyright © TWI Ltd 2017

Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding for Aerospace and Automotive Applications

Examples of RFSSW in the aerospace sector

Deliverables

During the project, progress updates will be issued bi-monthly by e-mail and, at six-monthly intervals, the
Sponsors will meet to review the work and guide progress. A detailed progress report will be issued in advance
of each six-monthly progress meeting. A final meeting will be held to present the overall project findings. All
progress reports and the final report will be available through a secure area on the TWI website.

Price and Duration

The estimated total cost of the project is £250,000 (excluding VAT) and will be undertaken over a period of two
years. Five sponsor companies are sought, each contributing £25,000 per annum.

The project will commence as soon as four sponsor companies have signed-up and the work programme will be
tailored in consultation with the Sponsor Group.

Further Information

For further information on how a JIP runs, please visit:

http://www.twi-global.com/services/research-and-consultancy/joint-industry-projects/

JIP Co-ordinator: Kirsty Jones

Email: jip@twi.co.uk

Project Leader: Khalid Nor

Email: khalid.nor@twi.co.uk

TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)1223 899000