FRICTION STIR WELDING

INTRODUCTION
 Invented by TWI in 1991.
 It overcomes many of the problems associated with the conventional joining techniques.
 FSW is capable of producing very high strength welds in wide range of material .
 FSW process takes place in the solid phase below the melting point of the material to be
joined.
 No filler material involved
 Welds created by,
(a). Frictional heating
(b). Mechanical deformation
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF FSW
• FSW process uses a cylindrical tool with a profiles probe that slowly plunged into the
interface of two workpiece and then rotated to join two pieces together.
• Frictional heat is generated between the tool and the work piece material.
• This heat allows the movement of the tool along the weld line without reaching the melting
point.
• Tool mechanically intermixes the two pieces of workpiece and forges the hot and softened
metal by the mechanical pressure which is applied by the tool.
IMPORTANT WELDING ZONES
• Friction stir welding consists of three main zones :
(a) Nugget, stirred zone :
The nugget zone is a region of heavily deformed material that roughly
corresponds to the location of the pin during welding. The grains within
this zone are roughly of equal size and often smaller than the size of
the grain of the parent material .

(b) Thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) :

TMAZ occurs on either sides of the stirred zone. In this region the strain
and temperature are lower and the effect of welding on the micro-
structer is correspondingly smaller.
(c). Heat affected zone (HAZ) :
This region is subjected to a thermal cycle but is not deformed during the
welding. The temperatures are lower than those in the TMAZ.

A. Unaffected material
B. Heat affected zone
C. Thermo-mechanically affected zone
D. Stir zone
IMPORTANT WELDING PARAMETERS
1) Tool design :
 The design of the tool is a critical factor as good tool can improve the quality and the
welding speed.
 Have good oxidation resistance and thermal conductivity.
 Tool material should be strong and tough.
 H13 steel, MN100, MN50 etc. suitable for tool material.
 Tool has various shapes having different advantages.
2) Tool rotation speed :
 Two tool speeds are considered in FSW; how fast the tool rotates and how quickly it travels
along the interface.
 It can be said that increasing the tool rotation speed and decreasing the travelling speed will
result in a hotter weld.
 In order to produce a successful weld it is necessary that the material surrounding the tool is
hot enough to enable the extensive plastic flow required and minimize the forces acting on
the tool.
3) Tool tilt and plunge depth :
 The plunge depth is defined as the depth of the lowest point of the surface of the welded
plate and has found to be a critical parameter for ensuring weld quality.
 Plunging the tool below the plate surface increase in pressure below the tool and helps
ensure adequate forging of the material.
 Tilting the tool 2-4 degrees such that the rear of the tool is lower than front, has been
found to assist the forging process.
 Variable load welders have been developed to automatically compensate the changes in
the tool displacement and tilting.
ADVANTAGES
• Ability to join materials that are difficult to fusion weld for example Al, Mg and Cu alloys.
• Retained material properties, minimize material distortion.
• Absence of cracking.
• The process is usually automatic and adaptable for robot use.
• No filler or consumables are required in the process.
• Improved safety due to the absence of toxic fumes of molten material.
• Low environmental impact.
DISADVANTAGES
• Exit hole left when tool is withdrawn.
• Large down forces required with heavy duty clamping necessary to hold the plates
together.
• Less flexible than manual and arc processes, difficulties with thickness variations and non-
linear welds.
• Slower traverse rate than some fusion welding techniques.
• High investment
APPLICATIONS
• Aerospace
• Ship building
• Automotive
• Railways
ANY DOUBTS ?