Abstract
Friction stir welding (FSW) has enjoyed great success in joining aluminum alloys. As lightweight structures are designed in higher numbers, it is only natural that FSW is being explored to join dissimilar aluminum alloys. The use of different aluminum alloy combinations in applications offers the combined benefit of cost and performance in the same component. This review focuses on the application of FSW in dissimilar aluminum alloy combinations in order to disseminate research this topic. The review details published works on FSWed dissimilar aluminum alloys. The detailed summary of literature lists welding parameters for the different aluminum alloy combinations. Furthermore, auxiliary welding parameters such as positioning of the alloy, tool rotation speed, welding speed and tool geometry are discussed. Microstructural features together with joint mechanical properties, like hardness and tensile strength measurements, are presented. At the end, new directions for the joining of dissimilar aluminum alloy combinations should guide further research to extend as well as to improve the process, which is expected to raise further interest on the topic.
Highlights
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process which was invented at The WeldingInstitute (TWI) in UK in 1991 [1]
This trend observed literature clearly identifies the interest on the FSW of dissimilar Al alloy joints, which is expected to increase over the coming years
The effects of welding parameters on the mechanical properties that is, the hardness and the joint strength have been investigated. As it can be seen a number of studies have been performed on the effect of the placement of base material (BM) on the material flow and the resulting microstructure in the SZ and the mechanical properties of the weld
Summary
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process which was invented at The Welding. FSW is regarded as an environmentally friendly and energy efficient joining technique providing one of the best alternatives to fusion welding in order to produce a good combination of microstructure and properties in the joints. FSW has already proved its superiority in joining aluminum (Al) alloys as well as magnesium (Mg) alloys over fusion welding processes because of its solid-state nature. Al alloys have remained the prime selection for structural material while controlling the cost of Al alloys in these industries, there is an increasing demand to weld in aerospace, shipbuilding and automotive industries for their excellent strength to weight ratio. The FSW of dissimilar combinations has gainedthe attention over the years, demonstrating the potential of the over the recent alloy years, demonstrating potential ofrecent the process to join these.
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