Recent Developments in Friction Stir Welding Technology and Applications

A special issue of Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing (ISSN 2504-4494).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 June 2024 | Viewed by 3005

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: mechanical and microstructural characterization of metallic materials; modelling; numerical simulation; plasticity and welding
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) technology is a solid-state welding process, patented by The Welding Institute (TWI) in 1991. Although it was initially conceived for the joining of aluminum alloys, the analysis of the welds obtained via FSW quickly revealed the potential of this technology to be used in the similar and dissimilar joining of other non-ferrous and ferrous materials, as well as in the production of new materials and/or in the transformation of surfaces. When used with these two objectives, the FSW technology becomes known as Friction Stir Processing (FSP). In the literature, it is even common to use the acronym FSW/P to highlight the potential of the technology to be used in diversified fields of engineering and materials science.

An analysis of the literature, as well as the patents registered worldwide, allows us to conclude that the research and development in the joining and processing of materials via FSW is still under development. The diversity of applications, as well as the number of technology variants, both in terms of welding and material processing, continues to grow. The works published worldwide based on the use of FSW technology cover topics ranging from applied sciences to fundamental sciences. This Special Issue aims to compile any new developments in any of these areas.

Prof. Dr. Dulce Maria Rodrigues
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • FSW
  • FSP
  • characterization
  • modelling
  • process control

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 5745 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Influence of Tool Material on the Performance of Refill Friction Stir Spot Welds in AA2029
by Ruth Belnap, Taylor Smith, Paul Blackhurst, Josef Cobb, Heath Misak, John Bosker and Yuri Hovanski
J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2024, 8(3), 88; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmmp8030088 (registering DOI) - 27 Apr 2024
Viewed by 172
Abstract
Joining high strength 2xxx series aluminum is known to be complex and difficult; these alloys are traditionally considered non-weldable for fusion welding. This paper describes details on welding AA2029-T8 for skin-stiffened structures using refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW). RFSSW is a solid-state [...] Read more.
Joining high strength 2xxx series aluminum is known to be complex and difficult; these alloys are traditionally considered non-weldable for fusion welding. This paper describes details on welding AA2029-T8 for skin-stiffened structures using refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW). RFSSW is a solid-state process invented in the early 2000s that produces spot welds that are strong, lightweight, flush, and hermetic. Cycle times between 1 and 3 s are discussed, and process forces within a range of 8 to 14 kN are demonstrated. Furthermore, lap-shear quasi-static tensile strengths are shown to be between 10 kN and 12 kN in 9 mm diameter spots. A comparison of the performance of RFSSW welds made with various tool materials—which include H13 tool steel, tungsten carbide, and MP159—is detailed. Comparisons of parameters, weld consolidation, and heat-affected zones are presented with discussion related to heat generation specific to each tool material. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 14352 KiB  
Article
AA5754–Al2O3 Nanocomposite Prepared by Friction Stir Processing: Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Performance
by Moustafa M. Mohammed, Mahmoud E. Abdullah, M. Nafea M. Rohim, Andrzej Kubit and Hamed Aghajani Derazkola
J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2024, 8(2), 58; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmmp8020058 - 08 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1002
Abstract
The utilization of Al2O3 nanopowder to reinforce AA5754 aluminum alloy through blind holes employing the friction stir processing (FSP) technique to produce an aluminum matrix nanocomposite is explored in this paper. Motivated by the necessity to enhance the strength and [...] Read more.
The utilization of Al2O3 nanopowder to reinforce AA5754 aluminum alloy through blind holes employing the friction stir processing (FSP) technique to produce an aluminum matrix nanocomposite is explored in this paper. Motivated by the necessity to enhance the strength and ductility of welded joints, the impacts of varying the tool rotational speed (rpm) and blind hole diameter on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints are investigated. Experimental characterization techniques including SEM, optical microscopy, microhardness, and tensile tests were employed to analyze the welded joints produced under different processing parameters (tool rotational speeds of 910, 1280, and 1700 rpm, and blind hole diameters of 0, 1, 1.5, and 2 mm). Comparative analyses were conducted against base metal properties and joints without reinforcement powder. It was found that the addition of nanopowder resulted in a decrease in the maximum generated heat during FSP, while also reducing the stir zone size compared to samples without nanopowder. Moreover, enhancements in both the strength and ductility of the joints were observed with the incorporation of Al2O3 nanoparticles. The optimal combination of welding conditions, observed at 1280 rpm rotational speed and 1.5 mm hole diameter, yielded a remarkable ultimate tensile strength of 567 MPa, accompanied by a hardness of 45 HV. These results underscore the potential of nano-Al2O3 reinforcement in significantly improving the mechanical properties of the produced nanocomposite, with implications for advancing the performance of welded structures in various engineering applications. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4799 KiB  
Article
Dissimilar Friction Stir Lap Welding of Aluminium to Steel: Influence of Alloy Type and Sheet Thickness on Strain Distribution and Failure Location
by Hernán G. Svoboda, Leonardo N. Tufaro, Carlos Leitão and Dulce M. Rodrigues
J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2023, 7(6), 221; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jmmp7060221 - 06 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1483
Abstract
Dissimilar joining through solid-state welding is an important engineering tool to address the transportation industry’s sustainable goals. The dissimilar friction stir lap welding (FSLW) of two different aluminium alloys (AA5182 and AA5052 with two different thicknesses) to steels AISI1010 and DP1000 was performed [...] Read more.
Dissimilar joining through solid-state welding is an important engineering tool to address the transportation industry’s sustainable goals. The dissimilar friction stir lap welding (FSLW) of two different aluminium alloys (AA5182 and AA5052 with two different thicknesses) to steels AISI1010 and DP1000 was performed in this work, in order to analyse the effect of the mismatch in base material properties and plate thickness on the joint strength and fracture location. The mechanical behaviour and the strength of the welds were assessed using transverse tensile–shear testing and hardness measurements. Strain data acquisition through Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used. The differences in fracture location registered for the different joints are explained based on the alloy’s plastic properties and on the mismatch in thickness between the plates. Local stress–strain curves were plotted, using the strain data acquired through DIC, to highlight the mechanisms resulting in the differences in tensile behaviour among the joints. It is concluded that despite the differences in failure location and tensile behaviour, the strength of the joints was very similar, irrespective of the base material combinations. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop