Abstract
Automobile, aerospace, and shipbuilding industries are looking for lightweight materials for cost effective manufacturing which demands the welding of dissimilar alloy materials. In this study, the effect of tool rotational speed, welding speed, tilt angle, and pin depth on the weld joint were investigated. Aluminum 5052 and 304 stainless-steel alloys were joined by friction stir welding in a lap configuration. The design of the experiments was based on Taguchi’s orthogonal array for conducting the experiments with four factors and three levels for each factor. The microstructural analysis showed tunnel defects, micro voids, and cracks which formed with 0° and 1.5° tilt angles. The defects were eliminated when the tilt angle increased to 2.5° and a mixed stir zone was formed with intermetallic compounds. The presence of the intermetallic compounds increased with the increase in tilt angle and pin depth which further resulted in obtaining a defect-free weld. Hooks were formed on either side of the weld zone creating a mechanical link for the joint. A Vickers hardness value of HV 635.46 was achieved in the mixed stir zone with 1000 rpm, 20 mm/min, and 4.2 mm pin depth with a tilt angle of 2.5°, which increased by three times compared to the hardness of SS 304 steel. The maximum shear strength achieved with 800 rpm, 40 mm/min, and a 4.3 mm pin depth with a tilt angle of 2.5° was 3.18 kN.
Highlights
The joining of two different materials which are completely different in their mechanical, physical, and chemical properties is always a challenge
When the tilt angle was increased to 1.5 degrees with the same rotational and traverse speed and pin depth, the tunnel defect was reduced, but some micro voids were formed (Figure 3b) in Friction stir lap welding (FSLW)-2 and FSLW-6 where the pin depth was 4.1 mm (0.1 penetration mm in steel) and 4.2 mm (0.2 penetration mm in steel)
304 stainless-steel stainless-steel alloys alloys were were successfully achieved without any defects, and the following conclusions were drawn from the results
Summary
The joining of two different materials which are completely different in their mechanical, physical, and chemical properties is always a challenge. If the heat generated is too high, the aluminum may reach its melting point which will not result in a sound joint; if the heat generated is not enough to stir the steel into aluminum, it will result in a joint with many defects. Process parameters, such as tool rotational speed, welding speed, pin depth, and tilt angle, play a crucial role in deciding the weld quality [1,2]
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