Shear strength optimization for FSSW AA6060-T5 joints by Taguchi and full factorial design

Abstract

Statistical tools have shown to be very useful in the optimization of processes such as welding. Optimization is understood as the determination of the welding combinations that will lead to the maximization of a desired property, such as strength. This work proposes a statistical methodology to determine the optimum combination of welding parameters of FSSW in 6060-T5 aluminium alloy. Two Design of Experiment (DOE) statistical tools, Taguchi and Full Factorial Design (FFD) were used to determine the optimum combination of three welding parameters: rotational speed, plunge rate and dwell time. Four samples were produced for each welding combination and then subjected to shear test to evaluate joint strength. Quadratic regression was used to obtain an equation correlating joint strength and welding parameters. With the methodology presented, it was obtained an equation to correlate welding parameters and joint strength with acceptable accuracy. The results have shown that a proper combination of DoE tools like Taguchi and FFD is key to determining the optimum set of welding parameters in the FSSW process.