Effect of process parameters on tensile strength of Friction stir welded butt joints of thick AA1350 aluminum plates using Taguchi experimental design

Abstract

Abstract The requirement for defect free welding for critical applications has resulted in continuous development of advanced material joining processes. Friction stir welding (FSW), a solid state welding process has been accepted for joining of a diversity of materials viz aluminium, copper and other low melting point alloys. This mechanical way of joining is also a proven technique that is being used for joining of dissimilar materials efficiently. In this paper, the FSW has been utilizing for joining of thick aluminium plates to widen the industrial application of FSW. The spindle rotational speed, travel speed of tool and tilt angle of the tool were taken to study their effect on the tensile strength of FSW weld joint. The AA1350 grade aluminium plates having 12.7 mm thickness was taken as the work material for joining. Experimentation was carried out according the Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array. The lowest level of spindle rotation, and highest level of travel speed and tilt angle of tool were obtained as optimal input variables for desired tensile strength of the joint. The confirmation experiments were also done to validate the optimal settings.