Experimental Investigation of Friction Stir Welded AA5052 using Square and Pentagonal Tool Pins

Abstract

Aluminium alloy of AA5052 has wide acceptance in marine, aircraft, gas tankers, sheet metal work, fuel lines because of high strength to weight ratio. Unlike the fusion welding process, friction stir welding (FSW) is one of the solid state welding process where the coalescence between two metals is produced by generating frictional heat between non consumable tool and base material. Parameters in FSW like weld speed, rotational speed, tool pin profile and axial force play the major role in determining the strength of weld. In this experimental work, an effort has been made to perceive the effect of weld speed and pin profile on the weld nugget zone of AA5052. Two different tool pin profiles (square, pentagon) have been used to weld the joints at three different weld speeds (40 mm/min, 60 mm/min, 80 mm/min). Tensile properties, hardness and impact strength of welds have been evaluated. From this study, it is found that weld obtained by using pentagon pin at 60 mm/min weld speed produced the mechanically good weld compared to other welds.