Temperature and strain distribution during friction stir welding of AA6061 and AA5052 aluminum alloy using deform 3D

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of heat generation during friction stir welding (FSW) on dissimilar aluminium alloy plates AA6061 and AA5052 using process variables such as tool rotational speed, feed rate and temperature distribution. Temperature distributions on the workpiece were recorded at advancing side and receding side during welding by using thermocouples and revealed that temperatures on the advancing side are greater than those on the receding side. The FSW process was simulated at the tool speed of 1000, 1200 and 1400 rpm, feed rate of 20, 40, 60 mm/min. A Taguchi OA has been used for designed the experiments. The findings of the micro hardness test at the welded zone analysed using Vickers’s tester. Microstructure analysis of AA6061 identical welds reveals that grains are slightly reduced at HAZ, while analysis of AA5052 and AA6061 dissimilar welds reveals that grain are significantly enlarged at weldment than base metal. It also found that, the tool speed increases while maintaining a steady feed rate, increased the amount of heat generated in weld zones. On the other hand, increasing feed rate while maintaining constant tool rotational speeds results in a decrease in the amount of heat created in weld zones. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed, the optimal condition of temperature distribution and heat generation is T3F1 (i.e., tool speed of 1400 rpm and feed rate of 20 mm/min). A model of the workpiece and tool was developed using Deform-3D Software for friction stir welding, and thermal analysis was performed to analyse the temperature distribution.